Productivity of Young Rabbits at Different Sources of Cuprum in the Mixed Fodder

Abstract

The impact of different levels and sources of coppermixedligand on productivity and its metabolism in young rabbits of California breed in combination with sulfates was investigated in experiment. For rabbits of the 1st control group 7.81 g/t of copper sulfate was injected into the mixed fodder, of the 2nd experimental group - 7.81 g/t of coppermixedligand, of the 3rd, 4th and 5th experimental groups, respectively, g/t: 5.86; 3.91 and 1.95. As a result, the rabbits of the 1st control group and the 2nd experimental group deficit of copper was eliminated by 100% to the existing norm, and the rabbits of the 3rd, 4th and 5th experimental groups - by 75, 50 and 25%. Studies have shown that during the main period of the experiment, the increase in live weight in all experimental groups exceeded the indicator of the control group. In particular, in rabbits of the 2nd experimental group this exceeding was 9.0% (p < 0.05), 3rd - 13.2% (p < 0.05), 4th -14.0% (p < 0.001) and 5th - by 4.9%. Among all the experimental groups, the best indicators of nutrient digestibility of feed were the rabbits of the 4th experimental group, which in the composition of the mixed fodder fed coppermixedligand, which covered a deficiency of this element by 50% in metal chelate from the amount of Copper of the 2nd experimental group. Compared to control group the digestibility rate of organic feed matter in these animals increased by 3.7%. This increase was due to an increase in the digestibility of crude protein - by 4.5%, crude fat - 0.5, crude fiber - 4.6 and nitrogen-free extractives - 3.7%. According to the results of the experiment, the rabbits of the experimental group 4 ate 5.0% less feed than the counterparts of the 1st control group, and the feed costs were 3.9% lower. The use of the organic form of copper in the form of mixed-ligand complex in mixfeed for rabbits of breeding on meat in the amount of 3.91 g/t or 50% of metalchelate promoted an increase in the growth of animals, nutrient digestibility of feed and reduced feed conversion.