Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-hgkh8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T09:27:03.427Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effect of high fat diets on the performance and food intake of primiparous and multiparous rabbit does

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. J. Pascual
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, PO Box 22012, Valencia 46071, Spain
C. Cervera
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, PO Box 22012, Valencia 46071, Spain
E. Blas
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, PO Box 22012, Valencia 46071, Spain
J. Fernandez-Carmona
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, PO Box 22012, Valencia 46071, Spain
Get access

Abstract

The influence of high fat diets on several production traits of primiparous and multiparous rabbit does was studied in 246 lactations from a total of 61 crossbreed rabbit does (Californian × New Zealand). Starting with a control diet (diet C) with 26 g ether extract (EE) per kg dry matter (DM), two isoenergetic diets were formulated adding fat from vegetable sources up to 99 g EE per kg DM (diet V) or animal sources up to 117 g EE per kg DM (diet A). Digestible energy/digestible protein ratio (DE/DP) was maintained between 82 and 87 kj/g. Food intake decreased with high fat diets compared with the control diet during gestation (P ‘lt; 0·001), which implied a decrease in the DE intake (P < 0·01 and P < 0·05 for primiparous and multiparous does, respectively). Fat addition did not affect food intake of primiparous does during lactation (101·8,106·9 and 103·7 g DM per day per kg live weight (M)0·75 for C, V and A diets, respectively) but increased the DE intake (1121 kj/day per kg M°0·75 for C diet cf. 1325 for V and 1264 for A diets; P < 0·01) and reduced does' weight losses at the end of lactation (F > 0·05). However, multiparous does on C diet showed a greater food intake during the last 2 weeks of lactation (110·6 for C diet v. 101·5 and 98·9 g DM per day per kg M0·75 for V and A diets, respectively; P < 0·001). High fat diets improved significantly the productive parameters at the 21st day of lactation: increasing litter size (P < 0·01 for multiparous does) and weight (P < 0·01 and P < 0·001 for primiparous and multiparous does, respectively) and decreasing the food conversion ratio (P < 0·001). An increase of dietary fat content decreased solid food intake of litters during the last 2 weeks of lactation (P < 0·01 and P < 0·001 for primiparous and multiparous does, respectively) but only affected their solid DE intake slightly. In conclusion, high fat diets seem to improve the productivity of lactating does and their corporal condition during the first lactation.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 1984. Official methods of analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, 14th edition. Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Barge, M. T., Masoero, G. and Reviglio, L. 1984. Fabbisogno lipidico per coniglie riproduttrici. Proceedings of the third world rabbit congress, Rome, vol. 1, pp. 453460.Google Scholar
Barreto, G. and Bias, J. C. de. 1993. Effect of dietary fibre and fat content on the reproductive performance of rabbit does bre d at two remating times during tw o seasons World Rabbit Science 1: 7781.Google Scholar
Bias, J. C. de and Gálvez, J. F. 1975. A note on the retention of energy and nitrogen in rabbits Animal Production 21: 345347.Google Scholar
Bias, J. C. de, Wiseman, J., Fraga, M. J. and Villamide, M. J. 1992. Prediction of the digestible energy and digestibility of gross energy of feeds for rabbits. 2. Mixed diets. Animal Feed Science and Technology 39: 3959.Google Scholar
Cervera, C., Fernandez-Carmona, J., Viudes, P. and Bias, E. 1993. Effect of remating interval and diet on the performance of female rabbits and their litters Animal Production 56: 399405.Google Scholar
Cheeke, P. R. 1974. Feed preferences of adult male Dutch rabbit Laboratory Animal Science 24: 601604.Google Scholar
Christ, B., Lange, K. and Jeroch, H. 1996. Effect of dietary fat on fat content and fatty acid composition of does milk. Proceedings of the sixth world rabbit congress, Toulouse, vol. 1, pp. 135138.Google Scholar
Fernandez, C. 1993. Efecto de la incorporation de grasa en piensos fibrosos sobre la utilization digestiva de la dieta, crecimiento y calidad de la canal de conejos en cebo. Tesis Doctoral, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieros Agronomos de la Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain.Google Scholar
Fernández-Carmona, J., Cervera, C. and Bias, E. 1996. High fat diets for rabbit breeding does housed at 30°C. Proceedings of the sixth world rabbit congress, Toulouse, vol. 1, pp. 167169.Google Scholar
Fernández-Carmona, J., Cervera, C., Sabater, C. and Bias, E. 1995. Effect of diet composition on the production of rabbit breeding does housed in a traditional building and at 30°C Animal Feed Science and Technology 52:289297.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finzi, A. and Verita, P. 1976. Valutazione dell'appetibilita dei mangimi nei conigli Coniglicoltura 13: 2527.Google Scholar
Fortun-Lamothe, L. and Lebas, F. 1996. Effects of dietary energy level and source on foetal development and energy balance in concurrently pregnant and lactating primiparous rabbit does Animal Science 62: 615620.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraga, M. J. 1989. Necesidades de nutrientes. In Alimentacion del conejo (ed. Bias, J. C. de), pp. 6174. Mundi Prensa, Madrid.Google Scholar
Fraga, M. J., Lorente, M., Carabano, R. M. and Bias, J. C. de. 1989. Effect of diet and of remating interval on milk production and milk composition of the doe rabbit Animal Production 48: 459466.Google Scholar
Lamb, I. C., Partridge, G. G., Fuller, M. F., Allan, S. J. and Pennie, K. 1984. The effects of different remating intervals and diet nutrient density on the reproductive performance and body composition changes of the lactating rabbit. Proceedings of the second world rabbit congress, Rome, pp. 438443.Google Scholar
Lebas, F. 1989. Besoins nutritionnels des lapins. Revue bibliographique et perspectives. Cuni-Sciences 5:128.Google Scholar
Lebas, F. and Fortun-Lamothe, L. 1996. Effect of dietary energy level and origin (starch vs. oil) on performance of rabbits does and their litters: average situation after 4 weanings. Proceedings of the sixth world rabbit congress, Toulouse, vol. 1, pp. 217222.Google Scholar
Maertens, L. 1992. Rabbit nutrition and feeding: a review of some recent developments. Proceedings of the fifth world rabbit congress, Corvallis, Oregon. Journal of Applied Rabbit Research 15: 889913.Google Scholar
Maertens, L. and De Groote, G. 1988. The influence of the dietary energy content on the performances of post partum breeding does. Proceedings of the fourth world rabbit Budapest, vol. 3, pp. 4252.Google Scholar
Parigi-Bini, R. and Xiccato, G. 1993. Recherches sur l'interaction entre alimentation, reproduction et lactation chez la lapine. Une revue. World Rabbit Science 1:155161.Google Scholar
Parigi-Bini, R., Xiccato, G. and Cinetto, M. 1989. Influenza dell'intervallo parto-accoppiamento sulle prestazioni riproduttive delle coniglie fattrici Coniglicoltura 26: 5157.Google Scholar
Parigi-Bini, R., Xiccato, G., Cinetto, M. and Dalle Zotte, A. 1992. Energy and protein utilization and partition in rabbit does concurrently pregnant and lactating Animal Production 55: 153162.Google Scholar
Parigi-Bini, R., Xiccato, G., Dalle Zotte, A., Carazzolo, A., Castellini, C. and Stradaioli, G. 1996. Effect of remating interval and diet on the performance and energy balance of rabbit does. Proceedings of the sixth world rabbit congress, Toulouse, vol. 1, pp. 253258.Google Scholar
Partridge, G. G. 1986. Meeting the protein and energy requirements of the commercial rabbit for growth and reproduction. Proceedings of the fourth world congress of animal feeding, Madrid, vol. 9, pp. 271277.Google Scholar
Partridge, G. G., Daniels, Y. and Fordyce, R. A. 1986. The effects of energy intake during pregnancy in doe rabbits on pup birth weight, milk output and maternal body composition change in the ensuing lactation Journal of Agriculture Science, Cambridge 107: 697708.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Partridge, G. G., Fuller, M. F. and Pullar, J. D. 1983. Energy and nitrogen metabolism of lactating rabbits British Journal ofNutrition 49: 507516.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pascual, J. J., Cervera, C., Bias, E. and Fernández-Carmona, J. 1996. Milk yield and composition in rabbit does using. 1, high fat diets. Proceedings of the sixth world rabbit congress, Toulouse, vol. 1, pp. 259262.Google Scholar
Robinson, J. J. 1986. Changes in body composition during pregnancy and lactation. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 45: 7180.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1990. User's guide: statistics. Statistical Analysis Systems Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Van Manen, D. G., Verstegen, M. W. A., Meijer, G. W. and Beynen, A. C. 1989. Growth performance by rabbits after isoenergetics substitution of dietary fat for carbohydrates. Nutrition Reports International 40: 443450.Google Scholar
Van Soest, P. J., Robertson, J. B. and Lewis, B. A. 1991. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber and non starch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 74: 35833597.Google Scholar
Xiccato, G., Parigi-Bini, R., Cinetto, M. and Dalle Zotte, A. 1992. The influence of feeding and protein levels on energy and protein utilization by rabbit does. Proceedings of the fifth world rabbit congress, Corvallis, Oregon. Journal of Applied Rabbit Research 15: 965972.Google Scholar
Xiccato, G., Parigi-Bini, R., Dalle Zotte, A., Carazzolo, A. and Cossu, M. E. 1995. Effect of dietary energy level, addition of fat and physiological state on performance and energy balance of lactating and pregnant rabbit does. Animal Science 61: 387398.CrossRefGoogle Scholar