Feeding programmes based on highly-digestible fibre weaning diets: effects on health, growth performance and carcass and meat quality in rabbits

The effect of three different dietary programmes on health, growth performance and carcass and meat quality in young rabbits weaned at 28 d was studied using a diet (F) rich in highly-digestible fibre, from 17 to 63 d of age (group FF); using diet F from 17 to 42 d followed by a diet poor in highly-...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Pascual Amorós, María de los Desamparados, Soler Sanchis, Maria Dolores, Cervera Fras, Mª Concepción, Pla Torres, Marcial, Blas Ferrer, Enrique, Pascual Amorós, Juan José|||0000-0002-7224-9978
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2014
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
Repositorio:RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:riunet.upv.es:10251/61418
Acceso en línea:https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/61418
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Highly-digestible fibre
Growth performance
Carcass
Meat quality
Health
Rabbits
PRODUCCION ANIMAL
NUTRICION Y BROMATOLOGIA
Descripción
Sumario:The effect of three different dietary programmes on health, growth performance and carcass and meat quality in young rabbits weaned at 28 d was studied using a diet (F) rich in highly-digestible fibre, from 17 to 63 d of age (group FF); using diet F from 17 to 42 d followed by a diet poor in highly-digestible fibre and rich in starch and fat (S) until 63 d (group FS); and using a standard diet C with intermediate highly-digestible fibre and starch content, containing 100 ppm of zinc-bacitracin, from 17 to 63 d (group CC). A highly-digestible fibre diet could be useful to reduce the incidence of digestive disorders. However, it decreased slaughter weight (2294 g in FF vs. 2406 g in CC; P<0.05) and carcass and meat traits, e.g. dressing out percentage (55.4% in FF vs. 56.7% in CC; P<0.05), meat to bone ratio (5.73 in FF vs. 5.94 in CC; P<0.05) and hind leg fat content (3.81% in FF vs. 4.71% in CC; P<0.05) at 63 d of age. Switching to a high starch and fat diet at late fattening improved chilled carcass weight at 63 d of age (1339 g in FS vs. 1263 g in FF; P<0.05) mainly through the promotion of liver development (7.53% in group FS vs. 6.47% in group FF; P<0.05) and fat deposition (3.89% in FS vs. 2.63% in FF; P<0.05), and increased hind leg fat content (+1.2 points of fat percentage; P<0.05). However, this switch increased health risk (35.1% in FS vs. 17.6% in FF; P<0.05).