Effect of replacement of barley grains and soybean meal by distiller's dried grains with solubles with or without supplemented seaweed in growing rabbit rations on: 1. growth performance, feed utilization and economic efficiency of growing rabbits [electronic resource].

Includes references.

Eighty one, 7 weeks of age weaning New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits were used in this study. Rabbits were randomly distributed into 9 equal groups and housed in separate cages. The 1st experimental ration (R1) was used as a control, which contained of: 10 %yellow corn + 10 % barley + 13.7 % soybean meal (SBM) + 20 % wheat bran + 40 % clover hay + 3 % molasses + 1 % calcium diphosphate + 1.2 % limestone + 0.5 % sodium chloride + 0.4 % minerals-vitamins mixture + 0.2 % methionine . Equal parts from barley and soybean meal in R1 were substituted by 10 % or 20% distiller dried grains with soluble (DDGS) in ration 2 (R2) and ration 3 (R3), respectively. The supplemented seaweed (SW) for these rations was at tow levels subtracted from the wheat bran. The first level was 0.5 % SWofthe total mixed ration for ration 4 (R4), ration 5 (R5) and ration 6 (R6). The second level was 1.0 % SWofthe total mixed rationfor ration 7 (R7), ration 8 (R8) and ration 9 (R9). The experimental rations had no significant effect on live body weighc (LB W) ofgrowing rabbits from 7 to 13 weeks ofage. Rabbits fed on R1 and R3 showed the highest LBW from 7 to 13 weeks of age compared with thosefed the other rations. Also, rabbits fed on R6, R8 and R9 had higher L8Wthan those fed on R4, R5 and R7. Averages daily gain for rabbits fed 0 % SWwas higher (P < 0.05) than thatfor rabbitsfed 0.5 % SW The average changes in LBWofgrowing rabbitsfrom 7 -13 weeks of age were highest with feeding on R1 and R3 compared with that of feeding on other rations. The averages of LBW changes were nearly similarfor rabbitsfed on R2, R5, R6, R7, R8 and R9 and the lowesst value was observed with feeding rabbits on R4. The dressing percentages were 63.42, 62.13 and 64.01 % and the slaughter weights were 1902.22, 1990.56 and 1948.33 g with supplemented 0.0 %, 0.5 % and 1.0 % SW respectively, while the slaughter weights were 1905.56, 19995.0 and 1940.56 g with feeding on 0.0 %, 10 % and 20 % DDGS rations, respectively. The hot carcass as were the highest (1118.33 g) with supplemented 1.0 % SW rations and (1127.22 g) with feeding on 10 % DDGS rations. Experimental rations had no significant effect on averages ofdry matter intake (DMI) ofgrowing rabbits from 7 to 13 weeks ofage. No significant effect was detected due to feeding experimental rations on feed conversion values ofgrowing rabbitsfrom 7 -13 weeks ofage. The economic efficiency (JA» results showed that feeding growing rabbits on R3 recorded the highest value (313.3 %), while feeding on R4, R5, R7 and R8 showed the lowest values being 159.2, 251.5, 244.3 and 255.2 %, respectively.

Summary in Arabic.

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