Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Sustainable development of Environment and its Project Management Department, Environmental Studies and Research Institute, University of Sadat City, Menofiya
2
Sustainable development of Environment and its Project Management Department, Environmental Studies and Research Institute, University of Sadat City, Menofiya, Egypt.
3
Regional Laboratory for Foods and feeds, Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Giza, Egypt.
Abstract
The study was conducted to determine the effect of using different levels of arginine amino acid on growth performance, immunity, some biochemical parameters, digestibility, carcass traits and economic efficiency of growing New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. Forty growing NZW rabbits of both sexes, aged 5 weeks with an average initial weight of 739.75±13.15 g were used. The animals were divided into 5 groups. Each group has 4 replicates. Formulated diets of 17% crude protein (CP) were used. The experimental groups were: control or basal diet contains recommended dietary arginine (Arg.) by 0.6g/ kg diet (T1). Then this basal diet supplemented with arginine by 0.2g/kg diet (T2); 0.4g/kg diet (T3); 0.6g/kg diet (T4) and 0.8g/kg diet (T5).
The present results showed that the final live body weight (LBW) of rabbit fed arginine by 1g/kg diet (T3) was insignificantly higher (2500.0g) than the other groups (T1, T2, T4 and T5) being 2280.0; 2487.50; 2446.88 and 2316.43g, respectively. Also, T3 group recorded significantly (P<0.05) the highest daily weight gain (DWG) compared with either those fed control and other experimental groups during the whole experimental period. Using of arginine by 1g/kg diet (T3) recorded significantly (P<0.05) the highest daily feed consumption during 5-13 weeks compared to control and other experimental groups. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was recorded insignificantly best value by using 1.2g/kg diet (T4) at the end of experimental period. Results of EE digestibility showed significantly (P<0.05) improvements by increasing level of dietary Arg. in tested group T4. NFE digestibility values achieved significantly (P<0.05) improvements in T3 group followed by T4, T2, control group (T1) and T5 group. Rabbits fed diets containing dietary arginine by 1.2g/kg diet (T4) were the best immunity compared with control and other experimental groups. T5 group had significantly (p < 0.05) the lowest abdominal fat% followed by T4 group compared with control group (T1) which the highest one. The highest value of performance index (PI) was insignificantly (P>0.05) recorded for T4 and T3 groups while, control group value achieved the worst one. From economical point of view, these findings indicated that rabbits fed diets containing arginine by 1g or 1.2g/kg diet had positive effects on economic parameters.
Conclusively, based on the results obtained in this study, it was established that, containing dietary arginine by 1g or 1.2g/kg diet for growing rabbit's diets achieved improvements in growth performance parameters, digestibility coefficients, hematological and biochemical parameters; overall acceptability for organoleptic evaluation of cooked rabbit's meat, decreasing nitrogen of rabbit feces, and economic efficiency.
Keywords: Arginine; economic efficiency; growing rabbits; immune response;
performance.
Keywords
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