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Feed restriction strategy in the growing rabbit. 2. Impact on digestive health, growth and carcass characteristics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2009

T. Gidenne ,
S. Combes ,
A. Feugier ,
N. Jehl ,
P. Arveux ,
P. Boisot ,
C. Briens ,
E. Corrent ,
H. Fortune  and
S. Montessuy
...Show all authors
T. Gidenne*
Affiliation:
INRA; UMR 1289 TANDEM, Tissus Animaux, Nutrition, Digestion, Ecosystème et Métabolisme, Chemin de Borde-Rouge, Auzeville, F-31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France Université de Toulouse; INPT, ENVT, UMR 1289 TANDEM, Tissus Animaux, Nutrition, Digestion, Ecosystème et Métabolisme, France
S. Combes
Affiliation:
INRA; UMR 1289 TANDEM, Tissus Animaux, Nutrition, Digestion, Ecosystème et Métabolisme, Chemin de Borde-Rouge, Auzeville, F-31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France Université de Toulouse; INPT, ENVT, UMR 1289 TANDEM, Tissus Animaux, Nutrition, Digestion, Ecosystème et Métabolisme, France
A. Feugier
Affiliation:
INRA; UMR 1289 TANDEM, Tissus Animaux, Nutrition, Digestion, Ecosystème et Métabolisme, Chemin de Borde-Rouge, Auzeville, F-31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France Université de Toulouse; INPT, ENVT, UMR 1289 TANDEM, Tissus Animaux, Nutrition, Digestion, Ecosystème et Métabolisme, France
N. Jehl
Affiliation:
ITAVI, 28, rue du Rocher, F-75008 Paris, France
P. Arveux
Affiliation:
INZO, BP 19, F-02402 Château-Thierry, France
P. Boisot
Affiliation:
Evialis, BP 235, F-56006 Vannes, France
C. Briens
Affiliation:
CCPA, 14 rue des Beaux Soleils, F-95520 Osny, France
E. Corrent
Affiliation:
Trouw Nutrition France, F-95450 Vigny, France
H. Fortune
Affiliation:
PRIMEX, Gare de Baud, BP 12, F-56440 Languidic, France
S. Montessuy
Affiliation:
TECHNA, BP 10, F-44220 Coueron, France
S. Verdelhan
Affiliation:
CYBELIA, groupe GLON, Centre d’affaires l’Odyssée, ZAC Cissé Blossac, F-35170 Bruz, France
*
E-mail: thierry.gidenne@toulouse.inra.fr
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Abstract

A field enquiry mentioned the potential positive impact of a feed restriction on the health of young rabbits, but no objective information relates the intake to digestive health. The effects of a post-weaning feed restriction strategy were thus studied on digestive health and growth and carcass parameters of the growing rabbit, using a monofactorial design that produces a quantitative linear reduction of the intake, from ad libitum (AL group) to 80%, 70% and 60% of AL. The study was performed simultaneously in six experimental sites, on 1984 growing rabbits (496 per treatment) collectively caged from weaning (34 to 38 days of age, depending on the site) to slaughter (68 to 72 days). The feeding programme was applied as followed: restriction during 21 days after weaning, and then ad libitum till slaughter. During the feed restriction period the growth rate was linearly reduced with the restriction level, by 0.5 g/day for each percent of intake reduction. When returning to ad libitum intake (after 54 days old) a compensatory growth and a higher feed efficiency occurred. Therefore, the impact of the feeding programme on the slaughter weight (SW) was significant (−4.5 g/% of restriction), but relatively moderate: the weight loss of the more-restricted rabbits (60%) reached 7.7% (−200 g) compared to the AL group. Over the whole fattening period, the feed restriction reduced linearly and significantly the feed conversion (FC) (−0.0077 unit/% of restriction). Carcass traits were little affected by the feeding programme, except for a slightly lower decrease of the dressing percentage (mean: 1.2 units between AL and the three restricted groups). On the six experimental sites, mortality and morbidity were always caused by acute digestive disorders, namely diarrhoea and/or caecal impaction. Independent of the treatment, the mortality rate strongly varied according to the site (between 7% and 18% from weaning to 54 days and for the AL group). During feed restriction, the mortality was significantly lower from a restriction threshold of 80% (meanly: −9% compared to AL). The morbidity was also significantly reduced (−6%) for the two most restricted groups (70% and 60%). The favourable effect of a lower intake on health did not persist after returning to ad libitum intake (54 days to slaughter), since mortality and morbidity were not significantly different among the treatments. Such a feeding strategy thus represents a double benefit in terms of feed costs and lower losses of young rabbits.

Keywords

carcass and meat qualitydigestive healthgrowthintake managementyoung rabbit
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 3 , Issue 4 , April 2009 , pp. 509 - 515
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2008

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