Abstract :

T

his study aimed to produce rabbit's milk replacer and investigate the effect of suckling mother milk and the produced milk replacer on performance of their young rabbits and benefits return to their dams. The experiment was set up using 186 kids aged 18 day from birth, taken from 30 dams of New Zealand White (NZW) (Oryctolagus cuniculus). The dams were at the second liters, weighted about 2.500 - 2.750 kg. Number of teats of them was 8 teats, while number of kits under them to be nursed was ranged from 5 - 6 kids. At the beginning of the experiment, the weight of kits was ranged from 200 - 240 grams as an average of 220 grams at 18 day of age. The kits were divided into three groups; the first group was the control group (62 kits) nursed from their mothers from 18 to 28 days of their age. The second group (62 kits) nursed on milk replacer(MR) by amount as 10% percent of their weight at twice daily. The third group (62 kits) was nursed on the same milk replacer (MR) from 18 to 28 days of their age as 15% of their body weight at rate of 5% every 8 hours along the day. The experiment was extended to the marketing weight and in this stage the growing rabbits was fed on feed pellets only and recorded the same parameters as they were taken on the pre weaning. Results showed that feed intake was low in the third group (at pre weaning period), while no significant differences were recorded in feed intake in post weaning period. Feed conversion was better in control compared with other groups in pre weaning period, while in post weaning period feed conversion was better in T1(10% MR). Difference in ADG for kids in pre weaning and post weaning periods were not significant. Mortality rate was increased in third group and vice versa in control group, but morbidity rates by tympanic and diarrhea disease were higher in the third group and lower in control group. No significant differences were defected in total protein, albumin, globulin, GPT, GOT and glucose. Conception rate was high in the second (76.9%) and third (78.9%) groups, and low in control group (10%).  Also treated groups had higher values of  total Pups weigh at weaning/doe ( 3.05and 3.09kg ) than control group (2.28kg) which means the separating  dams from kids leading to improve reproduction and production performance of experimental dams rather than control group. Morbidity rate by mastitis was high in second and third group. The results showed that means of litter size at birth among the experimental groups were (T1 =7.8, T2= 8 and con. = 5.5) (P<0.05), the same trend was observed in means of litter size at weaning (T1 =7.1), (T2 =7) and (con. =5.38). Does separated from their young in milk replacer groups recorded the higher values of productive and reproductive performance, and higher values of mastitis morbidity.

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