Effect of dietary fat sources on productive performance, milk yield and milk composition of multiparous rabbit does

Abdel-Raheem, Hassan; Abdel-Raheem, S. M.; Shoeib, H. K. M.; Ali, F. A..E.

doi:10.21608/bvmj.2018.47882

Effect of dietary fat sources on productive performance, milk yield and milk composition of multiparous rabbit does

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Animal & Clinical Nutrition Dept., Fac. of Vet. Med., Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

² Animal Health Research Institute, Assiut, Egypt

³ Animal & Clinical Nutrition Dept., Fac. of Vet. Med., Aswan University

10.21608/bvmj.2018.47882

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of adding different sources of fat or oil on productive performance, milk yield and milk composition of rabbit does. Thirty five multiparous New Zealand White rabbit does (two years old) with initial body weight of 3.5 – 4.0 kg were obtained from a local commercial source. Rabbit does were distributed into 7 groups (5 does in each), a control and 6 experimental groups according to the source of fat or oil used. Rabbit does were naturally inseminated using NZW buck rabbits (one buck/ 3 does) fed the control diet of lactation. Experimental period extended for about 60 days from the beginning of gestation period of does to weaning period of litters. Productive parameter of rabbit does including numbers of litters, average live body weight, weight gain, litter mortality rate and milk yield were recorded. At 13th day of lactation period, milk samples were collected manually from all does of each group and analyzed for basic chemical composition and essential fatty acids profile (linolenic and linoleic acids). Results revealed that the highest total number of litters born alive at birth were recorded in group B and G (47 & 45) fed on diets supplemented with fish oil and polyfat respectively, while the lowest total number of litters born alive at birth were recorded in group F (35) in which rabbit does fed diet supplemented with palm oil plus lysoforte. The highest total number of litters at 21 and 30 days of age was recorded in the group fed diet supplemented with 3% fish oil (40) followed by group G (37). The lowest mortality rate were reported in groups fed diets supplemented with sunflower oil, palm oil and fish oil (7.5, 12.82 and 14.89%) respectively, in comparison with the control group (25.0%). At 21 and 30 days of lactation, polyfat supplemented group had the greatest litter weight (233.4±11.7g & 404.1g), while sunflower oil supplemented group recorded the lowest weight of litters (209.7±4.8g & 365.6g). Milk yield of the groups fed diets containing 3% sunflower oil, animal fat, palm oil and fish oil were increased by about 17.7, 16.4, 15.9 and 15.8 % respectively than that recorded in control group. Addition of different fat sources especially sunflower oil to the diets of rabbit does significantly increased milk yield, fat and essential fatty acid contents of milk as well as beneficially improved milk composition traits.

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