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Effect of substituting alfalfa hay with graded levels of fennel and basil straws in growing rabbit diets

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Last updated: 03 Jan 2025

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of replacing alfalfa hay with graded levels of fennel and basil straws in the diets of growing rabbits aged from 5 to 11 weeks. Eighty-four unsexed, weaned New Zealand white rabbits, aged 5 weeks, were randomly assigned to seven dietary treatments (12 rabbits/treatment): A control diet; three diets the basil hay substituted for 25%, 50% and 75% of alfalfa straw; and three diets the fennel hay replaced 25%, 50% and 75% of alfalfa straw. Results obtained showed that replacement of alfalfa hay with 25 % fennel straw significantly reduced average daily gain compared with the other experimental treatments, while no significant difference was observed among the other experimental treatments during the stage 5-8 week. On the contrary, the animals fed diets contained 25 % fennel straw gave significantly higher average body weight gain compared with the other experimental groups and no significant differences were observed among the other experimental treatments during 8-11 weeks. Regarding body weight gain during the total period from 5 to 11 weeks of age, the result indicates that no significant differences among all treatments were detected. The values of FCR showed no significant differences within all tested groups. Rabbits group fed B50% recorded the highest significant digestibility coefficients of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, TDN and DCP when compared to all groups. Levels of basil straw and fennel straw in rabbit diets induced an insignificant effect on hemicellulose. There were higher dressing and hot carcass percentages were recorded with rabbits fed B50%. Plasma values of total protein, albumin, globulin, cholesterol or Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) concentration were not significantly affected due to adding basil straw and fennel straw to rabbit diets. Replacement alfalfa hay with fennel and basil straw resulted in decrease feed cost. Rabbits fed B25% showed higher economic efficiency percentage compared to the other treatments. The results revealed that using basil straw and fennel straw at 25% in growing NZW rabbit diets had no detrimental effects on productive performance, the physiological and biochemical status and it could be used economically instead of alfalfa hay.

DOI

10.21608/ajs.2020.24972.1175

Keywords

Fennel straw, basil straw, Rabbit, performance, carcass traits, economic efficiency

Authors

First Name

Hayam

Last Name

Draz

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Regional Center for Food and Feed, Agric. Res. Center, Giza, Egypt.

Email

hayamderaz@yahoo.com

City

-

Orcid

0000-0002-9362-9929

First Name

Fathy

Last Name

Abdel_Azeem

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Poultry Production Dept., Fac. of Agric., Ain Shams Univ.

Email

fathy_abdelazeem@yahoo.com

City

Cairo

Orcid

0000-0002-9710-6359

First Name

Usama

Last Name

Elbehairy

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Hort. Dept., Fac. Agric., Ain Shams Univ.

Email

usama_elbehairi@agr.asu.edu.eg

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Thanaa

Last Name

Mohamdy

MiddleName

Fouad

Affiliation

Regional Center for Food and Feed, Agric. Res. Center, Giza, Egypt.

Email

th_fouad@hotmail.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Nasr

Last Name

Elbordiny

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Animal Production Dept., Fac. Agric., Ain Shams Univ.

Email

nasr_elbordeny@yahoo.com

City

-

Orcid

-

Volume

28

Article Issue

2

Related Issue

19516

Issue Date

2020-12-01

Receive Date

2020-03-01

Publish Date

2020-12-01

Page Start

625

Page End

638

Print ISSN

1110-2675

Online ISSN

2636-3585

Link

https://ajs.journals.ekb.eg/article_97434.html

Detail API

https://ajs.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=97434

Order

82

Type

Original Article

Type Code

668

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Arab Universities Journal of Agricultural Sciences

Publication Link

https://ajs.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Effect of substituting alfalfa hay with graded levels of fennel and basil straws in growing rabbit diets

Details

Type

Article

Created At

22 Jan 2023