EFFECT OF REPLACEMENT OF CLOVER HAY BY DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PANICUM MAXIMUM ON REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF V- LINE RABBIT DOES

Document Type : Original Article

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Animal Production Research Institute, ARC, Dokki, Giza-12618, Egypt

Abstract

Twenty V-line rabbit does aged 5 months, weighing  about 2.925.6 ± 6.69kg were used in the present  experiment to evaluated  the effect of different levels of  Panicum maximum 15, 30 and 45% replacement of clover hay on reproductive performance of rabbit does. Rabbit does were randomly distributed -into 4 groups. Group (1) fed control diet, group (2), group (3) and group (4) were fed 15%, 30 and 45% Panicum maximum respectively, replacement of clover hay. Results could be summarized as follows:
1- Change in weight of  the does  were significantly decreased with 15% and 30% Panicum maximum feeding diets during gestation period compared with control, while change in weight at pregnant insignificantly differed to control when replacing  45% Panicum maximum to clover hay.
2- Feed intake was significantly increased with replacing different levels of Panicum maximum at pregnant period and replacing 30 and 45% panicum at lactating does.
3- Litter weight .and litter weight gain of kids with rabbits fed diets containing 45% panicum  maximum at week1 until week 4 were  close to data of litter weight with rabbit fed control. Mortality rate was not significantly different between different treatments.
4- Inclusion of  45% Panicum maximum  significantly recorded the highest milk yield during the four weeks of lactation compared with others groups, litter weight .and litter weight gain  and the  highest economical efficiency. Conclusively, it is possibility to replace 45 % of clover hay by Panicum maximum of the rabbit does diets

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