Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Poultry Breeding Department, Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Center, Egypt
2
Rabbit Research Department, Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Center, Egypt
3
Poultry Nutrition Department., Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Center, Egypt
4
Animal & Poultry Production Department, Faculty of Technology and Development, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
5
Animal & Poultry Production Department, Faculty of Technology and Development, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
Abstract
Ninety six growing rabbits at 6 weeks of age with an average initial body weight of 655.15 ± 5.92, g were randomly divided into four equal groups, 24 rabbits per each group (6 replicates in each group). The first group received a basal diet without extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and served as a control. The other three groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6% EVOO /kg diet groups, respectively. The traits studied were growth performance, blood biochemical constituents, carcass, and digestion and economic efficiency of the growing rabbits under hot summer season of Egypt.
The present results showed that the final body weight (FBW) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were enhanced significantly (P≤0.05) by 10.96 % and 9.40 % respectively, in the group fed diet supplemented with 0.6% extra virgin olive oil 0.6% EVOO as compared with the control group. Hot carcass weight, dressing, and total non-carcass fat (%) were significantly (P≤0.05) improved for growing rabbits fed diets supplemented with 0.4 and 0.6% EVOO groups as compared with those fed the control diet. Interestingly, extra virgin olive oil supplementation improved antibody titer against serum red blood cell (SRBC’S) compared with the control diet. There were significant (P<0.05 or 0.01) improvements in the concentration of cholesterol, glucose, creatinine, and urea as well as immunoglobulin M (IgM), and immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the blood serum, in addition to the highest coefficients of digestion of crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE) and digestible crude protein (DCP) and the highest (P<0.05 or 0.01) net return and the best economic efficiency and performance index for the groups of rabbits fed diet supplemented with 0.6% extra virgin olive oil, followed by those that were fed diet supplemented with 0.6% extra virgin olive oil groups, respectively, during the summer months when compared with the control group.
Conclusively, from these results, it could be concluded that, dietary inclusion of 0.6% EVOO could be effectively used to enhance growth performance, carcass weight, antibody titer against SRBC’S, improvements in cholesterol, glucose, creatinine, and urea, as well as, IgG and IgM in the blood serum and highest net return, best economic efficiency and performance index of growing rabbits during the summer season of Egypt.
Keywords
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