Effect of concentrate levels on the production performance of Angora rabbits

Abstract

Experiment was conducted on adult male German Angora rabbits (54) with 18 rabbits in each group. Rabbits in T1 were given 140 g pellet feed whereas in T2 group 110 and in T3 80 g pellet per day was given. The grass in all the groups was given ad lib. Other management practices were kept common in all the groups. Feed intake and body weight was monitored fortnightly. Rabbits were weighed and sheared after 75 days interval and the experiment was conducted for 375 days up to four consecutive shearing. Wool production of five consecutive shearing was recorded. Initial body weights of rabbits were 3.13, 3.12 and 3.04 kg in T1, T2 and T3 groups, which were 3.28, 3.03 and 3.07 kg, respectively, in these groups by the end of fifth shearing. Concentrate level did not reveal any marked effect on the body weight. The annual wool yield was 803 g, 772.4 g and 767.4 g in T1, T2 and T3 groups with significant differences among treatments, although there were no differences between T2 and T3 groups. The significant differences were recorded for daily dry matter intake between groups with the respective value of 157.5 g, 133.1 g and 115.1 g in T1, T2 and T3 groups. Significant differences were recorded for digestibility of dry matter, crude fibre and ether extract digestibility. The crude fibre digestibility decreased whereas ether extract digestibility increased with the lowering of concentrate feeding. Total mortality was two rabbit each in T1 and T2 and five in T3 groups. Dry matter required for producing 100 g wool was 7.35 kg in T1, 6.46 kg in T2 and 5.62 kg in T3 group. From this experiment it is concluded that feeding of 140 g of pellet feed per day is higher and 110 g of pellet per day by virtue of almost similar wool production and mortality is appropriate in adult rabbit for economical Angora rabbit production.