title: Performance of growing rabbits fed increasing levels of discarded Salvia hispanica L. (chia) seed.
abstract: This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of including five levels of discarded chia seed (DCS) on growth, energy, and economic efficiency in rabbits. Fifty crossbred (New Zealand × Californian) weaning rabbits, weighing 798 ± 170 g, were randomly assigned to the following treatments: 0 % (control), 10 % (Ch10), 20 % (Ch20), 30 % (Ch30), and 40 % (Ch40) of DCS. Ten unsexed rabbits were allocated to each treatment and housed individually in cages; the experimental period was 6 weeks. There were no statistically significant differences between treatments in final body weight (2050 g), body weight gain (30 g/rabbit/day), and carcass weight (1010 g); however, feed intake (91 g/rabbit/day in Ch20 vs. 80 g/rabbit/day in Ch40), feed conversion ratio (2.77 in control and Ch40 vs. 2.95 in Ch10, Ch20, and Ch30), energy conversion ratio (32 MJ/kg in Ch20 vs. 29 MJ/kg on average in control, Ch10, Ch20, Ch30, and Ch40), and economic efficiency (358 % in control vs. 433 % in Ch40) showed differences (P < 0.05) between treatments. Discarded chia seed can be included up to 40 % in growing rabbit diets without any adverse effects on growth and carcass weight, and increased economic efficiency.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera, Mérida-Xmatkuil, Yucatán, México.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Abello
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera, Mérida-Xmatkuil, Yucatán, México. luis.ramirez@correo.uady.mx.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Avilés
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera, Mérida-Xmatkuil, Yucatán, México.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Navarro-Alberto
authors.affiliation: Instituto Tecnológico de Conkal, Av. Tecnológico S/N, Conkal, Yucatán, México.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zamora-Bustillos
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D011817:Rabbits / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D027544:Salvia / Q000737:chemistry*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry
keywords: By-product; Economic efficiency; Energy efficiency; Growth