EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF FIBER, AND VITAMIN C ON PRODUCTIVE, REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE AND SOME BLOOD PARAMETERS IN NEW ZEALAND WHITE RABBITS DOES DURING SUMMER SEASON

Abstract

A factorial experiment was carried out on number of 36 New Zealand

White does rabbits, in the second parity. Does were divided randomly into

•three experimental groups, 12 does in each, and fed adlibtum on isocaloric (2550 k cal/kg diet) and isonitrogenous (17.3% crude protein three diets, to study the effect of the excessive dietary fiber levels (14 and 16% C.F) v.s. the control diet (12% C.F), each group divided into two sub-groups (6 does in each), the first sub-group was injected by vitamin C (100 mg/doe) subcutaneously three times weekly, while the second sub-group remained without injection. This experiment was conducted to study the effect of both dietary crude fiber and vitamin Con productive, reproductive performance and some blood parameters under summer conditions in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate. The experiment was continued from June to September i996.

Results obtained could be summarized as follows :

1- High fiber diet influenced on the daily feed intake. The difference among diets were highly significant generally during the lactation period and throughout the first two weeks of lactation, and also on means of the parity as whole, but no significant differences were detected among daily feed intake of diets intake first gestation period. Whilst, the differences in daily feed intake during the periods mentioned above in the second parity were highly significant. 2- Does fed on diet 3 (16% c.f.) revealed significant decrease in litter size at birth and until 21 day of age, and those differences disappeared at 28 day of age and thereafter in first parity. While, the superiority in litter size at birth and until weaning was for does fed on diet 3, with highly significant differences.