ABSTRACT
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of partial replacement
of berseem hay (BH) with different levels of Panicum maximum cv. mombaça
hay (PmH) in rabbit diets on growth performance, digestibility, carcass traits
and economic efficiency. Sixty weaned male New Zealand White (NZW)
rabbits about 6 weeks old (average body weight 701.15 g) were randomly
allotted into four dietary groups in a completely randomized design experiment.
The control group was fed a basal diet including 300 Kg/Ton of BH (D1);
whereas, PmH was incorporated into the other three experimental diets at levels
30, 60, and 90% in place of the dietary BH to represent the treatments D2, D3
and D4, respectively. The experimental period lasted for 8 weeks.
Results showed that D4 had the best (P≤0.05) final body weight, body
weight gain and feed conversion ratio. Dietary PmH improved digestibility
coefficients of DM, OM, CP, EE and nutritive values as TDN and DCP.
Including PmH in the tested diets slightly improved the digestible coefficients
of CF as compared with the control diet. The D4 significantly (P≤0.05)
increased N-intake, digestible N, retained N, the utilization efficiency of N and
TVFA's production in caecum, while it significantly (P≤0.05) decreased
urinary-N (g/day) and NH3-N (mg\100 dL) production in caecum compared
with D1 (control). Also, D2 significantly (P≤0.05) increased carcass weight
and total edible parts. D4 achieved the best profit per feed unit (2.01 £E/ Kg
diet) and REE (136%).Conclusively, PmH may become a promising
unconventional feed ingredient in growing rabbits feeding.