Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T04:23:41.292Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of dietary energy source on the performance and perirenal fat thickness evolution of primiparous rabbit does

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

J. J. Pascual ,
W. Motta ,
C. Cervera ,
F. Quevedo ,
E. Blas  and
J. Fernández-Carmona
J. J. Pascual*
Affiliation:
Unidad de Alimentación Animal, Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, PO Box 22012, Valencia 46071, Spain
W. Motta
Affiliation:
Departamento de Zootecnia, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, CP 567, Belo-Horizonte MG, CEP 30161-970, Brazil
C. Cervera
Affiliation:
Unidad de Alimentación Animal, Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, PO Box 22012, Valencia 46071, Spain
F. Quevedo
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad de los Andes, Conjunto La Villa El Prado, Vía Valera, Trujillo, Venezuela
E. Blas
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, Moncada, Valencia 46113, Spain
J. Fernández-Carmona
Affiliation:
Unidad de Alimentación Animal, Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, PO Box 22012, Valencia 46071, Spain
*
†E-mail:[email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Seventy-four New Zealand ✕ Californian females were used to determine the influence of dietary energy source on the performance and perirenal fat thickness (PFT) change measured by ultrasound of primiparous rabbit does. Three highly concentrated diets were designed with different dietary energy sources: animal fat (diet F), vegetable oil (diet O) and cereal starch (diet S), and does were fertilized by artificial insemination after parturition (AP group) or around weaning (AW group), litters being weaned at 28 days of age. There were no significant differences in live weight and food intake of females throughout gestation, but does given diet S showed a higher increase in their PFT until 28th day than those given diets F and O (P < 0·01), although all females had a similar PFT at parturition. Rabbit does given diets S and O showed a significantly higher dietary energy intake than those given diet F (P < 0·01) during the first weeks of lactation, and similar thereafter until the second parturition. Milk yield and litter weight gain were significantly higher with fat-enriched diets (P < 0·05), and milk composition of rabbit does given diet F showed a higher total solids content (P = 0·01), fat (P < 0·001) and energy (P < 0·01) than milk of does receiving diets O or S. Although pups on fat diets showed a higher weaning weight (P < 0·05), dietary treatment during lactation did not have any effect on the performance of pups during the subsequent growing period. PFT always decreased during lactation for does given fat-enriched diets, while it increased for does given diet S and fertilized after parturition. Live weight of AP does was significantly higher at 21st day of lactation (P < 0·01) and at weaning (P < 0·001), and they showed a significantly lower food intake during the final week of lactation. The period from weaning to parturition was too short for AP does, which showed a decrease of their PFT, while AW does showed an increase of their PFT and a greater number of pups alive at birth (P < 0·05). Due to the lower milk yield of rabbit does fertilized AP, their pups showed a significantly higher solid food intake (P < 0·001), resulting in a similar value for the live weight of pups in both groups at weaning. The earlier promotion of solid food intake significantly affected the food intake of litters during the subsequent growing period, presenting higher values for pups coming from AP does. In conclusion, the addition of dietary fat, especially from animal origin, seems to improve the utilization of energy for milk production, while the use of a high level of starch could decrease the negative balance of primiparous rabbit does during lactation.

Keywords

energy intakefat thicknessrabbitsreproductionultrasound
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 75 , Issue 2 , October 2002 , pp. 267 - 279
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 1991. Official methods of analysis, 16th edition. Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Barreto, G. and Blas, J. C.de. 1993. Effect of dietary fibre and fat content on the reproductive performance of rabbit does bred at two remating times during two seasons. World Rabbit Science 1: 77–81.Google Scholar
Blas, C. de and Mateos, G. G. 1998. Feed formulation. In The nutrition of the rabbit (ed. C. de Blas and Wiseman, J.), pp. 241–254. CAB International, Wallingford.Google Scholar
Blas, J. C. de, Taboada, E., Mateos, G. G., Nicodemus, N. and Méndez, J. 1995. Effect of substitution of starch for fiber and fat in isoenergetic diets on nutrient digestibility and reproductive performance of rabbits. Journal of Animal Science 73: 1131–1137.Google Scholar
British Standards Institution. 1951. Gerber methods for determination of fat in milk products. BS 696, part. 2.Google Scholar
Chilliard, Y. 1986. Variations quantitatives et métabolisme des lipides dans les tissus adipeux et le foie au cours du cycle gestation-lactation. 1. Chez le ratte. Reproduction, Nutrition, Development 26: 1057.Google Scholar
European Group on Rabbit Nutrition. 2001. Technical note: attempts to harmonize chemical analyses of feeds and faeces for rabbit feed evaluation. World Rabbit Science 9: 57–64.Google Scholar
Federation Internationale de Lacterie. 1993. FIL standard: 20B. Secrètariat Général FIL, Bruxelles.Google Scholar
Fekete, S. and Brown, D. L. 1992. Prediction of body composition in rabbits by deuterium oxide dilution and total body electrical conductivity with validation by direct chemical analysis. Journal of Applied Rabbit Research 15: 787–798.Google Scholar
Fernández, C., Cobos, A. and Fraga, M. J. 1994. The effect of fat inclusion on diet digestibility in growing rabbits. Journal of Animal Science 72: 1508–1515.Google Scholar
Fernández-Carmona, J., Pascual, J. J. and Cervera, C. 2000a. The use of fat in rabbit diets. Proceedings of the seventh world rabbit congress, Valencia, vol. C, pp. 29–59.Google Scholar
Fernández-Carmona, J., Santiago, S., Alqedra, I., Cervera, C. and Pascual, J. J. 2000b. Effect of lucerne-based diets on the reproductive performance of rabbit does at high environmental temperatures. Proceedings of the seventh world rabbit congress, Valencia, vol. C, pp. 203–208.Google Scholar
Fortun-Lamothe, L. and Lebas, F. 1996. Effects of dietary energy level and source on foetal development and energy balance in concurrently pregnant and lactating primiparous rabbit does. Animal Science 62: 615–620.Google Scholar
Köver, G. Y., Szendrõ, Zs., Romvári, R., Jensen, J. F., Sørensen, P. and Milisits, G. 1998. In vivo measurement of body parts and fat deposition in rabbits by MRI. World Rabbit Science 6: 191–194.Google Scholar
Littell, R. C., Henry, P. R. and Ammerman, C. B. 1998. Statistical analysis of repeated measures data using SAS procedures. Journal of Animal Science 76: 1216–1231.Google Scholar
Maertens, L. and Groote, G. de. 1990. Feed intake of rabbit kits before weaning and attempts to increase it. Journal of Applied Rabbit Research 13: 151–158.Google Scholar
Manen, D. G. van, Verstegen, M. W. A., Meijer, G. W. and Beynen, A. C. 1989. Growth performance by rabbits after isoenergetic substitution of dietary fat for carbohydrates. Nutrition Reports International 40: 443–450.Google Scholar
Nizza, A., Meo, C.di and Esposito, L. 1997. Influence of the diet used before and after the first mating on reproductive performance of rabbits does. World Rabbit Science 5: 107–110.Google Scholar
Parigi-Bini, R., Xiccato, G., Cinetto, M. and Dalle Zotte, A. 1992. Energy and protein utilization and partition in rabbit does concurrently pregnant and lactating. Animal Production 55: 153–162.Google Scholar
Parigi-Bini, R., Xiccato, G., Dalle Zotte, A., Carazzolo, A., Castellini, C. and Stradaioli, G. 1996. Effect of remating interval and diet on the performance and energy balance of rabbit does. Proceedings of the sixth world rabbit congress, Toulouse, vol. 1, pp. 253–258.Google Scholar
Partridge, G. G., Fuller, M. F. and Pullar, J. D. 1983. Energy and nitrogen metabolism of lactating rabbits. British Journal of Nutrition 49: 507–516.Google Scholar
Partridge, G. G., Lamb, I. C. and Findlay, M. 1986a. The use of a synthetic prostaglandin analogue (cloprostenol) to control parturition in the commercial rabbit. Animal Production 42: 281–286.Google Scholar
Partridge, G. G., Lobley, G. E. and Fordyce, R. A. 1986b. Energy and nitrogen metabolism of rabbits during pregnancy, lactation and concurrent pregnancy and lactation. British Journal of Nutrition 56: 199–207.Google Scholar
Pascual, J. J., Castella, F., Cervera, C., Blas, E. and Fernandez-Carmona, J. 2000a The use of ultrasound measurement of perirenal fat thickness to estimate changes in body condition of young female rabbits. Animal Science 70: 435–442.Google Scholar
Pascual, J. J., Cervera, C., Blas, E. and Fernández-Carmona, J. 1998. Effect of high fat diets on the performance and food intake of primiparous and multiparous rabbit does. Animal Science 66: 491–499.Google Scholar
Pascual, J. J., Cervera, C., Blas, E. and Fernández-Carmona, J. 1999a. Effect of high fat diets on the performance, milk yield and milk composition of multiparous rabbit does. Animal Science 68: 151–162.Google Scholar
Pascual, J. J., Cervera, C. and Fernández-Carmona, J. 2000b. The effect of dietary fat on the performance and body composition of rabbit in the second lactation. Animal Feed Science and Technology 86: 191–203.Google Scholar
Pascual, J. J., Tolosa, C., Cervera, C., Blas, E. and Fernández-Carmona, J. 1999b. Effect of diets with different digestible energy content on the performance of rabbit does. Animal Feed Science and Technology 81: 105–117.Google Scholar
Pérez, J. M., Fortun-Lamothe, L. and Lebas, F. 1996. Comparative digestibility of nutrients in growing rabbits and breeding does. Proceedings of the sixth world rabbit congress, Toulouse, vol. 1, pp. 267–270.Google Scholar
Pérez, J. M., Lebas, F., Gidenne, T., Maertens, L., Xiccato, G., Parigi-Bini, R., Dalle Zotte, A., Cossu, M. E., Carazzolo, A., Villamide, M. J., Carabaño, R., Fraga, M. J., Ramos, M. A., Cervera, C., Blas, E., Fernández-Carmona, J., Falcao e Cunha, L. and Bengala Ferre, J. 1995. European reference method for in vivo determination of diet digestibility in rabbits. World Rabbit Science 3: 41–43.Google Scholar
Santomá, G., Blas, J. C.de, Carabaño, R. M. and Fraga, M. J. 1987. The effects of different fats and their inclusion level in diets for growing rabbits. Animal Production 45: 291–300.Google Scholar
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1990. User’s guide: statistics. Statistical Analysis Systems Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Szendrõ, Zs., Horn, P., Kövér, G. Y., Berényi, E., Radnai, I. and Bíró-Németh, E. 1992. In vivo measurement of the carcass traits of meat type rabbits by X-ray computerised tomography. Journal of Applied Rabbit Research 15: 799–809.Google Scholar
Van Soest, P. J., Robertson, J. B. and Lewis, B. A. 1991. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber and non starch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 74: 3583–3597.Google Scholar
Viudes de Castro, P., Santacreu, M. A. and Vicente, V. 1991. Effet de la concentration énergétique de l´alimentation sur les pertes embryonnaires et foetales chez la lapine. Reprodution, Nutrition, Development 31: 529–534.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xiccato, G., Bernardini, M., Castellini, C., Dalle Zotte, A., Queque, P. I. and Trocino, A. 1999. Effect of postweaning feeding on the performance and energy balance of female rabbits at different physiological states. Journal of Animal Science 77: 416–426.Google Scholar
Xiccato, G., Parigi-Bini, R., Dalle Zotte, A., Carazzolo, A. and Cossu, M. E. 1995. Effect of dietary energy level, addition of fat and physiological state on performance and energy balance of lactating and pregnant rabbit does. Animal Science 61: 387–398.Google Scholar