EFFECTS OF SUPPLEMENTING DIETS WITH THYMOL ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND MEAT QUALITY OF GROWING RABBIT UNDER HEAT SEASON

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of animal production, National Institute of Agronomy of Tunis 43, avenue Charles Nicolle 1082, Mahrajène, Tunisia

2 Food Preservation Laboratory, High Institute of Food Industry, 58 Street Alain Savary, Elkhadra City, Tunis 1003, Tunisia

Abstract

The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of different levels of thymol on growth performance and meat quality of fattening rabbits (white Californian) during the summer season. For this experiment, 120 rabbits (35-d-old) were divided into four  homogeneous groups and were fed as: control without thymol (T) and the other three groups with thymol T1, T2 and T3 which received 100, 200 and 300 mg / kg diet; respectively. Each of the 4 diets was fed to replicates of 6 rabbits. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the feed conversion ratio (FCR; range 3.99±0.62, 9.36±6.87, 4.16±0.98 and 7.13±5.43respectively) across treatments for the 6 week study period. There were no differences (p>0.05) between the Thymol and control diet regarding feed intakes, and mortality during the overall six week period. Feed supplementation with thymol affected meat hardness. Results indicated the meat from the groups received the dose of 200mg/kg of thymol were more tender than the other groups (p < 0.001).

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