RABBIT GROWTH PERFOMANCE AS AFFECTED BY DIETARY LEVELS OF DATE WASTE MEAL

This study was performed during the period from April to June 2014 (90 days), at Maryout Research Station belongs to Desert Research Center (DRC), Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, in cooporation with Environmental Sustainable Development Department, Environmental Studies & ResearchInstitute (ESRI), University of Sadat City, Menofiea Governorate, Egypt.  It was conducted to investigate the effect of incorporating different levels of dietary date waste meal (DWM) at 0.0, 10, 20, 30 and 40% of the diet with or without adding zylam (Z) on feed intake and body weight gain of New White Zealand (NZW) rabbits. Sixty growing NZW rabbits (30 males and 30 females) aged 8 weeks with anaverage weight 1.530±0.36 kg for both two sexes were used in this study. Both sexes were divided into five equal groups (6 in each) according to the level of DWM replacement (0.0 C, 10 T₁, 20 T₂, 30 T₃ and 40 T₄%). Each group was divided into two groups (3 in each) according to adding enzyme (with or without). Group T₂Z significantly (p<0.05) recorded the best digestion coefficient values (74.66; 74.91; 87.64; 52.8; 83.18 and 79.46 % for DM; OM, CP, CF; EE and NFE, respectively) comparing with control and other experimental diets, while at 40% DWM with zylam (T₄Z group) was the worst one.Digestibility of DM, OM, CP, EE and NFE significantly (p<0.05) decreased by increasing dietary DWM levels. Group fed 20% dietary DWM with zylam (T₂Z) significantly (p<0.05) recorded a best digestible nutrients and nutritive values [TDN (66.88 %) and NB (2.7%)] compared with control and other experimental groups.  Inclusion of date waste meal (DWM) at 10% recorded significantly (p<0.05) an increase in final live body weight (LBW) compared with 30% and 40%.  Insignificant (p>0.05) differences were detected between treated and control group for feed conversion ratio (FCR). Insignificant differences were observed for different dietary levels of DWM on cholesterol, triglycerides, ALT, AST.and not negatively affected liver activity or rabbit's health.  Conclusively, it could be concluded that diets containing up to 20% of date waste meal (DWM) and supplemented with 1g zylam during growing period could be used safely in rabbit diets during growing period.