Effect of Diet on Feed Intake and Growth of Rabbits from Weaning to Slaughter at Different Ages and Weights1

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Abstract
The influence of sex, weaning age (25 or 35 days), weight at weaning and diet composition (four levels of crude protein-12, 14, 16 or 18%-and three levels of crude fiber-7, 11 or 15%) upon rate of mortality, dry matter (DM) and digestible energy (DE) intake and growth traits was studied in 417 rabbits of the Spanish Giant breed slaughtered at three weights. The effect of diet composition on crude protein digestibility (DCP) was explained by N percentage of the concentrate. The digestibility coefficient for energy decreased (P<.001) with increasing fiber content. The energy to protein ratio (kilocalories DE/gram DCP) was related to growth traits (P<.001), DE intake (P<.05) and rate of mortality (P<.05). All of these relationships were curvilinear. The relationship between growth traits and DE intake reached a maximum at an E:P ratio of about 23.5 kcal DE:g DCP, at which mortality rate was minimum. An increase in weaning weight increased (P<.001) DM and DE intake and growth traits. Weaning age influenced DM and DE intake (P<.001), weight at 49 days (P<.001) and weight at 63 days (P<.05), but did not affect either average daily gain or weight at 77 days of age. Sex did not have a significant effect on any of the variables considered. Copyright © 1981. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1981 by American Society of Animal Science.

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