lettre-agri

The paper aimed to study the effect of feed restriction applied during the summer season and the whole productive cycle on growth performance of rabbits. Two groups, each of them consisting in 684 Hybrid Hyla rabbits of both genders, were fed from weaning to 60 days of age and from 61 days to slaughter age the same “weaning” and “finishing” concentrate. The group indicated as AL, fed the concentrate ad libitum, while the group called RES received a restricted quantity of the concentrate.
The level of restriction was 80% and 90% of ad libitum, respectively from weaning to 60 days of age and from 61 days of age to slaughter. During the trial, mortality rate was recorded daily, while feed intake and live weight of 24 rabbits per group were recorded weekly in order to calculate daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio. Feed intake of ad libitum group was about 13% lower than the values recorded in the same farm during the winter season. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups for weight at slaughter (2.42 vs. 2.50 kg, respectively for group restricted and ad libitum), while feed conversion ratio calculated for the whole experimental period was significantly (P<0.05) lower for restricted group (3.18 vs. 3.56). Mortality rate during the whole experimental period was significantly (P<0.01) higher for restricted group (21.21 vs. 13.93%, respectively for restricted and ad libitum group) due to the higher values recorded in particular during the weeks 56-63 d and 63-70 d, when environmental temperature was very high and the maximum values reached 34.7°C. Our results indicate that feed restriction is not advisable during the summer period, in particular when environmental temperature is very high.
lire l'article +
http://world-rabbit-science.com/WRSA-Proceedings/Congress-2008-Verona/Papers/N-Bovera.pdf 
source : 9th World Rabbit Congress – June 10-13, 2008 – Verona – Italy par Vella N., Nizza A.
Department of Scienze Zootecniche e Ispezione degli alimenti, Via F. Delpino, 1, 80137 Napoli, Italy