TY  - JOUR
JF  - Online Journal of Animal and Feed Research
VL  - 14
IS  - 5
EP  - 308
Y1  - 2024/09/30/
SP  - 300
N2  - The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of different dietary protein levels on the productive performance of unselected rabbit does and their litters during their first two lactations. For this purpose, fifty-two nulliparous rabbit does, 4.5 months of age and live weight of 3115 ± 71 g, were divided into three groups (17 or 18 females per group), kept in individual cages and each group received only one of the three experimental diets. These diets were iso-energetic (10.8 MJ DE/kg), but with increasing levels of crude protein (CP): 15, 17 and 19  for the low (L), medium (M) or high (H) diets, respectively. Breeding was carried out by natural copulation using 6 males of 5?6 months of age and 2865±21 g initial weight, controlled semi-intensive lactation and weaning at 35 days after birth. Female body weight, feed intake, milk production, litter size and weight were monitored at birth and weekly after parturition during the first two lactations. The protein intake of the rabbits increased with the amount of protein in the diet (L vs. M: +12.2; L vs. H: +18.8; p < 0.001), without any effect on milk production and feed intake. Milk production was unaffected by parity. Throughout the pre-weaning period, litter size and weight and maternal mortality were unaffected by dietary protein level. Dietary protein level had no effect on live weight, birth to weaning weight gain, milk production or feed intake during the first two consecutive lactations of rabbit does. © The Author(s) 2024
AV  - public
N1  - Veterinary Sciences Institute, Saad Dahlab University, B.P. 270, Route de Soumāa, Blida, 09000, Algeria; Laboratory Research ?Animals health and Production?, Higher National Veterinary School, Algiers, Algeria; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, FARAH and GIGA Centers, Liege University, Belgium; Faculty of Biological Sciences and Agronomical Sciences, Mouloud Mammeri University of Tizi, Ouzou, Algeria; Faculty of Nature and Life Science, Department of Biotechnology and Agro-Ecology, Saad Dahleb University, Blida, Algeria
ID  - eprints1115
PB  - Scienceline Publication
A1  - SAIDJ, D.
A1  - ILES, I.
A1  - MOULA, N.
A1  - BOUKERT, R.
A1  - AIN BAZIZ, H.
A1  - DORBANE, Z.
A1  - MEFTI-KORTEBY, H.
A1  - HORNICK, J.L.
A1  - KADI, S.A.
TI  - EFFECTS OF DIETARY PROTEIN CONTENT ON THE PRODUCTIVE AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF UNSELECTED RABBIT DOES AND THEIR LITTERS DURING FIRST TWO LACTATIONS
SN  - 22287701
UR  - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85208506669&doi=10.51227%2fOJAFR.2024.35&partnerID=40&md5=a0a0a8292bf59f904858fe19be828306
KW  - Feed Intake; Litter parameters; Milk production; Protein content; Unselected rabbit does; Weight gain
ER  -