This study aimed to improve productive and reproductive performance of female rabbit does during the summer season "hot climate" using vitamin C or cooled water in combination with equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) treatment. Sixty New Zealand White rabbit does were assigned to three groups, according to drinking-water treatment: 1) fresh tap water without any supplementation (control, C), 2) cooled drinking water (10-15ºC) (CW), and 3) fresh tap water supplemented daily with added ascorbic acid (1 g/L) (vitamin C). Twenty four hours before mating, does of each group were randomly divided into two subgroups; H does were intravenously injected with 40 IU/doe eCG, while NH does did not receive any hormonal treatment. Productive and reproductive performance were signifi cantly (P<0.05) improved in the treated groups. Kit weights at kindling and weaning were greater (P<0.05) in both vitamin C and cooled water groups than in the control regardless of hormonal treatment. It is worthy noticed that conception rate and litter size at birth were adversely affected by eCG, especially in does drinking vitamin C. The percentage of mature oocytes was lower (P<0.01) in control than in treated groups. The oocyte maturation rate improved after treatment with vitamin C to reach 80% compared to 66% in control group. In conclusion, cool drinking water or vitamin C is recommended for alleviating heat stress during summer in rabbits.

This work aimed to study the response of growing female NZW rabbits to quantitative feed restriction (FR) at 60% of ad-libitum applied and the effect of adding either copper sulfate (CuSO 4 ) and/or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCo 3 ) to drinking water on performance and hepatic expression of apolipoprotein (apoA1), lipoprotein (cholesteryl ester transfer protein CETP, hepatic lipase HL) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) during the summer period. Over the fattening period, rabbits fed AL during RES period (28-49 day of age) were significantly higher in most growth performance (GP) than RES-group, but all hepatic expression of genes tested decreased in feed restrictions group when compared to control on the other hand, adding either CuSO 4 or NaHCo 3 to drinking water slightly insignificant increase the expression of all the tested gens. When RES. rabbits fed freely after restriction (49-84 days of age). Logically, feed intake (FI) was significantly increased for AL group during FR period while, it was nearly similar, but FCE was more favorable for RES group throughout the whole period. Also, performance index (PI) was significantly higher for RES-groups. All values of carcass traits were significantly affected by FR. However, adding either CuSO 4 or NaHCo 3 to drinking water decreased GP during FR period. It can be concluded that FR had no significant effect on GP and slight decrease in gene expression for IGF-1 and lipoprotein gens, so it can applied FR to produce at slaughter age, rabbits with the same LBW of rabbits fed AL. Also, CuSO 4 or NaHCo 3 in drinking water is more practical to alleviate of heat load under the summer condition of Egypt.Keywords: Growing rabbits, Feed restriction, Copper sulfate, Sodium bicarbonate, Performance, Carcass IntroductionRabbit meat is an important source of protein for human because of its high quality and low fat. But during the summer months in Egypt can generate a state of stress and evoke a combination of behavioral, biochemical and physiological changes causing a reduction in rabbit performance. However, limiting the FI is widespread in animal breeding such as for adjusting the ration to the nutrient requirements or to manage the fattening and the www.ccsenet.org/jas Journal of Agricultural Science Vol. 3, No. 2; June 2011 ISSN 1916-9752 E-ISSN 1916 46 meat quality (Gidenne et al, 2009). Also, an intake restriction is frequency applied for the young rabbit female to avoid excessive fattening troubles (Rommers et al, 2004). However, feed restriction became systematic in much country as a preventive methods against post-weaning digestive disorders Boisot et al, 2004 andBergaoui et al, 2008). Boisot et al. (2003) demonstrated that the interest of a preventive restricted feeding to reduce the negative effect of this disorders on the growth performance of rabbits, they found that a feeding level of 60% was more efficient than 80% in Epizootic Rabbit Enteropathy (ERE) conditions. Moreover, restricted feeding induces compensatory growth by realimination and increas...

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The research was performed at the Department of Animal Production's fish laboratory, National Research Center, Dokki, Egypt. The research was conducted to assess the impact of commercial powder probiotic (ZADO ® ) on growth efficiency of Nile tilapia mono-sex fish (O. niloticus), which were fed on basal experimental diet (the control group)and other 4 experimental diet, which was the basic diet augmented with 0.25,0.5,0.75 and 1% of ZADO ® for T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively. The Five experimental treatments were performed in three replicates each, the experimental aquaria were part of closed recirculating system, where environmental parameters were kept constant throughout the experimental period. Fifteen aquaria 60 × 40 × 30 cm, width, depth, and height, respectively each was stocked with 15 fish. The mean individual initial body weight (4.04 g/fish) was recorded at the start of the experiment. All fish in each aquarium throughout the entire experimental period were weighed every two weeks. The experimental fish were fed 32 % crude proteinbased diet for (98 days). The daily feed allowances were calculated as 5% of fish body weight and were divided into 3 portions fed at 8 am, 12 pm and 4 pm. The Results of the ex-periment indicated that T2 had the largest significant (P<0.05) final body weight (FBW g/fish), average weight gain (AWG, g/fish), specific growth rate (SGR % day), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed efficiency ratio (FER) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) among all the experimental groups. In addition, no substantial variations (p > 0.05) were found in protein productive value (PPV). Although significant effects (p <0.05) have been reported in fish body crud protein (CP) and fat (EE) in T2. By increasing ZADO levels in experimental diets higher than 0)25% no significant effect were observed.

The aim of this study was to evaluate some unconventional diets on blood picture and whole fish and fish muscles composition of Nile tilapia fingerlings. Glass aquaria were used. The initial body weight of the fingerlings was 7-8 g. The adaptation period was two weeks before the experimental period of sixteen weeks. The basal diet contained 25% crude protein. The diets were offered daily at two meals at 3% of fish body weight. Each dietary treatment was performed in two aquaria. Fish were stocked at a rate of 7 fingerlings per aquarium. The experimental diets were nearly isocaloric and isonitrogenus. The 1 st diet was a control, diets No. 2-5 are the control diet but their fishmeal was substituted by 25, 50, 75 and 100%, respectively with duckweed meal (DW), diets No. 6-9 included crayfish meal (CrFi) at the same previous replacement rates, and diets No. 10-13 included a mixture of DW + CrFi (1:1) as a substitute for fishmeal at the same rates. The important results refer to diet No. 6 which reflected the highest values of hemoglobin, hematocrit, total protein, and globulin, but diet No. 4 gave the lowest levels. Transaminases activity increased with diet No. 5 and decreased with diet No. 7 referring to affected hepatic function. The 5 th diet also increased blood levels of urea, uric acid and creatinine, referring to affected kidney function. Carcass and muscle composition of the tested fish significantly affected by dietary treatments. The highest dry matter was determined in the 5 th group but the lowest in the 6 th group. Diets No. 6 and 4 were responsible for the highest and the lowest protein %, respectively. Diets No. 5 and 6 reflected the highest and lowest ether extract %, respectively. The lowest ash % was estimated for the 4 th and 5 th groups, whereas the highest with diet No. 7. There were positive relationships between moisture and protein as well as between moisture and ash contents, but negative relationships between moisture and ether extract as well as between protein and ether extract % in whole fish body and fish muscles. Decreased silica level of the 2 nd diet led to low silica content of fish body of this group. The highest silica level was found in the 9 th diet; yet, the highest silica content was recorded in the 13 th fish group. The highest lead content was found in diet No. 9, but in fish of the 7 th and 13 th groups. The lowest lead content in diet and fish was of the 2 nd treatment. The 13 th group reflected the highest cadmium levels in diet and fish, but the lowest in diet and fish was of the control group. From the foregoing results, it would be clear that the 6 th diet (25% freshwater crayfish meal as partial replaced of dietary fish meal) was significantly the best concerning blood hemoglobin, hematocrit, total protein, and globulin besides highest protein and lowest fat in whole fish and fish muscles.