Milk Yield , Productive and Reproductive Performance of Rabbit Does Fed Different Levels of Arabic Gum in Diet

Rabbit does are nursing their kits until weaning age (4-5 weeks of age). Kits until 18-19 days of age only feed their motherʼs milk (Fortun-Lamothe et al., 2000). Rabbits kit needs high energy milk and have low thermal isolation. Therefore, rabbits kit mortality and growth performances are depending on the quantity and quality of the milk suckling (Szendrö and Maertens, 2001). Consequently, milk yield (MY) has a great importance in does performance. When rabbit strains were selected for increased litter size, weaning weight of kits depressed (Rochambeau, 1998). This indicates that the MY improvement was not harmonious with those of litter size, which causing reduction in milk available per kit (Szendrö and Maertens, 2001). Studies have shown that MY of rabbit does is strongly influenced by diet composition (Pascual et al., 2002 and Maertens et al., 2006). During lactation, the doe’s body is subjected to a marked reduction in energy reserves following the mobilization of fat deposits (Xiccato et al., 2004). This energy loss remains constant throughout lactation (Parigi Bini et al., 1990) and no recovery is observed during the final phase due to the milk energy output, which remains high even after 25– 30 days of lactation. The simultaneous condition of pregnancy is responsible for a further reduction in fat content and body energy levels. It prevents the return to normal body conditions (Xiccato et al., 2005) and increases protein requirements in response to the elevated demand for protein by the fetuses and the rapid turnover of fetal protein (Xiccato et al., 1995). A little importance has been given to the goal of increasing voluntary feed intake and maintaining the body condition of the females (Theilgaard et al., 2007). THE EFFECTS of Gum Arabic (GA) supplementation in the diet of rabbit does in several physiological states on milk composition, productive and reproductive performance were assessed. Twenty eight Baladi Black rabbit does (7 does per treatment) of about 8-9 months of age with an average live body weight of 3449±31.61 g, were used. Animals were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 0.5, 1 and 1.5 % Gum Arabic of the diet. Results revealed that the milk yield (MY, g) increased (P<0.01) by 3.5, 4.9 and 7.7% in rabbit does fed diet containing 0.5, 1 and 1.5% Gum Arabic, respectively, as compared with those fed control diet. Also, letter size at weaning was significantly higher with rabbit fed Gum Arabic in diets than those fed control diet. Mortality rate of the pups during lactation period was higher with control diet compared to diet supplemented with 0.5, 1 and 1.5 % Gum Arabic (4.90 vs. 1.83%; P<0.01, as average). The best value of relative revenue was found in the rabbits fed diet containing 1% Gum Arabic (113%), while the poorest value was recorded with those fed control diet (100%). Conclusively, the present study suggested that supplementing 1 or 1.5% Gum Arabic in rabbit does diet significantly improve productive and reproductive performance of rabbits does during pregnancy and lactation periods and minimal mortality of kits. From the economic point of view, 1% GA is recommended for rabbit does diets, which showed the best results.