Laboratory Analyses Used to Define the Nutritional Parameters and Quality Indexes of Some Unusual Forages.

The quality of a forage influences the production of animals, and it can be defined in many ways. Laboratory analyses are important tools because they can be used to indicate the quality of the forages, and they represent a relatively quick way of defining their nutritive values. However, specific quality indexes are necessary to evaluate and rank forages.

Comparison of In Vivo and In Vitro Digestibility in Rabbits.

The apparent dry matter digestibility of diets for rabbits was measured in vivo (ADMD) and in vitro with the Ankom Daisy Incubator. Four diets were tested: low fiber (LF), LF + 5% of pregerminated fenugreek seeds (PGFS) (LF5), LF + 10% PGFS (LF10), and high fiber (HF). For the ADMD, feces samples were collected from 56 White New-Zealand × Californian rabbits fed the 4 diets; animals were randomly allocated into 4 groups and housed in individual cages.

Effects of pre-germinated fenugreek seeds inclusion in low-fiber diets on post-weaned rabbits' health status, growth performances, carcass characteristics, and meat chemical composition.

Newly weaned rabbits frequently suffer from digestive disorders particularly when fed low-fiber diets. Fenugreek seeds are rich in dietary fiber and would be suited to moderate such disorders. This study investigated the effect of pre-germinated fenugreek seeds (PGFS) on rabbits' health, digestibility, growth performance, and carcass parameters.