Effect of Addition Different Levels of Dried Onion and Garlic on Digestibility, Caecotrophy and Caecum Activity of Rabbits

Abstract

A total number of 42 male New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits at the age of 14 weeks were randomly divided into seven experimental groups (6 male for each) to study the effect of adding dried onion (DO) and garlic (DG) on nutrients digestibility , caecotrophy and caecum activity. Rabbits were fed a basal diet supplemented with different levels of DO and DG as follows: 1) control group (CG), 2) CG+1 % DO, 3) CG+1.5 % DO, 4) CG+1% DG, 5) CG+1.5 % DG, 6) CG +0.5 % DO+0.5% DG, 7) CG +0.75% DO +0.75 % DG, respectively. All diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and iso-caloric. The obtained data showed that dry matter intake did not significantly differ among dietary treatments as well as it was similar for collared rabbits compared with those uncollared. The CP digestibility coefficient was significantly (p<0.05) higher for rabbits fed diets included 1.5 % DG, 1.5 % DO, 0.5 % DO+ 0.5% DG and 1 % DG than those fed either control diet or other groups. Rabbits fed 0.5% Do + 0.5% DG diet recorded significantly higher CF digestibility (P<0.05) than the other treated groups. The nutritive values expressed as TDN%, DE and ME Kcal/Kg DM of diet supplemented with 0.5% DO +0.5% DG were significantly (p<0.05) higher than those fed 1% Do. The DCP% for 1.5% DO, 1% DG, 1.5%DG and 0.5% DO+0.5% DG diets was significantly (p<0.05) higher than 1% DO, 0.75% DO+0.75%DG and control groups. The digestibility coefficients of all nutrients as well as nutritive values of tested diets were similar between uncollared and collared groups .Treatment groups showed significant (p<0.05) increase in Bacterial total count compared with the control group.