PARTIAL REPLACEMENT OF CLOVER HAY BY DISCARDED PALM FRONDS ON PERFORMANCE OF GROWING RABBITS.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Animal Production Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, El-Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

2 Animal Production Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of usingdiscarded palm fronds (DPF) and biologically treated discarded palm fronds (Bio-DPF)with effective microorganisms (EM1) to replace 25 and 50 % of clover hay in growing New Zealand rabbit diets on growing rabbit performance. A total number of 60 unsexed, weaned of 6 weeks old rabbits were randomly divided into five experimental treatments (12 ⁄ treatments). Five pelleted diets were as follows: 1: A control without discarded palm fronds2, 3 ,4 and 5: 25 or 50 of clover hay was replaced with DPF and Bio-DPF. The growth trail lasted 8 weeks.Results indicate that biological treatments improved chemical composition of discarded palm fronds, mainly CP content was markedly increased and CF was decreased. Final live body weight and total weight gain were significantly decreased with 50% DPF diet. Feeding on Bio-DPFdietsimproved final body weight and weight gain but not significantly affected by dietary treatments. Total feed intake did not significantly affected by dietary treatments. Total feed conversion was significantly improved with feeding on 25% Bio-DPF diet compared to other treatments. Also, 25% Bio-DPF group significantly had the highest relative growth rate compared to other treatments without holding significant difference with 50% Bio-DPF groups. Again, 25% Bio-DPF group showed (P˂0.05) the highest performance index compared to other treatments which did not differ significantly. Digestibilities of CP and CF were significantly the best upon feeding rabbits on Bio-DPF diets followed by the control and 25% DPF which did not differ significantly compared to the 50% DPF group. Nutritive values in terms of DCP and TDN were significantly improved compared to the control. Also DE (Kcal ⁄ kg diet) significantly improved with 25% Bio-DPF diet compared to the control group. Dressing% was significantly improved with feeding on Bio-DPF diets and the least value was with feeding on 50% DPF diet. Blood total cholesterol and lipids were significantly affected by dietary treatments in which the highest values were obtained with 25% DPF diet. Favorable TVFA was increased and unfavorable ammonia was decreased significantly with feeding Bio-DPF diets compared with the other treatments. Net monetary return was increased with feeding the rabbits on Bio-DPF diets.
 Conclusively, it could be recommended to incorporate the Bio-DPF in growing rabbit diets up to 50% instead of clover hay without any adverse effects on growth performance of rabbits.
 
 

Keywords

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics