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

ABSTRACT

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