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The effect of slaughter weight upon the growth and carcass characteristics of rabbits fed diets of different dietary metabolizable energy concentrations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

Catherine Butcher ,
M. J. Bryant ,
E. Owen ,
I. Leach  and
D. H. Machin
Catherine Butcher
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 2AT
M. J. Bryant
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 2AT
E. Owen
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 2AT
I. Leach
Affiliation:
Tropical Products Institute, 56–62 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8LU
D. H. Machin
Affiliation:
Tropical Products Institute, 56–62 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8LU
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Abstract

Eighteen male and 18 female weaned rabbits were randomly allocated to two diets formulated to give energy concentrations of 8 (LE) and 10 (HE) MJ metabolizable energy per kg dry matter and three target slaughter weights (1·5, 2·25 and 3·0 kg live weight) to give a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial design with three replicates. Voluntary food intake and live-weight gain were monitored and the carcasses chemically analysed. The metabolizable energy concentrations of the diets were determined by balance and found to be 9·87 and 6·84 MJ/kg dry matter for diets HE and LE respectively.

Rabbits fed the LE diet consumed more dry matter (P < 0·001) and metabolizable energy (P < 0·01) in total, but grew more slowly than those fed the HE diet (P < 0·001). A diet × slaughter weight interaction occurred (P < 0·01); rabbits of the LE–3 kg treatment took longer to reach target weight as a result of a flattening of their growth curve.

Rabbits fed the LE diet had lower killing-out proportions (P < 0·05), heavier gut weights (P < 0·05) and gut contents (P < 0·05), but lighter livers than those fed the HE diet. Killing-out proportion progressively increased with increasing slaughter weight. External offal weight as a proportion of live weight tended to increase while internal offal weight as a proportion of live weight tended to decrease as slaughter weight increased. The carcasses of rabbits slaughtered at 3 kg had lower moisture contents (P < 0·001), greater fat contents (P < 0·001) and lower ash contents (P < 0·05) than other slaughter treatments. A significant diet × slaughter weight interaction occurred in fat content, with rabbits of the LE–3 kg treatment having proportionally more fat. With age at slaughter as a covariate, rabbits fed the HE diet had proportionally more fat (P < 0·05).

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 37 , Issue 2 , October 1983 , pp. 275 - 282
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1983

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References

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