EFFECT OF REPLACING LINSEED MEAL FOR SOYBEAN MEAL ON PERFORMANCE OF GROWING RABBITS

Abstract

Three experiment were carried out at the Poultry Research Farm belonging to Department of Poultry Production, Kafr EL-Sheikh Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University during the period from January to May, 2000. Experiment I: One hundred and fifty New Zealand White rabbits, 5 weeks of age with an average weight 630 gm, were obtained at random from the New Zealand White flock of the Faculty Farm to be used in the first experiment. Rabbits were used to evaluate to which extent linseed meal can replace soybean meal in growing rabbits diets. Animals were distributed into five groups of 30 rabbits each. The first diet was used as control, while experimental diets 2, 3, 4 and 5 contained 7, 14, 21 and 28% linseed meal (LM) respectively. Experiments lasted for 8 weeks. Parameters studied included growth performance, some blood constituents, carcass traits, chemical composition of meat and economical efficiency . Experiment II: A digestibility trial was performed on fifty-six male New Zealand White rabbits at least of three months old and similar in body weight to determine the apparent digestibility of raw materials (LM) and (SB) and all nutrients of the experimental diets. Experiements lasted for 4 weeks.