Effect of vitamin A level on the performance of growing rabbits [electronic resource].

Includes references.

A total number of 192 Hybrid (New Zealand White x California) rabbits, half of females, half of males, 42 days of age were assigned randomly into eight experimental groups ( four main groups each diveded into two subgroups, females and males ) in a factorial desigen 4 x 2 , each main group contains 48 animals (24 males and 24 females). The first group was kept untreated as control, while the other 3 groups were received vitamin A acetate in drinking water by 1000, 2000 and 3000 IV per head /day, respectively. The results showed that vitamin A treatments caused an increase in body weight. The increase was significant (P < 0.05) only during the period from 5th to 8th week of the experimental period. Rabbits received 2000 IV vitamin A was accompained by the heavier body weight, significant increase (P< 0.05) in body weight, feed intake and highly significant (P< 0.01) decrease in feed conversion. However, there were no significant effect of sex or vitamin A x sex interction on the previous traits. Carcass traits also were not affected by either vitamin A or the interaction due to vitamin A and sex.

Summary in Arabic.

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