Influences of dietary herbal blend and feed restriction on growth, carcass characteristics and gut microbiota of growing rabbits

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of feed restriction systems, herbal mixture and their interactions on growth performance, carcass traits, and microbial aspects of growing New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit kept from 5 to 13 weeks of age. A 3 Â 4 factorial arrangement was performed, including three feed restriction systems (ad-libitum, 90%, and 80% of ad-libitum) and four dietary supplementation levels of herbal mix (0, 0.30%, 0.50% and 0.70%). A total number of 120 rabbits (male and female ratio 1:1) at five weeks of age were randomly allotted into twelve experimental groups (n ¼ 10 each). Results showed a significant decrease in body weight, body weight gain and feed intake in restricted-fed rabbits compared to the control group (ad-libitum). HERBS levels significantly influenced the growth performance and carcass traits of rabbits. The herbal blend had a positive effect on reducing the population of pathogenic microorganisms and increasing the population of lactic acid bacteria. Conclusively, it could be concluded that the feed restriction system has beneficial effects in the improvement of feed conversion ratio (FCR), weight gain, and carcass traits. In addition, HERBS supplementation to the growing rabbits resulted in significant improvements in growth performance, carcass characteristics, and microbial aspects of rabbits kept from 5 to 13 weeks of age. HIGHLIGHTS:This work investigated the effect of feed restriction systems (FRS), herbal mix (HERBS), and their interactions with rabbits. Restricted feed decreased live body weight during all ages studied. Feed conversion ratio, weight gain and carcass traits were improved due to FRS. The HERBS improved the growth, carcass traits, and microbial aspects of rabbits.

Effects of Restricted Feeding on Growth Performance, Intestinal Immunity, and Skeletal Muscle Development in New Zealand Rabbits

“…It was observed that during the restriction period, the final body weight of group II was significantly lower than the control group, and both group I and group II showed reduced feed-to-weight ratios compared to the control group. This indicates that restricted feeding of rabbits promotes an enhanced feed-conversion rate consistent with the findings of Oliveria [ 13 ] and Abou-Kassem et al [ 14 ]. However, no major changes were observed in growth post 14 days of the compensatory growth period in restricted-feeding group II, which could possibly be due to the differences in the intensity and duration of restricted feeding and the duration of compensatory growth [ 15 ].…”

In ovo Inoculation of Bacillus subtilis and Raffinose Affects Growth Performance, Cecal Microbiota, Volatile Fatty Acid, Ileal Morphology and Gene Expression, and Sustainability of Broiler Chickens (Gallus gallus)

“…According to Abd El-Hack et al ( 30 ) and Alagawany et al ( 31 ), an aliquot of 0.1 ml of each dilution was spread over different specific media such as plate count agar (PCA) for total bacterial count (TBC) after incubation at 30°C for 48 h ( 30 ). Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) was used to enumerate total yeast and molds count (TYMC) after incubation at 30°C at 24 h for yeasts and 25°C for 5 days for fungi ( 32 ). Violet red bile agar, MacConkey agar, and Bacillus cereus agar (Oxoid) were used for total coliforms, Escherichia coli , and B. subtills , respectively, after incubation at 37°C for 24 h. Bacillus cereus agar (Oxoid) was used for counting B. subtills after incubation for 24 h at 37°C.…”

The relationship among avian influenza, gut microbiota and chicken immunity: an updated overview

“…Herbal extracts, nanopreparations, and nanoparticles synthesized via green synthesis are usually incorporated into the diet or feed of poultry birds to improve their performance ( Reda et al, 2020 , 2021a , b ; Abd El-Hack et al, 2021c ). The effects of these compounds on enteric diseases, GIT integrity, nutrient digestibility, immunity, and productivity have been comprehensively reviewed in chickens ( Alagawany et al, 2015 , 2021 ; Abou-Kassem et al, 2021b ).…”