Behavior of productive parameters in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) fed with diffe- rent balanced commercial pellets in Quevedo canton province of Los Rios

Abstract

The research was carried out at the Faculty of Animal Sciences (FCP), of the State Technical University of Quevedo (UTEQ), located at km. 71/2 of the Quevedo-El Empalme road, province of Los Ríos - Ecuador; at 01°06 south latitude, 79°29 west latitude and at a height of 73 meters above sea level. The productive behavior and the profitability were evaluated in rabbits fed with commercial pelleted balanced and the inclusion of savoy grass (Panicum maximum J.). The study lasted 42 days, using 64 New Zealand male rabbits, 35 days old with an average weight of 770,10 g. A completely randomized design (DCA) was applied with four treatments and eight repetitions. To establish the differences between means Tukey (P≤ 0,05) was applied. The evaluated variables were: consumption of balanced (CB), consumption of green forage (CFV), food consumption (CA), weight gain (GP), feed conversion index (ICA), weight to the carcass (PC) and the performance to the channel (RC). The highest CB (93.66 g MS animal-1 day-1); CA (110,09 g MS animal-1 day-1); GP (29,65 g animal-1 day-1), it was recorded by the T3 treatment, however, the yield to the carcass and the most efficient profitability was obtained by the T4 treatment (56,09 and 41,37 %, respectively). The supply of pelleted feed in the fattening of rabbits, during the period of July-December (dry season in the study area), allows reaching average weights of 2017,75 g at 77 days of age.