Alleviating Heat Stress during Summer Season on Performance of Growing Rabbits by Using Feed Withdrawal

Document Type : Original Article

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Dept. of poultry Production, Fac. Of Agric., Univ. of Assiut, Egypt

Abstract

This study was designed to alleviate theheat stress during summer season on growth performance of New Zealand white rabbits by using feed withdrawal; Animals were reared in batteries anddivided into four comparable groups (32 growing weanedrabbits in each). The four treatments were as follows: Control group (C) (rabbits were fed continuously for 24 hrs), T1 (feed was removed from 9 am to 12 am), T2 (feed was removed from 12.00 am to 3.00 pm) and T3 (feed was removed from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm).Theresults revealed that, daily body weight, feed conversion and some blood constitutes of growing NZW rabbits affected significantly. Feed withdrawal improved significantly body weight gain, feed conversion, dressed carcass and health status and decreased significantly whole fat percentage and rectal temperature. Rabbits of T2 and T3 groups showed the lowest (P<0.05) values of A:Gratio and N/L ratio when compared with their counterparts. Non-significant differences were found in the other morbidity and carcass characteristics due to feed withdrawal. From these results, it could be concluded, that feed withdrawal in growing rabbits during 12.00 am to 3.00 pm had beneficial impacts on performance and improved health status in the hot summer.

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