The impact of treatment with bee pollen (BP) on the productive performance and some hematological and physiological traits of rabbit bucks were studied under hot climatic conditions prevalent in Assiut during the summer season. A number of 30 rabbit bucks (15 V-line & 15 Moshtohor line); 14 weeks old were divided into three equal experimental groups. The bucks of 1st group were fed on a commercial basal ration and served as control, while those in the 2nd and 3rd groups were fed on the same ration in addition to daily oral supplementation with 250 and 500mg BP/buck, respectively in gelatin capsulated form allover experimental period.
The obtained results revealed significant rabbit line differences in total feed intake (TFI/g), RBCs (106), total protein (TP), glucose (mg/dl), total lipids (g/L), aminotransferase(ALT/IU/L), IgG (mg/dl), IgM (mg/dl) and Tri-iodothyronine (T3/ng/dl) hormone concentration.While, the differences were insignificant in the productive traits, Hb (g/dl), HTC(%), cholesterol (g/dl), total antioxidant capacity (TAC/mm/l), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (Testos) and Luteinizing hormone (LH) hormone concentrations. The total feed intake of bucks treated with 250 and 500mg BP/buck decreased by 4.45 and 8.48%, but the means of BW (g), BWG (g) and PI (%) increased significantly (P<0.01 or 0.05) than those of the control. The means of Hb (g/dl), HTC (%), RBCs (106)and Lymphocytes (%) of the bucks treated with BP increasedsignificantly (P<0.01 or 0.05) than those of the control. The means of TP, albumin, globulin (g/dl) and glucose (mg/dl) levels as well as TAC (%), IgG (mg/dl), IgM (mg/dl) of the treated bucks significantly (P<0.01 or 0.05) increased, whereas the levels of cholesterol (mg/dl), total lipids (TL/g/l), AST (IU/l) and ALT (IU/l) were significantly (P<0.01 or 0.05) decreased. In the treated bucks, the concentrations of testosterone, FSH, and LH hormones improved significantly (P<0.01) than those of the control group.
Conclusively, it could be concluded that treating rabbits raised under hot climatic conditions with 250 and 500 BP/ buck improved significantly the feed intake, hematological variables, immunological responses and hormonal estimates.