ORIGINAL PAPER
Replacing starch by pectin and inulin in diet of early-weaned rabbits: effect on performance, health and nutrient digestibility
,
 
,
 
 
 
More details
Hide details
1
Research Institute of Animal Production, CZ-104 01 Prague 10, Czech Republic
 
2
Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
 
 
Publication date: 2005-03-18
 
 
Corresponding author
Z. Volek   

Research Institute of Animal Production, CZ-104 01 Prague 10, Czech Republic
 
 
J. Anim. Feed Sci. 2005;14(2):327-337
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of partial replacement of starch by pectin or pectin and inulin in a diet of early-weaned rabbits. A total of 180 (60 per group) and 18 (6 per group) rabbits, 21 days old at the beginning of the experiment, were used for growth performance and intestinal traits evaluation, respectively. Digestibility of nutrients was measured individually (9 rabbits per group) between 49-53 days of age. A control, P (pectin) and PI (pectin+inulin) diet were formulated. The control diet (18.6% starch, 4.3% pectins) was fed to rabbits of the 1st group from weaning to slaughter at the age of 77 days. Diets P (12.5% starch, 9.0% pectins) and PI (10.3% starch, 9.0% pectins, supplemented with 4% inulin) were fed to rabbits of the respective group from weaning to 42 days of age, then rabbits received the control diet till slaughter. For the intestinal measurements, rabbits were slaughtered at the age of 42 days. Rabbits fed the control, P and PI diet gained on average 43.9, 44.6 and 45.0 g/d, respectively. For the whole fattening period, the lowest mortality was observed in rabbits fed the PI diet (25.0, 33.3 and 43.3% in rabbits fed the PI, control and P diet, respectively; P=0.10). Total VFA concentration in the caecum of rabbits fed diet supplemented with inulin (PI diet) was significantly higher (P=0.02) and the pH lower (P<0.001) than in the caecum of others rabbits. The viscosity of the small intestinal contents was higher in rabbits fed P and PI diet than in control (P=0.10). The significantly higher digestibility of crude protein (P<0.01), as well as starch was observed in rabbits fed control diet than in other rabbits. It can be concluded that a partial replacement of starch by digestible fibre in a diet of early-weaned rabbits did not improve their health. The high mortality rate, however, was decreased by supplementation of the starter diet with 4% of inulin.
 
CITATIONS (13):
1.
Partial replacement of starch with acid detergent fibre and/or neutral detergent soluble fibre at two protein levels: Effects on ileal apparent digestibility and caecal environment of growing rabbits
B. Martínez-Vallespín, E. Martínez-Paredes, L. Ródenas, V.J. Moya, C. Cervera, J.J. Pascual, E. Blas
Livestock Science
 
2.
Comparative study of the hypocholesterolemic and hypolipidemic activity of alginate and amidated alginate in rats
Milan Marounek, Zdeněk Volek, Eva Skřivanová, Tomáš Taubner, Akhir Pebriansyah, Dagmar Dušková
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
 
3.
Effect of neutral detergent soluble fibre on digestion, intestinal microbiota and performance in twenty five day old weaned rabbits
María Soledad Gómez-Conde, Ana Pérez de Rozas, Ignacio Badiola, Luis Pérez-Alba, Carlos de Blas, Rosa Carabaño, Javier García
Livestock Science
 
4.
Caecal fermentation patterns in vitro of glucose, cellobiose, microcrystalline cellulose and NDF separated from alfalfa hay in the adult rabbit
H.J. Yang, Y.C. Cao, D.F. Zhang
Animal Feed Science and Technology
 
5.
Dietary fibres in the nutrition of the growing rabbit and recommendations to preserve digestive health: a review
T. Gidenne
animal
 
6.
Effects of sugar beet pulp and roasted canola seed, on performance, rumen and small intestine digesta volatile fatty acid concentrations, and small intestine morphology of Arabian lambs
S. Asadollahi, E.N. Ponnampalam, M. Sari, N. Erfanimajd
Livestock Science
 
7.
Effect of a starter diet supplementation with mannan-oligosaccharide or inulin on health status, caecal metabolism, digestibility of nutrients and growth of early weaned rabbits
Z. Volek, M. Marounek, V. Skřivanová
animal
 
8.
Narrow-leaved lupine seeds as a dietary protein source for fattening rabbits: a comparison with white lupine seeds
Z. Volek, L. Uhlířová, L. Zita
animal
 
9.
In vitro fermentation of different commercially available pectins using inoculum from rabbit caecum
Ajda Kermauner, Andrej Lavrenčič
World Rabbit Science
 
10.
Effect of inulin supplementation and age on growth performance and digestive physiological parameters in weaned rabbits
A. Bónai, Zs. Szendrő, Zs. Matics, H. Fébel, L. Kametler, G. Tornyos, P. Horn, F. Kovács, M. Kovács
World Rabbit Science
 
11.
Dried chicory root (Cichorium intybus L.) as a natural fructan source in rabbit diet: effects on growth performance, digestion and caecal and carcass traits
Zdenek Volek, Milan Marounek
World Rabbit Science
 
12.
Effect on digestion and performance of dietary protein content and of increased substitution of lucerne hay with soya-bean protein concentrate in starter diets for young rabbits
S. Chamorro, M.S. Gómez-Conde, de Pérez, I. Badiola, R. Carabaño, Blas De
Animal
 
13.
The Health and Welfare of Rabbits as Indicated by Post-Mortem Findings at the Slaughterhouse
Lenka Valkova, Vladimir Vecerek, Eva Voslarova, Veronika Zavrelova, Francesca Conte, Zbynek Semerad
Animals
 
ISSN:1230-1388
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top