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Influence of gestational maternal feed restriction on growth performance and meat quality of rabbit offsprings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 September 2015

M. Goliomytis ,
E.-P. Skoupa ,
A. Konga ,
G. K. Symeon ,
M. A. Charismiadou  and
S. G. Deligeorgis
M. Goliomytis*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding & Husbandry, Faculty of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera odos, GR11855 Athens, Greece
E.-P. Skoupa
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding & Husbandry, Faculty of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera odos, GR11855 Athens, Greece
A. Konga
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding & Husbandry, Faculty of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera odos, GR11855 Athens, Greece
G. K. Symeon
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding & Husbandry, Faculty of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera odos, GR11855 Athens, Greece
M. A. Charismiadou
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding & Husbandry, Faculty of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera odos, GR11855 Athens, Greece
S. G. Deligeorgis
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding & Husbandry, Faculty of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera odos, GR11855 Athens, Greece
*
†E-mail: mgolio@aua.gr
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Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of feed restriction during pregnancy on reproductive performance of rabbit does and growth performance and meat quality of their offspring. A total of 26 primiparous non lactating does were equally divided into two treatment groups: the control group (C, n=13) that was fed ad libitum throughout gestation and the feed restricted group (R, n=13) that was fed to 75% of maintenance energy requirements from the 7th to the 26th day of gestation. Rabbit offsprings were weaned at 35 days of age and grown until the 72 days of age when they were slaughtered for meat quality assessment. Meat quality traits measured were pH24, colour (L*, a*, b*), percentage of released water, cook loss, shear values and intramuscular fat. At kindling, R does produced smaller litter weights compared with those of does from group C, 447.8 and 591.4 g, respectively, and smaller individual kit birth weights, 56.2 and 71.5 g, respectively (P<0.05). Ratio of stillborn kits and mortality rate from parturition until weaning was higher (P<0.05) in the R group, 21.4% and 11.1%, respectively, in comparison with the C group, 8.1% and 3.5%, respectively. Litter size and gestation length were unaffected by maternal undernutrition. Kit birth weight treatment differences were eliminated at weaning because of compensatory growth (P>0.05). Performance and meat quality characteristics of fattening rabbits at 72 days of age were not influenced by gestational feed restriction of their mothers (P>0.05). Taking into consideration that, simultaneous gestation and lactation in rabbit does may be simulated by gestational feed restriction, results of the present study suggest that lactating does can support a simultaneous gestation without any adverse effect on the offsprings’ quantitative and qualitative performance at the expense of increased mortality rates at parturition and until weaning.

Keywords

rabbitmaternal feed restrictiongrowthmeat quality
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , January 2016 , pp. 157 - 162
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2015 

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