Health status and blood parameters of weaner rabbits fed diets containing varying dietary fibre and digestible energy levels

Abstract

The maintenance of a good health status in rabbits is hinged upon appropriate balance between dietary fibre and energy level. A 70-day feeding trial was conducted to study the health status and blood parameters of weaner rabbits fed diets containing varying fibre and digestible energy (DE) using a total of ninety 4-weeks-old rabbits. There were 9 dietary treatments laid out in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement of 3 levels of dietary fibre [low (249-258 g/kg NDF and 149-157 g/kg ADF), optimum (349-381 g/kg NDF and 188-193 g/kg ADF) and high (430-456 g/kg NDF and 249-253 g/kg)] and digestible energy levels [low (8-8.5 MJ/kg), optimum (10.5-11 MJ/kg) and high (12-12.30 MJ/kg)]. Each of the diet was fed to 10 rabbits individually caged in a completely randomized design. Polynomial contrasts were done for linear and quadratic effects. Results indicated that rabbits fed low fibre diets showed high incidence of transitory diarrhoea, total morbidity and symptoms of other sickness. Interaction effect (fibre × digestible energy) indicated that irrespective of the digestible energy level of the diet, mortality, tendency to go off feed and incidence of transitory diarrhoea increased as dietary fibre level increased. Rabbits fed low fibre diets had the least packed cell volume (36.00%) and highest serum uric acid concentration (51.22 mg/dl). Rabbits fed diet containing high fibre + optimum DE recorded the highest packed cell volume (44.00%) and serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (29.00 IU/L). Highest haemoglobin (16.00 g/dl), total serum protein (66.00 g/L) and serum cholesterol concentration (165.00 mg/dl) were recorded with rabbits fed diet containing optimum fibre + optimum DE. It was concluded that feeding low fibre diets increased the susceptibility of rabbits to transitory diarrhoea, morbidity and tendency to go off feed. High fibre diets in rabbit nutrition thus favoured improved health status.

Keywords: Health status, Blood parameters, Weaner rabbits, Dietary fibre, Digestible energy