The growth of F1 hybrid and local rabbits fed grasses and concentrate 

Nguyen Ba Trung and Nguyen Thi Xoan

Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Faculty of Agriculture, An Giang University, An Giang, Vietnam
nbtrung@agu.edu.vn, nguyenbatrung2@gmail.com

 Abstract

An experiment was carried out at Cho Moi district, Long Xuyen city, An Giang province with 15 male rabbits  at 5 weeks old, allocated in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments (5 breeds of rabbits), 3 replications and one male rabbit per experimental unit (individually housed). The experimental rabbits in all treatments were given a commercial concentrate, and  Para grass (Brachiaria mutica), water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica), and sweet potato vines (Ipomoea batatas) as forages.

Pure NZ and crosses with NZ females (CNZ) were heavier at birth than other breeds/crosses (Table 3). There were no differences among the breed combinations in litter numbers at birth and at weaning nor in weights at weaning. There were no differences in final weights or live weight gain among the five different breed combinations (Table 4).  However, DM feed intake was higher for crosses with NZ breed as sire breed ; while DM feed conversion was better for crosses involving the California breed (Table 5).

Key words: cross rabbits, birth weight, weaning weigh, feed intake, weight gain, Para grass, water spinach, sweet potato.

Introduction

Rabbit (Orytotagus cuniculus) is a non-ruminant, plant eating animal that has the ability to consume many kinds of natural grasses, vegetables, leaves from trees, fruits and by-products from kitchens or markets. It is also a meat-producing animal which is especially well adapted to utilization of protein-rich foliages due to the nature of digestive system in which enzymatic digestion precedes microbial fermentation in the caecum.

Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) is vegetable with high potential to efficiently convert nitrogen from biodigester effluent into edible biomass with high protein content (Sophia and Preston 2001). It is a valuable forage resource for rabbits (Phimmasan et al 2004). Para grass (Brachiaria mutica) has high fiber content and has been used in diets for rabbit (N T Dong et al 2006). Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is also considered as a good source of protein for use in animal diets (Men 2006)

This study aims to determine the growth and reproductive performance of 5 breeds of rabbits given a commercial concentrate and local forages. 

Material and methods

Experiment design

The experiment was carried out in Cho Moi district, Long Xuyen city, An Giang province, Vietnam. The treatments were:

• NZ: Pure breed New Zealand

• CNZ: F1 from male California crossed with New Zealand female

• NZH: F1 from male New Zealand crossed with hybrid females

• CH: F1 from male California crossed with hybrid females

• H: Pure Hybrid breed

Five male rabbits were chosen from the second litters of each of the 5 breed combinations, and allocated to the 5 treatments (3 replicates per treatment) 

Feed ingredients

The experimental rabbits in all treatments were given a commercial concentrate, and local forages with nutrient composition as presented in table 2.

 Results and Discussion

Birth and weaning live weight

Pure NZ and crosses with NZ females (CNZ) were heavier at birth than other breeds/crosses (Table 3). There were no differences among the breed combinations in litter numbers at birth and at weaning nor in weights at weaning.

 Live weight gain

There were no differences in final weights or live weight gain among the five different breed combinations (Table 4).  However, DM feed intake was higher for crosses with NZ breed as sire breed ; while DM feed conversion was better for crosses involving the California breed (Table 5).

Conclusions

● There were no major differences in reproduction and growth performances among different combinations of New Zealand, California and Hybrid rabbit breeds.

References

Binh Đ V 2003: Technology of feeding the New Zealand, California and hybrid rabbits in the family. Agricultural Publishing House, Ha Noi, Vietnamese.

Dong N T K, Thu N V and Preston T R 2006: Effect of dietary protein supply on the reproductive performance of crossbred rabbits. Proceeding on Workshop on forages for pigs and rabbits, Phnom Penh, page 176.

Dong N T K, Thu N V, Ogle B and  Preston T R  2006: Effect of supplementation level of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) leaves in diets based on Para grass (Brachiaria mutica) on intake, nutrient utilization, growth rate and economic returns of crossbred rabbits in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Proceeding on Workshop on forages for pigs and rabbits, Phnom Penh, page 169.

Hongthong Phimmmasan, Siton Kongvongxay, Chhay Ty and Preston T R 2004: Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) and Stylo 184 (Stylosanthes guianensis CIAT 184) as basal diets for growing rabbits. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Vol. 16, Art. No. 34. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd16/5/hong16034.htm

Mai H T X 2005: Rabbit feeding and management. Agricultural Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Men L T 2006: Genetic and nutritional diversity of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) and water hyacinth (Echhornia crassipes) and their potential as pig feed in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Proceeding on Workshop on forages for pigs and rabbits, Phnom Penh, page 25.

Minitab 2000: Minitab reference manual release 13.20. Minitab Inc, USA

Xoan N T 2007: Research the growth of hybrid rabbits in An Giang province. Graduate Thesis of master program. Faculty of Agriculture & Applied Biology, Cantho University. Vietnamese

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