Two feed restriction (FR) regimens are utilized with weaned rabbits including a quantitative FR (amount-limited feed or time-restricted admission to feed) and a qualitative FR (modulation of diet content especially protein and energy). The use of post-weaning FR may help in preventing post-weaning digestive disorders, stimulating compensating growth, improving feed efficiency, and decreasing carcass fat content. Interestingly, FR may contribute to changing meat's chemical composition and its physical quality attributes by regulating the morphological and biochemical characteristics of muscle fibers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHeat stress has become a widespread concern worldwide, which is a major environmental stress that causes substantial economic loss in the rabbit industry. Compared to other agricultural animals, rabbits are more sensitive to heat stress as they have fewer sweat glands and a thicker coat of fur, increasing the heat dissipation complexity. Thus, heat stress hurts rabbits' productivity, meat quality, reproductive performance, antioxidative properties, immune responsiveness, intestinal histomorphology, and microbiome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Better feed efficiency can be achieved by selecting rabbit genotypes with lower residual feed intake (RFI) under high ambient temperatures.
Methods: Two genotypes of rabbits (Jabali, Saudi local breed and imported, Spanish V-line) were used to derive RFI and to investigate the relationship between RFI and productive traits. In total, 250 animals (125 each) were housed in individual wire mesh cages in a semi-closed rabbitry.
Acceleration of global warming has emerged as one of the biggest environmental challenges facing poultry farming. In heat stressed flocks, massive mortality rates and substantial damage to productive performance (eggs and meat) are commonly noticed. Because birds do not have sweat glands, they cannot tolerate high temperatures, especially when combined with high humidity.
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