title: Effects of temporary intensive feed restriction on performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass criteria of growing male Californian rabbits.
abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of a temporary quantitative feed restriction on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass criteria of rabbits. A total of 80 weaned male Californian rabbits (30 d of age) were randomly assigned to four treatments of 20 rabbits each. The Control group was fed ad libitum during the whole experimental period (days 30-72 of age). For the three restricted fed groups the feed intake was reduced by 15%, 30% and 45% compared to the Control group, respectively. The feed restriction was applied after weaning and lasted for 21 d. Thereafter, at 51 d of age, in all treatments the feed supply returned to ad libitum intake till 72 d of age (AL period). The feed restriction decreased the body weight gain of rabbits (during the restriction period and the whole experimental period, p < 0.001) and improved feed conversion ratio during all tested periods (p < 0.001). In the AL period, the daily body weight gain of all groups was similar. After the AL period, the digestibility of all measured nutrients was significantly higher for animals fed restrictively. Furthermore, feed restrictions significantly decreased the proportion of perirenal and scapular fat and increased relative weight and length of the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, it can be concluded that the applied feed restriction improved feed conversion, nutrient digestibility and reduced fat at the slaughter age of Californian rabbits, but the reduced body weight gain could not be compensated by a subsequent ad libitum feeding for 3 weeks.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Animal and Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture , South Valley University , Qena , Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Abdel-Wareth
authors.forename: Saskia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kehraus
authors.forename: Abdalla H H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Zeinhom S H
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Südekum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight; D004063:Digestion / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: carcass quality; digestibility; feed restriction; performance; rabbit feeding