Performance Of Growing Rabbits Research Articles

Evaluation of the effect of Carica papaya seed on the growth performance of fattening rabbits.

Successful breeding depends on feeding. The present study aims to evaluate the Carica papaya seed effect on the growth performance of rabbits. The zootechnical parameters studied are weight growth, average daily gain, Feed Conversion Ratio, and carcass characteristics of kits. The experiment was conducted on 48 rabbits, divided into 4 groups, for 6 weeks. Forty-eight rabbits were divided into four (04) groups of 3 repetitions of 4 rabbits. The animals were fed diets containing various levels of papaya seed powder at variable contents: 0% (group T0), 4% (group T1), 6% (group T2), and 8% (group T3). At the end of the experiment, three animals were slaughtered in each animal group to assess the quality of the carcasses and organs. 6% of the seeds of Carica papaya significantly improved (p < 0.05) the average daily gain of the kits: T2 (22.40g / d) compared to the T0 group (11.32g / d), T1 (12.20g / d) and T3 (17.53g / d). The best Feed Conversion Ratio (0.80) was recorded in the animals of group T2. In contrast, the highest carcass yield was recorded in the rabbits of group T3 (62.70%). In conclusion, 6% was optimal in the feed rations of fattened rabbits to improve production performance. Breeders can consider the benefits of introducing Carica papaya seeds into the rabbits' diet.

Growth performance, plasma metabolites, meat quality, and meat and lipid health indices of New Zealand White rabbits as affected by dietary dried tomato pomace powder supplementation during the summer season.

One hundred and twenty New Zealand White rabbits (NZW) (5-week-old; 735.27 ± 27.23 g) were kept in an open-sided house during the summer season. The experiment aims to evaluate the impacts of dried tomato pomace powder (DTPP) supplementation on rabbits' performance, blood metabolites, carcass traits, meat quality, and lipid and health indices of NZW rabbits during 5-13 weeks of age. The four treatments were a standard rabbit feed (control) and the control diet supplemented with 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% DTPP, respectively. Rabbits fed a diet containing 1.5% DTPP showed the highest growth rate through weeks 9-13 of age despite having the lowest feed intake spanning 5-13 weeks. The best feed conversion ratio (FCR) was recorded in rabbits fed with 1.5% DTPP-supplemented diet for 5-13 weeks. Diets supplemented with 0.5 or 1.0% DTPP enhanced markedly dressing %, total edible flesh, saturated (SFAs), monounsaturated (MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) contents, as well as the ∑n - 6/∑n - 3 ratio and the total n - 6 of meat. Dietary supplementation with DTPP decreased kidney, abdominal, and back fat. Diets supplemented with DTTP decreased total cholesterol, triglycerides, and very low-density lipoprotein (vLDL) concentrations. The greatest levels of linoleic acid, arachidonic and water-holding capacity in meat were observed in rabbits fed 1.5% DTPP-supplemented diets. Diets containing 1 and 1.5% DTPP improved meats' atherogenic and thrombogenic indices, meat lipid quality desired fatty acids/undesired fatty acids ratio, and meat health index. Conclusively, DTPP up to 1.5% maintained the growth performance of rabbits, boosted meat quality through increasing vitamin E, reduced fat deposition, modified fatty acid composition, and improved atherogenic, thrombogenic, and hypocholesterolemic indices of rabbit meat.

PERFORMANCE AND DIGESTIBILITY RESPONSE BY RABBITS FED DIETS CONTAINING COWPEA HAULMS (Vigna unguiculata) REPLACING RICE OFFAL AT GRADED LEVELS

An 84-day feeding trial was conducted with weaner rabbits to investigate the feeding value of cowpea haulms (Vigna unguiculata) on growth performance and nutrients digestibility. Thirtysix (36) weaner rabbits with initial live weight range of 427.33 – 474.50g were randomly allocated to six (6) dietary treatments and each treatments replicated six (6) times in a complete randomized design. Each treatment was made up of three (3) males and three (3) females with each as a replicate. The rabbits were fed diets with cowpea haulms replacing rice offal at 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% levels according to treatments T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, and T6 respectively and T1 with 0% cowpea haulms as the control diet. The result of proximate composition and energy values of experimental diets revealed a crude protein value of 16.62% for T2 less than a similar value of 17.50% for T3, T4, T6 and T1 and T5 with a value of 18.38%. Crude fibre values ranged 12.43 to 21.00% increased across T1 –T6 as cowpea haulms (CH) level increased in the diet. Ether extract however decreased from T1 –T6 with increase in the level of CH with moisture following no particular trend. Ash was seen to decrease with increase in the diet CH, dry matter values 89.91% (T1) to 91.77% (T5) and NFE values 56.28 (T1) to 62.82 (T4) were in no particular trend. Also, ME values 3139.59 (T4) to 2731.32% (T1) did not follow a definite trend among the experimental treatments. The final weight (FW) was shown to decrease across the treatments with T1 having the highest final weight. T4 and T6 had the similar final weights. The nutrient digestibility across the six treatments revealed significant (P0.05) different. With these results from this study, it was concluded that, the bulky wastage of cowpea haulms after the seed harvest could be reduced by replacing rice offal with cowpea haulms in rabbit diets as a major crude fibre source. Cowpea haulms had no negative effects on the general growth performance of rabbits. Therefore, it is safe for farmers and feed manufacturers to include cowpea haulms to replace 100% of rice offal as a major source of crude fibre in rabbit diets.

Clostridium butyricum Ameliorates the Effect of Coprophagy Prevention on Hepatic Lipid Synthesis in Rabbits via the Gut-Liver Axis.

Coprophagy prevention (CP) affects the growth performance, hepatic lipid synthesis, and gut microbiota in rabbits. Supplementation with Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum, Strain number: CCTCC M 2019962) has been found to improve growth performance in rabbits. However, it remains unknown whether C. butyricum can ameliorate the effects of CP on hepatic lipid synthesis and the underlying mechanisms are yet to be elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of CP on hepatic lipid synthesis and the underlying mechanism based on the gut-liver axis. The findings revealed that supplementation with C. butyricum could reverse CP-related growth performance, lipid accumulation, bile acid synthesis, and inflammation. Furthermore, C. butyricum exerted protective effects on the gut by preserving intestinal barrier integrity and modulating gut microbiota composition; these factors may represent potential mechanisms through which C. butyricum improves CP-related outcomes. Specifically, C. butyricum reshaped the microbiota by increasing butyric acid levels, thereby maintaining secondary bile acid (deoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid) balance and attenuating the inhibitory effects of the FXR/SHP pathway on lipid synthesis (SREBP1c/ApoA1). Moreover, the activation of butyrate/GPR43pathway by C. butyricum reduced damage to the intestinal barrier (ZO-1/Occludin/Claudin1) and restored the gut immune microenvironment in CP rabbits. In summary, supplementation with C. butyricum can alleviate the adverse effects of CP on growth performance and hepatic lipid synthesis by modulating the gut-liver axis.

Physical Quality of Complete Pellets Feed Containing Peanut Waste (Arachis hypogaea) and Its Effects on Rabbit Growth Performance

This study aimed to evaluate the physical quality of complete pellets with the addition of peanut waste and the effect of its administration on the performance of rabbits. A total of 20 local male rabbits aged 12 weeks with an average body weight of 1335.60 ± 280.53 g are divided into five groups based on body weight, and then used in this study which is performed in randomized block design (RBD). The rabbits are fed on the commercial pellets as a control diet (P0) and feed pellets containing peanut waste at the level of 5% (P1), peanut waste 10% (P2), and peanut waste 15% (P3). The results show that the physical quality of the pellets was not significantly different (p&gt;0.05) in all treatments. Feeding complete pellets with the addition of peanut waste rabbits performances show no significant difference in performance (p&gt;0.05) in all treatments. In conclusion, complete pellets with the addition of peanut was can resemble the physical quality of commercial pellets (control), maintain performances

Evaluating the effects of tannic acid on rabbit growth performance, digestibility, antioxidant status, intestinal morphology and caecal fermentation and microbiota.

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of dietary supplementation with tannic acid (TA) on the growth performance, digestibility, antioxidant status, intestinal morphology and the caecal fermentation and microbiota in rabbits. A total number of 120 Ira rabbits (30 days of age) were randomly allotted to four dietary treatment groups: TA 0 (control), TA 0.75, TA 1.5 and TA 3, administered basal diets with 0, 0.75, 1.5 and 3 g TA/kg of feed for 28 days. Compared to the control group, dietary 3 g TA/kg inclusion decreased the average daily feed intake (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the digestibility among the groups (p > 0.05). Serum total antioxidant capacity was significantly higher in the 3 g/kg TA group than in the other groups (p < 0.05). There was a significant increase in the concentration of propionic acid and butyric acid in the 3 g/kg TA group. The addition of TA had no effect on villus height and crypt depth of small intestine (p > 0.05). The 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing results showed that at the phylum level, dietary 3 g/kg TA increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes in the caecum of rabbits (p < 0.05). Based on the results, dietary TA is effective in antioxidant capacity of rabbits, improving caecal fermentation and optimizing the caecal microflora. However, the appropriate dosage supplementation of TA in rabbits needs further research.

Effect of Multi-Enzyme Supplementation on Growth Performance of Rabbits

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of enzyme supplementation in diets of rabbits on their growth performance, carcass and organ characteristics as well as haematological profile of rabbits. The rabbits were fed commercial diets containing 15% crude protein and metabolizable energy of 2650 kcal. The treatment diets were formulated by adding the enzyme (Kemzyme Plus) to the diets at 0mg/kg, 250mg/kg, 500mg/kg and 1000mg/kg respectively. Twenty (20) weaner rabbits were divided into four groups of five rabbit per group. Each group represent a treatment with 5 replications in a Complete Randomized Design (CRD). The results of growth performance indicated that rabbits fed diets containing 1000mg/kg of Kemzyme had a significant higher (P&lt;0.05) feed intake than those rabbits fed 250 and 500mg/kg of the Kemzyme, which had a comparable feed intake but higher (P&lt;0.05) than those rabbits fed the control diet. The control group had the lowest (P&lt;0.05) weight gain and those rabbits fed the diet containing 1000mg/kg of Kemzyme had the highest (P&lt;0.05) weight gain. Rabbits fed diets containing 250 and 500mg/kg of Kemzyme had the highest (P&lt;0.05) feed conversion efficiency than those rabbits fed diets containing 1000mg/kg of Kemzyme. The control group had the lowest (P&lt;0.05) feed conversion efficiency. Rabbits fed diets containing 1000mg/kg of Kemzyme had a significantly higher dress weight than those rabbits fed diets containing 250 and 500mg/kg of Kemzyme which were comparable but higher (P&lt;0.05) than those of the control group. All those rabbits fed diets containing the Kemzyme had significantly higher carcass dressing than those of the control group, but those rabbits fed diets containing 250mg/kg of Kemzyme had similar (P&gt;0.05) carcass dressing with the control. There was significant difference (P&lt;0.05) among the treatment groups in terms of lung weight. In both the kidney and the liver, those rabbits fed the control diet had the highest kidney and liver weights and those rabbits fed diets containing 250mg/kg of Kemzyme had the lowest (P&lt;0.05) weights. All those rabbits fed diets containing Kemzyme had superior (P&lt;0.05) quality of blood in terms red blood cells, packed cell volume and haemoglobin than those rabbits fed the control diet. However, mean corpuscular volume was high (P&lt;0.05) in the control group than those fed diets containing Kemzyme. Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and white blood cells were not affected (P&gt;0.05) by the inclusion of Kemzyme in the diets of the rabbits. In conclusion, supplementing diets with multi-enzyme (Kemzyme Dry-Plus) in increasing levels of 250mg/kg, 500mg/kg, and 1000mg/kg improved the growth performance of the weaner rabbits.

Impact of coprophagy prevention on the growth performance, serum biochemistry, and intestinal microbiome of rabbits

BackgroundCoprophagy plays a vital role in maintaining growth and development in many small herbivores. Here, we constructed a coprophagy model by dividing rabbits into three groups, namely, control group (CON), sham-coprophagy prevention group (SCP), and coprophagy prevention group (CP), to explore the effects of coprophagy prevention on growth performance and cecal microecology in rabbits.ResultsResults showed that CP treatment decreased the feed utilization and growth performance of rabbits. Serum total cholesterol and total triglyceride in the CP group were remarkably lower than those in the other two groups. Furthermore, CP treatment destroyed cecum villi and reduced the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in cecum contents. Gut microbiota profiling showed significant differences in the phylum and genus composition of cecal microorganisms among the three groups. At the genus level, the abundance of Oscillospira and Ruminococcus decreased significantly in the CP group. Enrichment analysis of metabolic pathways showed a significantly up-regulated differential metabolic pathway (PWY-7315, dTDP-N-acetylthomosamine biosynthesis) in the CP group compared with that in the CON group. Correlation analysis showed that the serum biochemical parameters were positively correlated with the abundance of Oscillospira, Sutterella, and Butyricimonas but negatively correlated with the abundance of Oxalobacte and Desulfovibrio. Meanwhile, the abundance of Butyricimonas and Parabacteroidesde was positively correlated with the concentration of butyric acid in the cecum.ConclusionsIn summary, coprophagy prevention had negative effects on serum biochemistry and gut microbiota, ultimately decreasing the growth performance of rabbits. The findings provide evidence for further revealing the biological significance of coprophagy in small herbivorous mammals.

The ratios of dietary non-fibrous carbohydrate (NFC) to neutral detergent fiber (NDF) influence intestinal immunity of rabbits by regulating gut microbiota composition and metabolites.

Carbohydrate is the most common macronutrient consumed across all phases of the diet and acts as a potential regulator in modulating the gut microbiota in animals. However, the influences of dietary non-fibrous carbohydrate (NFC) to neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in different ratios on gut microbiota, metabolites, intestinal immunity, and growth performance have not been fully explored. A total of 135 healthy weaned rabbits (45.1 ± 0.7 d of age) with an average body weight of 1.08 ± 0.07 kg were randomly divided into five groups. Under the same other nutrient levels, rabbits were fed diets with NFC/NDF ratios of 0.7 (T1), 1.0 (T2), 1.3 (T3), 1.6 (T4), and 1.9 (T5). During the 28-day experiment, T3 rabbits showed the highest final body weight and the lowest feed-to-weight ratio than T5 rabbits (P < 0.05) but no significant difference with T1 or T2 rabbits. The expression of cecal pro-inflammatory factors IL-1β and TNF-α was increased in the T4 and T5 than in those of other groups (P < 0.05). Conversely, the tight junction proteins (ZO-1, Claudin-1, and Occludin) were decreased to varying degrees in the T4 and T5 groups. The pH value in the cecal digesta of T5 rabbits was lower than that of T1, T2, and T3 (P < 0.05), while the concentration of volatile fatty acids and propionate was higher than those of T1, T2, and T3 rabbits (P < 0.05). In terms of gut microbiota, at the phylum level, the relative burden of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria in T2 rabbits was the highest (P < 0.05), and the relative burden of Proteobacteria in T5 rabbits was higher than that of other groups (P < 0.05). At the genus level, the relative burden of Ruminococcus was higher in T2 and T3 rabbits than that of other groups, and T5 rabbits have the lowest relative burden of Ruminococcus. Combination analysis showed that cecal metabolites were positively associated with fermentation-related phenotypes and the burden of Firmicutes (P < 0.05). In conclusion, different dietary NFC/NDF ratios can affect the intestinal immune response and growth performance of rabbits, and there was a positive effect when dietary NFC/NDF = 1.0-1.3.

Effect of Hydroponically Grown Forages on Growth Performance of Rabbit

An experiment was carried out on weaned rabbits at Swine and Avian Research Program, Khumaltar from 11 June 2020 to July 29, 2020 after adjustment period of seven days. The objective to evaluate the effect of hydroponically grown forages on growth performance of rabbit. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized design with three treatments viz. control without inclusion of hydroponic forage (T1), combination of pea and wheat hydroponic forage (T2), concentrate mixture with pea hydroponic forage (T3) and concentrate mixture with wheat hydroponic forage (T4) in rabbit feeding diet. A total of 60 rabbits each treatment containing 5 rabbits kept for 8th weeks’ period. The data on feed intake was recorded daily and body weight was measure in weekly basis. Combination of pea and wheat hydroponic forage treatment showed the significant results on feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio(FCR). The experiment revealed that the highest forage hydroponic forage intake (177.48 g) and weight gain (158.67g) was observed in T2 (combination of pea and wheat in hydroponics system) and lowest in T1 (46.67g). The highest FCR was found in T1 (3.75) and lowest in T2 (2.28). The results of this study showed that growth performance of rabbits on combination of pea and wheat hydroponically grown forage feeding practices at intensive system found better than without hydroponically grown forage feeding practices. Further study should be carried out to precise the appropriate hydroponic forage recommending this practices to the rabbit growers.

Recombinant GMA56 and ROP17 of Eimeria magna conferred protection against infection by homologous species.

One of the most common rabbits coccidia species, Eimeria magna is mainly parasitic in the ileal and jejunal epithelial cells. E. magna infection can affect the growth performance of rabbits or cause other secondary diseases. Traditional methods of anticoccidial treatment typically result in drug resistance and drug residue. Therefore, vaccination is a promising alternative. Gametocyte antigen 56 (GAM56) and rhoptry kinase family proteins (ROPs) are involved in oocyst wall formation and parasite invasion, respectively. A virulence factor, ROP17 contains a serine/threonine kinase catalytic domain. In this study, recombinant E. magna GAM56 (rEmGAM56) and ROP17 (rEmROP17) proteins were obtained from a prokaryotic expression system and their reactogenicity was investigated with immunoblotting. To assess the potential of rEmGAM56 and rEmROP17 as coccidiosis vaccines, New Zealand White rabbits were subcutaneously immunized with 100 μg rEmGAM56 (rGC group) or rEmROP17 (rRC group) twice at 2-week intervals followed by homologous oocyst challenge. The rabbit serum was collected weekly to detect the specific antibody levels. The cytokine levels of pre-challenge serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the rabbits were observed and recorded post-challenge for the onset of clinical symptoms. The weight gain, oocyst output, and feed conversion ratio were calculated at the end of the experiment. The results showed that both rEmGAM56 and rEmROP17 had good reactogenicity. The rEmGAM56- or rEmROP17-immunized rabbits had milder clinical symptoms and feed conversion ratios of 3.27:1 and 3.37:1, respectively. The rEmGAM56-immunized rabbits had 81.35% body weight gain and 63.85% oocyst output reduction; the rEmROP17-immunized rabbits had 79.03% body weight gain and 80.10% oocyst output reduction. The ACI of rGC and rRC groups were 162.35 and 171.03, respectively. The specific antibody levels increased rapidly after immunization. Significantly increased interleukin (IL)-2, interferon (IFN)-γ, and IL-17 levels were evident in the rGC and rRC groups (p < 0.05). The rEmGAM56 and rEmROP17 elicited humoral and cellular responses, which protected against E. magna infection in rabbits. Thus, rEmGAM56 and rEmROP17 are potential vaccine candidates against E. magna, and rEmROP17 performed better than rEmGAM56.

Investigation of the growth performance, blood status, gut microbiome and metabolites of rabbit fed with low-nicotine tobacco.

Tobacco contains a large amount of bioactive ingredients which can be used as source of feed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary addition of low-nicotine tobacco (LNT) on the growth performance, blood status, cecum microbiota and metabolite composition of meat rabbits. A total of 80 Kangda meat rabbits of similar weight were assigned randomly as four groups, and three of them were supplemented with 5%, 10%, and 20% LNT, respectively, with the other one fed with basal diet as control group. Each experiment group with 20 rabbits was raised in a single cage. The experiments lasted for 40 days with a predictive period of 7 days. The results revealed that LNT supplementation had no significant effect on the growth performance, but increased the half carcass weight compared with control group. Dietary supplemention of LNT decreased the triglycerides and cholesterol content in rabbit serum, and significantly increased the plasma concentration of lymphocytes (LYM), monocytes, eosinophils, hemoglobin HGB and red blood cells. In addition, LNT supplementation significantly changed the microbial diversity and richness, and metagenomic analysis showed that LNT supplementation significantly increased Eubacterium_siraeum_group, Alistipes, Monoglobus and Marvinbryantia at genus level. Moreover, LC–MS data analysis identified a total of 308 metabolites that markedly differed after LNT addition, with 190 significantly upregulated metabolites and 118 significantly downregulated metabolites. Furthermore, the correlation analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between the microbial difference and the rabbit growth performance. Overall, these findings provide theoretical basis and data support for the application of LNT in rabbits.

The effects of Clostridium butyricum on Ira rabbit growth performance, cecal microbiota and plasma metabolome.

Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) can provide many benefits for animals’ growth performance and gut health. In this study, we investigated the effects of C. butyricum on the growth performance, cecal microbiota, and plasma metabolome in Ira rabbits. A total of 216 Ira rabbits at 32 days of age were randomly assigned to four treatments supplemented with basal diets containing 0 (CG), 200 (LC), 400 (MC), and 600 mg/kg (HC) C. butyricum for 35 days, respectively. In comparison with the CG group, C. butyricum supplementation significantly improved the average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion rate (FCR) at 53 and 67 days of age (P < 0.05) and digestibilities of crude protein (CP) and crude fiber (CF) at 67 days of age (P < 0.05). The cellulase activity in the HC group was higher respectively by 50.14 and 90.13% at 53 and 67 days of age, than those in the CG groups (P < 0.05). Moreover, at 67 days of age, the diet supplemented with C. butyricum significantly increased the relative abundance of Verrucomicrobia at the phylum level (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the concentrations of different metabolites, such as amino acids and purine, were significantly altered by C. butyricum (P < 0.05). In addition, 10 different genera were highly correlated with 52 different metabolites at 53-day-old and 6 different genera were highly correlated with 18 different metabolites at 67-day-old Ira rabbits. These findings indicated that the C. butyricum supplementation could significantly improve the growth performance by modifying the cecal microbiota structure and plasma metabolome of weaned Ira rabbits.

The effect of housing system on rabbit growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality characteristics of different muscles

The present study analysed the effect of housing system (caged versus penned) on the growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of rabbits. The physiochemical quality of five muscles was evaluated, together with the chemical composition and fatty acid profile of the meat from the hind leg. Sensory properties of the longissimus lumborum (LL) was also assessed. The LL yields were higher in caged rabbits. According to the results, meat from rabbits raised in cages had higher b* values for the LL (i.e., meat was yellower) than rabbits raised in pens. In addition, the quadriceps femoris from penned rabbits had higher a* and b* values (i.e., were redder and yellower) than caged rabbits. The MUFAs (18:1 n-9 and 20:1 n-9) and ash contents of the hind leg meat were higher in caged rabbits. In conclusion, while housing system influenced the physiochemical traits of rabbit meat, the sensory properties were not influenced.

Microbiomics Revealed the Disturbance of Intestinal Balance in Rabbits with Diarrhea Caused by Stopping the Use of an Antibiotic Diet.

The harmful effects of diarrhea on the growth performance of rabbits have been well documented, but the details of the potential mechanism of intestinal diarrhea when antibiotics are stopped are still unclear. Here, PacBio sequencing technology was used to sequence the full length 16S rRNA gene of the microbiota of intestinal content samples, in order to characterize the bacterial communities in the small intestine (duodenum and jejunum) and large intestine (colon and cecum) in normal Hyplus rabbits and those with diarrhea. The histopathological examination showed that intestinal necrosis occurred in different degrees in the diarrhea group, and that the mucosal epithelium was shed and necrotic, forming erosion, and the clinical manifestation was necrosis. However, the intestinal tissue structure of the normal group was normal. The results revealed that there were significant differences in bacterial communities and structure between the diarrhea and normal groups of four intestinal segments (p < 0.05). In general, 16 bacterial phyla, 144 bacterial genera and 22 metabolic pathways were identified in the two groups. Tax4Fun functional prediction analysis showed that KEGG related to amino acid metabolism and energy metabolism was enriched in the large intestines of rabbits with diarrhea, whereas lipid metabolism was more abundant in the small intestine of rabbits with diarrhea. In conclusion, the change in the relative abundance of the identified dominant microbiota, which could deplete key anti-inflammatory metabolites and lead to bacterial imbalance and diarrhea, resulted in diarrhea in Hyplus rabbits that stopped using antibiotics.

The Effect of Exogenous Lysozyme Supplementation on Growth Performance, Caecal Fermentation and Microbiota, and Blood Constituents in Growing Rabbits.

Simple SummaryRabbit farming is increasingly requiring non-antibiotic alternatives to improve rabbit gut health to maintain high feeding efficiency and excellent production index. Thus, using a friendly alternative is an appropriate way to protect rabbits from pathogens while also enhancing their performance and welfare. Lysozyme, an enzyme derived from avian egg white, aids in nutrient digestion and absorption and provides protection against bacterial diseases while lowering pollutants’ excretion, such as ammonia. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of lysozyme supplementation in rabbits’ diets on growth performance, caecal fermentation, bacteria population, and blood constituents. The results demonstrated an improvement in rabbit performance, caecal fermentation, blood lipid profile, and antioxidant status due to an increase in beneficial bacteria in lysozyme-treated rabbits. Therefore, supplementing the rabbit diet with lysozyme up to 150 mg/kg is recommended.The effects of exogenous lysozyme supplementation (LYZ) on growth performance, caecal fermentation and microbiota, and blood characteristics were investigated in growing rabbits. A total of 420 growing male V-Line rabbits (30 d old; weighing 528 ± 16 g) were randomly divided into four groups of 105 rabbits each, and monitored for 42 days. Experimental groups included a control group (LYZ0) fed a basal diet without LYZ supplementation, and three treated groups fed the same basal diet supplemented with LYZ at 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg diet, respectively. The results showed a quadratic improvement in the final body weight, daily growth rate, FCR, and digestibility of DM, while the digestibility of OM, CP, EE, NDF, and ADF improved linearly when LYZ supplementation was increased. The dressing percentage increased quadratically when LYZ levels were increased in the rabbit diets. In rabbits fed LYZ diets, L. acidophilus counts increased linearly (p < 0.05) and L. cellobiosus, and Enterococcus sp. counts increased quadratically, whereas E. coli counts decreased. In the LYZ-supplemented groups, the caecal pH value and NH3-N concentration declined quadratically, whereas total VFA, acetic, and butyric acids increased. Total lipids decreased linearly, whilst triglycerides and cholesterol decreased quadratically with LYZ supplementation. Total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase, and catalase increased quadratically, while malondialdehyde decreased linearly in the LYZ-supplemented groups. In conclusion, exogenous lysozyme administration improved rabbit growth performance and antioxidant status while lowering the blood lipid profile, altering the bacterial population, and regulating caecal fermentation. Therefore, LYZ up to 150 mg/kg can be used as a potential supplement in rabbit feed.

Effect of Dietary Rosemary and Ginger Essential Oils on the Growth Performance, Feed Utilization, Meat Nutritive Value, Blood Biochemicals, and Redox Status of Growing NZW Rabbits.

Simple SummaryThe rabbit farming industry has gained more interest due to its high productivity, high growth rate, and high-quality meat. One of the public health concerns is that global rabbit production is expected to increase to meet the increasing demand for lean meat. In the present study, we focused on the use of phytogenic feed additives (essential oils of rosemary (REO) and ginger (GEO)) as environmentally friendly supplementation to improve rabbit growth performance, physiological status, and meat quality. The results indicated that the use of REO and GEO at a dose of 0.5% dramatically improved the growth performance and feed utilization of treated rabbits. The cholesterol level decreased significantly in rabbit plasma and meat after REO and GEO treatments. The fat content tended to decline in the muscles and the triglycerides were remarkedly reduced in the plasma of treated animals. In addition, the oxidant/antioxidant balance in the plasma could be improved with supplementation with a high dose of REO and GEO. Accordingly, the use of REO and GEO as supplementations for growing rabbits could contribute to improving the sustainable production of the rabbit industry.This study was conducted to assess the impacts of using two essential oils, rosemary and ginger, on growing rabbits’ performance, carcass traits, meat composition, blood biochemicals, and the redox status of growing New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. A total of 120 unsexed NZW rabbits, 42-days-old, were assigned randomly to five experimental groups (n = 24, 6 replicates with 4 rabbits each). The first group received a basal diet (control), the second to fifth groups were dietary supplemented daily with rosemary essential oil (REO) and ginger essential oil (GEO) at doses of 0.25 and 0.5% for each supplementation (REO-0.25, REO-0.5, GEO-0.25, and GEO-0.5), respectively. The growth traits were studied for 7 weeks, from the 7th to the 13th week of the rabbits’ age. The results revealed that final body weight, weight gain, and average daily gain increased significantly (p < 0.01) in the REO-0.5 and GEO-0.5 treatments compared to the control group. Daily feed intake decreased (p = 0.005) in essential oil treatments. Meanwhile, the feed conversion ratio improved significantly (p = 0.001) in REO and GEO at the high doses compared to the control group. The weight percentages of liver and giblets increased (p < 0.001) with both treatments of REO and GEO compared to the control group. The dietary supplementation with REO and GEO did not affect (p > 0.05) the meat composition of Longissimus dorsi and hind leg muscles. Meanwhile, REO and GEO supplementation significantly decreased cholesterol levels in the rabbit meat. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance concentrations decreased by 10 and 15% in the meat of REO-0.5 and GEO-0.5 treatments, respectively, compared to the other groups. In the same trend, REO and GEO treatments induced a significant (p = 0.001) reduction in the plasma cholesterol concentrations and triglycerides compared to the control. The total antioxidant capacity increased by 7.60% and the malondialdehyde decreased by 11.64% in the plasma of GEO-0.5 treatment than the control. Thus, the dietary supplementation of REO and GEO have a beneficial effect in improving the productivity and meat quality of growing rabbits.

Evaluating productive performance, meat quality and oxidation products of Italian White breed rabbits under free-range and cage rearing system.

ObjectiveFree-range systems have been increasingly available to the consumer due to increased demand for more sustainable meat-products. In the current study, the effect of free-range (FR) and cage system (CS) was explored on growth performance, meat quality and oxidation products in Italian White breed rabbits during the growing-fattening phase (5 to 13 weeks of age).MethodsForty rabbits were randomly allotted to two treatment groups according to the rearing system, and each treatment group was replicated five times with four subjects in each replicate (20 rabbits per treatment-group). All rabbits fed the same diet as pelleted, and under FR system, no additional feeds were available to animals.ResultsRearing system had significant effect on rabbit growth performance, where CS group resulted in higher final body weight (p<0.045) and gain (p<0.029) and better feed efficiency (p<0.025) compared to FR rabbits. Most carcass traits were not affected by rearing system; however, a reduction of abdominal fat content (p<0.015) and meat lipids (p<0.034) was observed in FR rabbits. Rearing system had no effects on meat fatty acid profile, whereas meat from FR rabbits resulted less susceptible to lipid and protein oxidation compared to caged animals.ConclusionIn overall, FR system could be suggested as a substitute for conventional caged system because of FR system preserved rabbit meat from oxidation.

Effects of Treatment of Cocoa Pod Husks with Aqueous Ash Extract of Bean Haulms on Growth Performance and Haemato-Biochemical Parameters of Rabbits

Sustainability of animal production system depends mostly on feed used. Therefore, the utilization of agricultural by product is one of the safe ways to attempt this goal. For this end, a study on the level of incorporation of cocoa pod husk on growth performance, haematological and biochemical parameters were carried out. A total of 80 young rabbits composed of 40 males and 40 females with an average weight of 824.30 ± 53.8 g and 826.09 ± 40.61g respectively. There were randomly assigned to 5 experimental rations in a complete randomized designed with 8 rabbits per treatment and each rabbit served as experimental unit. From the control ration R (0-); 0% cocoa pod husks and R (0+); 20% of untreated hulls, 3 other rations of which three (R1, R2, R3) were formulated with respectively 20%, 25%, and 30% husks treated with ash from bean haulms at concentrations of 12.5 kg/100 litters of water. The results revealed that the initial weight, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, were not significantly affected (p > 0.05) by the different treatments. However, total weight gain, daily weight gains and final body weight of rabbit fed R1 ration were significantly (p spectively) as compare to other treatment irrespective of sex. Analysis of variance generally revealed a significant effect (p , R0+, R1, R2 and R3), carcass weight (1270.84 g) and carcass yield (52.37%) was lower for animals feed R3 ration regardless of sex. On the other hand, no significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed in the relative weights of some parts, organs and those of the abdominal fat of the rabbits. Similarly, no significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed for haematological and biochemical parameters studied. Cocoa pod husks treated at 12.5% with bean haulm ash extracts can be incorporated up to 20% - 25% to improve growth performance of rabbits without any negative effect on their health.

Effects of Ginger Meal (&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Zingiber officinale&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;) Associated to &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Desmodium intortum&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; and/or &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Stylosanthes guianensis&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; on Growth Performances of Rabbit (&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Oryctolagus cuniculus&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;) in Cameroon

Background: The sustainability of animal production system depends mostly on feed management. Therefore, the combination of local leguminous forage as source of protein and ginger as phytobiotics can be one of the safe ways to attain this goal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ginger meal associated with ration containing local protein sources Desmodium intortum and/or Stylosanthes guianensis on growth performance in rabbits. Method: A total of 64 young rabbits (32 males and 32 females) with an average weight of 1000 ± 200 g were used. There were randomly assigned to 8 experimental diets in a complete randomized designed with 8 rabbits per treatment and each rabbit serving as an experimental unit. From the control diet R0 (basal diet without legumes and phytobiotic) and 7 other diets (treatment): R1(basal diet without legumes + 1% ginger powder), R2 (basal diet + 20% S. guianensis + 1% ginger meal), R3 (basal diet + 20% D. intortum + 1% ginger powder), R4 (basal diet + 20% D. intortum + 0% ginger powder), R5 (basal diet + 20% S. guianensis + 0% ginger powder), R6 (basal diet + 10% D. intortum + 10% S. guianensis + 0% ginger powder) R7 (basal diet + 10% D. intortum + 10% S. guianensis + 1% ginger powder). Feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, carcass yield and average daily consumption were evaluated using standard procedures. Results: Feed intake and feed conversion ratio of animals fed R0 and R7 rations were significantly improved. Animals fed R1 ration had a significantly lower mean value for feed conversion ratio (1.83 g) and feed intake (1.67 g) respectively. Live weight (2432.54 g), total weight gain (1644.90 g), average daily feed intake (109.06 g) and dressed weight (1404.25 g) were significantly higher for rabbits fed R1 ration. Relative weights of organs of animals fed R4 ration were significantly higher. Conclusion: Feeding rabbits with R1 diet significantly improved growth performance.