Influences of breed, sex and sodium butyrate supplementation on the performance, carcass traits and mortality of fattening rabbits

Twenty four New Zealand White rabbits [12 does and 12 bucks] and twenty four Flanders [12 does and 12 bucks] rabbits, allotted into two feeding regimes [6 for each breed, 3 males and 3 females] first one feed commercial ration and the second one fed commercial diet supplemented by sodium butyrate [300 g/ton]. The obtained results showed that at end of 8[th] week experimental period New Zealand white rabbits were heavier body weight than Flanders rabbits [1934.55 +/- 39.05 vs. 1802.5 +/- 30.99 g]; significantly high body weight gain [136.1 +/- 3.5 vs. 126.8 +/- 1.8 g/week] and better feed conversion ratio during all weeks of experiment from first week [3.07 +/- 0.16 vs. 3.12 +/- 0.10] till the 8[th] week of experiment [5.54 +/- 0.16 vs. 5.76 +/- 0.07] with significantly high dressing percentages [0.54 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.52 +/- 0.01]. Moreover, hindquarter and gastrointestinal tract percentages were significantly high in New Zealand White than Flanders rabbits. In general females rabbits [at the same age] were lower body weight than males from 1[st] week of experiment [1042.9 +/- 39.9 vs. 1074 +/- 32.9g] till the end of experiment [1833.64 +/- 37.69 vs. 1903.41 +/- 36.93 g]; gained less during all weeks of experiment except during 8[th] week [132.1 +/- 2.3 vs. 130.9 +/- 3.4 g/week], with lower dressing percentage [0.52 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.53 +/- 0.01]. Addition of 300g sodium butyrate/ton of rabbit increased the body weight of rabbits at the end of experimental period [1882.71 +/- 26.45 vs. 1851.5 +/- 49.82 g]; improve body weight gain 2[nd], and 8[th] week of experiment and significantly improve feed conversion ratio during all weeks of the experiment from 1[st] week [2.85 +/- 0.07 vs. 3.30 +/- 0.15] till the 8[th] week of the experiment [5.51 +/- 0.12 vs. 5.77 +/- 0.12]. Also, dressing percentage was higher in Sodium butyrate fed groups than those of the control one [0.53 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.52 +/- 0.01] and the most important results of feeding sodium butyrate is the reducing of the mortality percentage in rabbits during the 8 week period experiment to zero percentage as compared with 16% in the control group

Reproductive behaviour, fertility, hatchability and body size in two strains of Japanese quail

The combined effects of group size, mating ratio, age and mating system on the behavioral, productive and reproductive traits of Japanese quail during maturity stage were studied. Results showed that, crowing showed a highest frequency in brown male, white female groups. Moreover, the highest aggression frequency was in brown male and female groups. On the other h and, the oviposition was found to be high in the white male, brown female groups, also body weight has the same trend. On contrary, fertility and hatchability took another trend with highest percentage for brown male and female groups. The highest body weight was for 5 birds/cage, while, the highest egg production was for 2 birds/cage. The male crowing frequency was decreased with age from the 3rd month to the 8th month. On the other h and, oviposition, body weight and egg production were gradually increased with age. However, fertility was decreased with advanced age. On the other h and, the number of complete mating, the number of incomplete mating and crowing were high during early morning, whereas low crowing was during late afternoon. Oviposition was significantly [P <0.01] affected by periods of day with the highest mean during late afternoon and lowest during early morning