Effects of High Level Antibiotic Supplementation in the Ration on Growth and Enteritis in Young Domestic Rabbits

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Abstract
The effect of continuous and temporary supplementation of the ration with chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline on growth, enteritis, and mortality of young rabbits was studied using 37 does and a total of 1002 young rabbits. Supplementing the ration had no significant effect on growth, as measured by weaning weight of the young, except in a doe's first litter. Of all treatments continuous supplementation of antibiotics was most favorable for total production in terms of number and total weight of rabbits weaned per doe. Antibiotic supplementation did significantly lower the incidence of enteritis and also the mortality due to enteritis. Continuous supplementation restricted the incidence of enteritis to the largest litters. It had no apparent effect on enteritic rabbits once they had contracted enteritis. No evidence was obtained which would indicate a cumulative effect, or that antibiotic supplementation in a doe's early litters affected the susceptibility of later litters to enteritis. Copyright © 1964. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1964 by American Society of Animal Science

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