INFLUENCE OF COPPER AND CORN OIL SUPPLEMENTATION ON REPRODUCTION AND GROWTH OF NEW ZEALAND WHITE RABBITS IN NORTH SINAI

Shetaewi,, M. M.; Hegazy, N. I.; Mousa, M. R.

doi:10.21608/jappmu.2000.258935

INFLUENCE OF COPPER AND CORN OIL SUPPLEMENTATION ON REPRODUCTION AND GROWTH OF NEW ZEALAND WHITE RABBITS IN NORTH SINAI

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Animal Production, College of Environmental Agricultural Sciences, Suez Canal University, El-Arish, North Sinai, Egypt.

² Department of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.

10.21608/jappmu.2000.258935

Abstract

Twenty-eight adult females and 36 weanling New Zealand White rabbits were utilized in two consecutive experiments under North Sinai conditions. In Experiment 1, the doe rabbits were individually housed in galvanized wire hutches and had free access to natural well water available through stainless steel nipples. Rabbits of the control group (A1) were fed ad libitum a commercial pelleted concentrate diet containing 23 ppm Cu (by analysis) with no additional supplements, whereas those of the treated group (B1) were fed the control diet plus 10 g.head^-1.d^-1 of corn oil in the diet and 50 ppm copper (as CuSO₄.5H2O) in the drinking water. Supplementation began 1 month before breeding and continued during pregnancy and through lactation until weaning of the offspring at 25 d of age. In Experiment 2, weanling rabbits (5 wk old, 633±13 g BW) were fed ad libitum the commercial pelleted concentrate diet (23 ppm Cu) with no additional supplements (Control, A2) or the control diet plus 5 g.head^‑1.d^-1 of corn oil in the diet and 50 ppm Cu (as CuSO_4.5H₂O) in the drinking water (B2). Both groups drank the same natural well water (3570 TDS) through stainless steel nipples. At the end of the 56-d growing period, 28 rabbits were chosen randomly and slaughtered; serum samples and organ tissues were analyzed for selected constituents and carcass traits were evaluated. Percentage of does kindled/does bred and litter size at birth did not differ (P>.10) between treatments. Stillbirths were lower (P<.01) in B1 than A1 (3.3 vs 12.7%). Litter weight at birth and at weaning, bunny birth weight and weaning weight were not changed due to treatment. Pre-weaning mortality was lower (P<.05) in B1 than A1 (35 vs. 38%). Body weight means of growing rabbits in the B2 group were higher (P<.05) than A2 group from wk1 to wk7 of the experiment. Mean daily feed intake was 14% lower (P<.05) in B2 than A2 and feed efficiency was 20% better (P<.05) in B2 than A2. Serum glucose decreased (P<.05) and albumin, cholesterol and total lipids tended to increase (P<.10) due to the supplementary Cu and corn oil. Copper levels in the serum and the kidney did not differ (P>.10), but in the liver, Cu levels tended to increase (P<.10) in B2 compared to A2. Dressing was higher (P<.05)in B2 (62.2%) than A2 (58.6%).

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