Effect of some management factors on productive performance in rabbits

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of post-weaning feed restriction of fattening rabbits on their productive performance, behavior, physiology, and histopathological picture. A total of 48 weaned rabbits of 35-day age with average weight of 633.59 ± 34.5 g were divided randomly into 4 groups “12 rabbits per group” as follows: the first group was the control group (C), rabbits were fed ad libitum throughout the whole experimental period “7 weeks post-weaning;” the remaining three groups (T1, T2 and T3) were the restricted groups, where the rabbits were restricted to 50 g feed/ head/day for one week (T1), two weeks (T2), and three weeks (T3). At the end of each restriction period, rabbits of all groups were returned to ad-libitum feeding till the end of the experiment. The average live body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, FCR, mortality, and morbidity were recorded weekly till the end of the experimental period for all groups. Feeding, drinking, grooming and resting behavior activities were recorded for rabbits of all groups.