A growing trial was conducted with 120 rabbits divided in four groups and fed with a commercial diet with or without different physical forms of alfalfa hay as complementary food: control (C), fed commercial diet alone; Thesis (C+AAp), fed commercial diet+pelletted alfalfa-hay; thesis (C+AAp), fed commercial diet+pelletted alfalfa-hay with vitamin-mineral premix; thesis (C+AAh), fed commercial pellet+alfalfa-hay cut 8-10 cm long. Individual live weights were weughed weekly. Per-cage feed-intakes and health conditions were monitored daily. Histological samples of the gut were examined in 4 animals/thesis after slaughtering (82d). Digestibility trial was performed in 9 rabbits per diet, during three experimental periods. Digestibility was evaluated for diet C and, diet C+AAp and diet C+AAk. The diet C+AAp was given in two different ratio complete feed/complementary feed: 1/2.8 and 2.8/1. Results showed: mortality exclusively in C; different morbility between C and C+AAh (20% vs 0%); similar live weight at slaughtering age; a reductionof the complete feed intake in rabbits fed with the complementary food (about 30% and 15% during growing and fattening periods); the best conversion efficiency in C. The cut-hay form of alfalfa showed to decrease the digestibility of the organic matter less than the pelletted form.
Performance and digestibility of a complete feed with or without alfalfa hay in growing rabbits
PACI, GISELLA;BAGLIACCA, MARCO;
2000-01-01
Abstract
A growing trial was conducted with 120 rabbits divided in four groups and fed with a commercial diet with or without different physical forms of alfalfa hay as complementary food: control (C), fed commercial diet alone; Thesis (C+AAp), fed commercial diet+pelletted alfalfa-hay; thesis (C+AAp), fed commercial diet+pelletted alfalfa-hay with vitamin-mineral premix; thesis (C+AAh), fed commercial pellet+alfalfa-hay cut 8-10 cm long. Individual live weights were weughed weekly. Per-cage feed-intakes and health conditions were monitored daily. Histological samples of the gut were examined in 4 animals/thesis after slaughtering (82d). Digestibility trial was performed in 9 rabbits per diet, during three experimental periods. Digestibility was evaluated for diet C and, diet C+AAp and diet C+AAk. The diet C+AAp was given in two different ratio complete feed/complementary feed: 1/2.8 and 2.8/1. Results showed: mortality exclusively in C; different morbility between C and C+AAh (20% vs 0%); similar live weight at slaughtering age; a reductionof the complete feed intake in rabbits fed with the complementary food (about 30% and 15% during growing and fattening periods); the best conversion efficiency in C. The cut-hay form of alfalfa showed to decrease the digestibility of the organic matter less than the pelletted form.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
