PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE, BLOOD PARAMETERS AND ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF BLACK BALADI RABBITS RECEIVED ORALLY SOLVENT VITAMIN C UNDER COLD EGYPTIAN CONDITIONS

Eighteen growing male Black Baladi rabbits (from El-Serw Experimental Station of Animal Production, Animal Production Research Institute) at 5 weeks of age were used for the study through winter months from January to March 2022. The rabbits were randomly allocated into two groups 9 rabbits of each as G1 and G2. Each group was further sub-divided into 3 replicate of 3 rabbits. Rabbits in G1 were fed diet free of feed additives, and gave 3.0 ml of distilled water orally as a vitamin solvent / kg live body weigh (LBW) / two times weekly thus, served as a control group. Rabbits in G2 were fed the same control diet plus quaffed solvent vitamin C in distilled water at 3.0 ml / kg LBW / two times weekly (each ml contained 5 mg vitamin C). Both G1 and G2 rabbits were used to investigate the influence of quaffed vitamin C on caring rabbits, growth performance, nutrients digestibility, carcass traits and meat quality, blood parameters and economic feasibility of growing rabbits under winter cold conditions in Egypt. Results showed that during the experimental period significantly higher (P<0.05) in rectal temperature of G1 rabbits than G2 rabbits. The most (P>0.05) heart rate was recorded in G1 rabbits compared to G2 rabbits. The G1 rabbits had more (P<0.05) respiration rate than G2 rabbits. The G2 rabbits had significantly (P<0.05) greater of final (LBW), daily body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and performance index than G1 rabbits. There were non- significance (P>0.05) differences in nutrients digestibility as dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), ether extract (EE) and nitrogen free extract (NFE) among G1 and G2 treatments. The DM, CP, CF digestibility were higher (P>0.05) in G2 than those rabbits in G1. However, G1 rabbits had more (P>0.05) EE and NFE than G2 rabbits. A significant (P<0.05) differences were observed among G1 and G2 on carcass traits and meat quality superiority for G2 rabbits. The hematological, biochemical and oxidative parameters were improved in G2 compared to G1 rabbits. The results showed that the cost-benefit ratio was higher in G2 than in G1. Also, relative economical efficiency % increased in G2 rabbits compared to those in G1 rabbits. The production efficiency factor was greater in G2 that G1 rabbits. In conclusion, rabbits were orally received vitamin C could have beneficial effects on their performance under cold winter months without any side effects.