Effect of substituting guinea grass with soybean hulls on production performance and digestion traits in fattening rabbits

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of soybean hulls (SH) to substitute guinea grass (GG), traditionally used as fibre source in the diets of fattening rabbits on performance, coefficients of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) of nutrients, gastrointestinal tract development and caecum fermentation. A total of 160 mixed sex Hyla commercial meat rabbits were allocated to 4 experimental groups (40 per treatment) differing in the SH level inclusion in the diet offered to rabbits from 40 to 90 d of age: 0, 50, 100 and 200 g/kg as-fed basis: SH0, SH50, SH100 and SH200 groups, respectively. Growth performance was recorded from 40 to 90 d of age, CTTAD of nutrients from 86 to 90 d of age, and gastrointestinal tract development, caecum fermentation and carcass traits were determined at 90 d of age. Average daily feed intake and the feed/gain ratio were lower in SH100 and SH200 groups than in SH0 group (P<0.05). The digestibility of energy, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre were higher in SH100 and SH200 than in SH0 group (P<0.05). The relative weights of stomach and caecum were lower in SH200 than in S0 and S50 groups (P<0.05), and the relative length of small intestine was lower in the 3 groups containing SH than in the S0 group (P<0.01). The caecal pH and concentration total volatile fatty acids were lower in SH100 and SH200 groups than in SH0 or SH50 groups (P<0.05). Substitution of GG with SH had no effect on carcass characteristics and meat quality (P>0.05). In conclusion, our results suggest that SH can substitute GG in the diets of fattening rabbits up to 200 g/kg in diet with no adverse effects on the growth performance, feed efficiency, carcass traits and meat quality.

Impact of different dietary fibre sources on production performance, bacterial composition and metabolites in the caecal contents of rabbits

“…Ruminococcus, Coprococcus, Oscillospira, Bifidobacteria, and Clostridium were known as VFA‐producing genera, interestingly, Bifidobacterium species are frequently associated with health‐promoting effects in the human and animal intestinal tracts (Arboleya et al, 2016; Combes et al, 2013; O'callaghan & van Sinderen, 2016). The content of VFAs and acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid in the caecum affected by different dietary fibre sources, our results are similar to those of previous studies (Abecia et al, 2012; García, Gidenne, et al, 2002; Shang et al, 2017).…”

Effects of replacement of alfalfa by big-leaf mulberry on growth performance, digestion and meat quality in growing rabbits

“…In Africa and China, the use of dried foliage and pea grains in rabbit feeding has been reported in several studies (Lounaouci-Ouyed et al, 2014;Safwat et al, 2015;Abu Hafsa et al, 2016;Shang et al, 2017), while in China, data on the use of these local raw materials in concentrate pelleted diets are inexistent for mulberry. All cited studies indicated that rabbits can use grass and leaves efficiently.…”

Dietary inclusion of fermented ginger straw effect on the growth performance, gastrointestinal tract development and caecal fermentation of fattening rabbits

“…In the present trial, it is important to note that the ammonia level in the caecal content of the 4 different groups falls within the normal range indicated for rabbits fed balanced diets. The pH and VFA in the caecal contents are influenced by the nature of the fibre ingested, and they can be taken as indicators of fermentative activity (Carabaño et al, 2009;Shang et al, 2017). VFAs play an important role in the aetiology of digestive disturbances (Abu Hafsa et al, 2021), and their levels are lower with high lignin fibre contents and higher with high pectin fibre contents (García et al, 2000;García et al, 2002a), with the latter also having a tendency to decrease the pH of the caecal contents (García et al, 2002b).…”