Recommendations and guidelines for applied nutrition experiments in rabbits.

Fernández-Carmona, J.; Blas, E.; Pascual, Juan José Montero; Maertens, Luc; Gidenne, T.; Xiccato, Gerolamo; Garcia, Junior Ruiz

doi:10.4995/wrs.2005.516

Cited by 81 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Those changes could perhaps explain the variation in reference carcass percentage. Taking into account the recommendations made by Fernández-Carmona et al (2005), sample size may have been a limiting factor in detecting effects of cassava root meal level in the diet on carcass traits. Scapinello et al (2006) reported that dressing out percentage increased linearly in New Zealand White rabbits when cassava root meal scrapings were included in the diets from 53 up to 264 g/kg, replacing corn, on a DE basis.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digestible energy of unpeeled cassava root meal and its effect on growth performance and carcass traits in rabbits

et al. 2014

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Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the use of cassava root meal (891 g dry matter [DM]/kg, 639 g starch/kg, 74.1 g neutral detergent fibre [NDF]/kg, and 26.6 g crude protein [CP]/kg) in diets for growing rabbits. In the first experiment, a basal diet (419 g NDF/kg and 181 g CP/kg) and a test diet, in which cassava replaced 25% of the DM of the reference diet, were used. Twenty 50-d-old New Zealand White rabbits weighing 1474±10 g were randomly assigned to the 2 treatments, and digestibility of DM and gross energy (GE) were determined. The inclusion of cassava root meal in the diet increased DM digestibility (67.0±0.80 vs. 58.0±1.12%, P<0.01) and digestible energy (DE) content (11.86±0.16 vs. 10.45±0.22 MJ/kg, P<0.01). Digestible DM and DE contents of the unpeeled cassava root meal, obtained by the substitution method, were 943.3±15.8 g/kg and 15.28±0.32 MJ/kg. In the second experiment, 5 experimental diets were formulated to contain 150 g CP/kg, 184 g acid detergent fibre/kg and 10.9 MJ DE/kg, and increasing levels (0, 7, 14, 21 and 28%) of unpeeled cassava root meal, mainly in substitution of corn. A growth trial was carried out using 90 rabbits from the Botucatu genetic group from weaning (35 d, weighing 951±13 g) up to 71 d of age. The rabbits were housed in pairs, and randomly assigned to the 5 treatments (9 replicates/ treatment). No effect of the substitution of corn with cassava root meal was detected on growth performance (growth rate, feed intake and feed conversion ratio, on av. 44.6±0.50 g/d, 132±1.4 g/d and 2.97±0.028 g/g, respectively). The level of inclusion of cassava root meal had a quadratic effect (P=0.005) on the dressing out percentage, showing a minimal value (51.2%) for inclusion of 139 g/kg. No other effect was observed on slaughter and reference carcass weights (2383±19 and 1238±11 g, respectively). Unpeeled cassava root meal may be used to completely replace corn in the diet, supporting high performance in growing rabbits, but its effects on carcass traits should be investigated further.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digestible energy of unpeeled cassava root meal and its effect on growth performance and carcass traits in rabbits

et al. 2014

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“…The experiment was designed and carried out according to the European Union recommendations on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes (European Union, 2010) and followed the guidelines for applied nutrition experiments in rabbits (Fernández-Carmona et al, 2005).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digestive efficiency in rabbit does according to environment and genetic type

Savietto¹,

Blas²,

Cervera³

et al. 2012

World rabbit sci.

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ABSTRACT:Ninety lactating rabbit does of 3 different genetic types [2 from a line differentiating 20 generations by selection for litter size at weaning (V16 and V36) and 1 from a line founded under reproductive longevity criteria and then selected by litter size at weaning (LP)] were subjected to 3 environmental conditions: NC, females housed under normal conditions (14 to 20°C) and fed with a control diet [333 g neutral detergent fibre (NDF)/kg dry matter (DM)]; HC, females housed under heat conditions (25 to 35°C) and fed with the control diet; or NF, females housed under normal conditions and fed with a fibrous diet (443 g NDF/kg DM). The apparent digestible coefficients of dry matter (DMd), organic matter, crude protein (CPd), gross energy, NDF (NDFd) and acid detergent fibre, as well as the daily intake of DM, digestible protein and digestible energy (DE), were determined (14 to 18 d post-partum). The environment affected all variables analysed. In general, heat conditions reduced the daily DM intake (around -30%; P<0.05) and increased main apparent digestible coefficients (+4.5 percentage points for DMd). In contrast, the use of a fibrous diet led to reduce DE intake (-217 kJ/d; P<0.05) and main apparent digestibility coefficients (-13.5 percentage points for DMd). Females from line V, regardless of generation, showed lower daily DM intake (-19.2 g/d; P<0.05) and NDFd (-1.5 percentage points; P<0.05) than line LP. Interactions between genetic type and environment were found for daily DM intake, NDFd and CPd. When receiving fibrous diet, LP females showed a higher increment in daily DM intake (+65.6 g/d; P<0.05) than V36 females, compared to control. Under heat conditions, NDFd obtained for LP females were higher to those in normal conditions (+3.14 percentage points), while V females showed similar NDFd. In addition, the increase in CPd observed under heat conditions was higher for LP (+9.87 percentage points) and V36 (+8.74 percentage points) than V16 females (+3.84 percentage points). In conclusion, rabbit females from a line founded for reproductive longevity seem to show a higher flexibility in their digestive capacity under constrained conditions.

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“…The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Institute of Animal Science and the Central Commission for Animal Welfare at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic and was carried out according to the guidelines for applied nutrition experiments in rabbits (Fernández-Carmona et al, 2005). The experiment was conducted in a rabbit facility of the Institute of Animal Science.…”

Section: Rabbit Husbandry and Experimental Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Feed intake and live weight were recorded per cage, at the beginning (31 d) and end of the trial (73 d) and the daily weight gain, daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio were calculated afterwards. Health status was controlled through individual observation of clinical signs of digestive trouble according to the methodology of the European Group on Rabbit Nutrition (Fernández-Carmona et al, 2005). At the end of the experiment, 20 rabbits per treatment were randomly selected, weighed, slaughtered without previous fasting and used for the evaluation of carcass traits according to the recommendations of Blasco and Ouhayoun (1996).…”

Section: Rabbit Husbandry and Experimental Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dried chicory root (Cichorium intybus L.) as a natural fructan source in rabbit diet: effects on growth performance, digestion and caecal and carcass traits

Volek

Marounek

2011

World rabbit sci.

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Three experimental diets were formulated including (per kg) 0, 50 or 100 g chicory root (Control, Chicory 5, Chicory 10 diets, respectively) at the expense of oats. The diets differed with respect to starch and fructan contents. In the performance trial, 120 Hyplus rabbits were randomly allocated to 3 groups (2 rabbits per cage) and fed one of the 3 experimental diets between 31 and 73 d of age. At the end of the trial period, 20 rabbits per treatment were slaughtered and used for evaluation of carcass traits. In addition, the coefficients of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) of the diets and caecal traits were determined from 45 to 49 d of age in 10 rabbits per treatment. The diets did not differ significantly in terms of weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, health status or carcass traits of rabbits. The CTTADs of crude protein (P=0.041) and ether extract (P=0.006) were lower in rabbits fed the Chicory 10 diet than in rabbits fed the control diet. The CTTAD of starch (P<0.001) was lower, whereas that of fructans (P<0.001) higher, in rabbits fed the diets based on chicory root. The caecum weight (P=0.037), the weight of its contents (P=0.025) and the lactic acid (P=0.028) concentration were higher in rabbits fed the Chicory 10 diet than in control rabbits. On the contrary, rabbits fed with the chicory diets showed lower caecal pH (P=0.048) than rabbits fed the control diet. There was a non-significantly lower caecal dry matter content (P=0.077) and higher total VFA concentration (P=0.065) with the chicory root inclusion. It may be concluded that chicory root can serve as a natural source of inulintype fructans in rabbit feed. Diet supplementation with 10% dried chicory root beneficially affected the caecal fermentative activity in the rabbits, without significant reductions in the nutritive value of the diet, growth performance or carcass quality.

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Recommendations and guidelines for applied nutrition experiments in rabbits.

Cited by 81 publications

References 10 publications

Digestible energy of unpeeled cassava root meal and its effect on growth performance and carcass traits in rabbits

Digestible energy of unpeeled cassava root meal and its effect on growth performance and carcass traits in rabbits

Digestive efficiency in rabbit does according to environment and genetic type

Dried chicory root (Cichorium intybus L.) as a natural fructan source in rabbit diet: effects on growth performance, digestion and caecal and carcass traits

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