Effects of waening month and diet on growing meat rabbits.

CORDIVIOLA, C.A., TRIGO, M.S., ARIAS, R.O., LACCHINI, R.A., MURO, M. ANTONINI, A.G.

Córdoba

Congreso; IV Congreso de Cunicultura de las Américas; 2010

World Rabbit Association

A suitable fattening temperature would fall between 13 and 20 º C. Nutritional needs tables obtained for this conditions, can lead to significant errors at feeding of any species when applied to conditions of heat stress, or at least its cost increases. To avoid this problem, we should make adjustments to formulas that are not readily available because there is a fluctuation in daily / seasonal temperature and extent of animal response is not accurate. So apply different correlations in cattle, pork and poultry, but in rabbits there is few reliable data. The aim of this study was to compare the relative effects of diet and the weaning month on productive parameters in fattening rabbits in the northeastern region of Buenos Aires province. Four hundred seventy-two crossbred rabbits were housed at environmental temperature during the fattening period. The study covered the period from weaning to slaughter weight (2.300 + 0.1 kg). The young rabbits were randomized into three experimental groups. The “A” experimental group received a formulation for lactating mothers of a trademark other than that they were eating pre-weaning (diet A), the “B” experimental group (control) continued receiving the same food at pre-weaning (diet B) and “C” experimental group was provided with a formulation for fattening rabbits (diet C). Body weight and daily weight gain was recorded weekly. The animals were grouped for analysis by their weaning month. The influence of weaning month and diet on body weight at 60 days and the days required for animals to reach slaughter weight was investigated. The data were statistically processed using multifactorial ANOVA test and the averages compared by the LSD method. Weaning months associated with lower average temperatures resulted in an increased weight at 60 days and less time to reach slaughter weight. These results are consistent with those found by several authors that describe the behavior of meat rabbits under heat stress.