This experiment aimed to investigate the impact of Herbana administration on low-producer rabbit does during the last two weeks of pregnancy and the first two weeks after kindling on the growth performance and some physiological responses of their weanling rabbit kids.
Forty-eight, 4 weeks old, female weanling NZW and V-line rabbit kids were equally divided into three experimental groups (16 kids each, 8 NZW+ 8 V-line). In the first group (Gr1-control), weanling rabbit kids produced from low-producer rabbit does (2-3 weanling kids/doe/parity), while those in the second group (Gr2) were produced from normal rabbit does (4-5 weanling kids/doe/parity). In the third group (Gr3), weanling kids were produced from does daily treated with 1.0g /doe of the Herbana.
The achieved results showed significant breed differences in body weight (BW; P≤0.001) at different ages as well as in the daily feed intake (DFI) during 4-6 and 8-10 weeks of age. The means of feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly affected only at 4-6 weeks of age. Exposing female weanling NZW rabbits to heat stress significantly (P<0.05) decreased total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), globulin (Glb) and tri-iodothyronine hormone concentration (T3), while the mean of triglycerides (TG) significantly (P<0.05) increased than those of the V-line. Similarly, the means of rectal temperature (RT), respiration rate (RR) and ear temperature (ET) for V-line kids were significantly (P≤0.01) increased than those in NZW. Referring to Herbana administration, the means of BW, DFI, TP, Alb, T3 and thyroxin (T4) hormones increased significantly (P≤0.05) in the treated group, while the means of glucose (Glu), TG and total cholesterol (TC) were significantly decreased than those in the control group (Gr1). Similarly, the means of RT, RR, skin temperature (ST) and ET for rabbits in Gr3 were significantly (P≤0.01) decreased than those in the control group (Gr1).In general, it could be concluded that the DWG and DFI and physiological responses of NZW and V-line rabbits produced from low-producer rabbit does administered with Herbana significantly improved under heat stress conditions prevalent in Upper Egypt.