EFFECT OF USING BIOGEN AS FEED ADDITIVE ON THE PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF GROWING RABBITS

El-Deeb, Mohamed; Fahim, Hany; Ragab, Mona; Shazly, Soheir

doi:10.21608/ejrs.2023.273333

EFFECT OF USING BIOGEN AS FEED ADDITIVE ON THE PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF GROWING RABBITS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Animal Nutrition Research Department Animal and Poultry Production Research Institute (APRI), Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Giza, Egypt.

² Rabbit, Turkey and Water-Fowl Breeding Research Department. Animal and Poultry Production Research Institute (APRI), Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Giza, Egypt.

³ 2Rabbit, Turkey and Water-Fowl Breeding Research Department. Animal and Poultry Production Research Institute (APRI), Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Giza, Egypt.

⁴ Poultry Research Department, Animal and Poultry Production Research Institute (APRI), Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Giza, Egypt.

10.21608/ejrs.2023.273333

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Twenty four healthy V-Line growing rabbits, 5 weeks of age and initial live body weight (LBW) of 722 ± 27 g, were selected and randomly assigned to one of four dietary experimental groups of 6 rabbits in each. The four groups of rabbits received basal diet ad libitum (Control group; T1) and basal diet plus 0.5, 0.75 or 1.0 g Biogen / Kg diet in the other three treated groups (T2, T3 and T4, respectively). Growth performance traits till 14 weeks of age in terms of live body weight, daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio, carcass characteristics, blood traits and the economic impact of adding Biogen to growing rabbit diets were tested.
The obtained results indicated that LBW improved by about 4.29, 4.75 and 11.68%, respectively in T2, T3 and T4 groups supplemented with Biogen than the control (T1). Although there were no significant differences among tested groups in feed conversion ratio, the same groups recorded significant differences (P<0.05) in body weight gain, daily feed consumption, total feed consumption and performance index. Feeding growing rabbits with Biogen at the rate of 0.5 g/Kg diet is suitable to obtain healthy animals with fair values of both hematological and serum parameters. No significant differences among the four dietary treatments in both body and eviscerated weights (g) as well as most organ weights (g). The addition of Biogen at the rate of 0.75 g /Kg diet increased the economic efficiency and consequently the return from feeding such feed additive to growing rabbits.
Conclusively, it can be concluded from the results of this study that adding Biogen at the rate of 0.75 g/Kg feed to a rabbit’s diet will be of positive impact on their sanitary status of the digestive system and consequently on growth performance traits, during 5 to14 weeks of age, without any negative effects.

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