High lucerne diets for growing rabbits

Abstract

The tapie is a study of rabbit production based on lucerne, using three diets: diet 1, a commercial composition having 11.4 kJ* g dry matter (DM) of digestible energy (DE) and 18.1 % DM crude protein (CP); diet 2, 96% lucerne with 9.0 kJ DE and 17.1 % CP; diet 3, 88.1 % lucerne and 8.9% animal fat, with 10.1 kJ DE and 15.6% CP. The diets were used in fattening 289 weaned rabbits from 35 to 70 days old. Daily liveweight gain, feed conversion ratio and mortality rate for the three diets were significantly different: 40.3 g, 2.8 and 18.7 % (diet 1); 37.3 g, 3.7 and 8.4 % (diet 2); 37.2 g, 3.3 and 5.1 % (diet 3). Diet 1 was linked to a lighter gastrointestinal tract, stomach and stomach contents. Dressing out percentage was 57.8 (diet 1), 55.4 (diet 2) and 57.2 (diet 3): animals on diet 2 had a lower dressing percentage. Caecum volume and contents were lower for diet 3. Perirenal fat was significantly different for the three diets: 15.6 g (diet 1), 11.4 g (diet 2) and 23.1 g (diet 3)