Digestive and productive utilization of semi- simplifield hay diets enriched with vinasse for growing rabbits

• Main Authors: Camila Campos Gondim Martins Coelho, Walter Motta Ferreira, Katiuscia Cristina das Neves Mota, Leonardo Francisco da Rocha, Thiago Noronha de Sousa, Martolino Barbosa da Costa Júnior, Clarice Speridião Silva Neta, Felipe Norberto Alves Ferreira
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto de Zootecnia 2016-03-01
• Series: Boletim de Indústria Animal
• Subjects: carcaça; cecotrofia; desempenho; digestibilidade; tifton 85
• Online Access: http://revistas.bvs-vet.org.br/bia/article/view/30164

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of two qualities of Tifton 85 hay enriched or not with vinasse in semi-simplified diets on the apparent nutrient digestibility, composition and nutritional contribution of cecotropes, productive performance, and carcass, edible viscera and gastrointestinal tract yields of growing New Zealand White rabbits. Fresh vinasse at a proportion of 2:1 was added to the diets containing high-quality (HQV) and low-quality Tifton 85 hay (LQV). The control diets containing high-quality (HQ) and low-quality Tifton 85 (LQ) were not enriched with vinasse. In the digestibility assay, the semi-simplified diets were not influenced (P>0.05) by the quality of hay or by the addition of vinasse, except for the digestibility coefficients of mineral matter, which were 52.31%, 51.13%, 54.45% and 46.73% for treatments HQ, HQV, LQ and LQV, respectively. In the cecotrophy assay, production, chemical composition or nutritional contribution was not altered (P>0.05) in any of the treatments. In the performance assay, no significant difference (P>0.05) was observed in productive parameters or carcass traits, except for kidney weight (P<0.05). It is therefore possible to include vinasse in hay diets without compromising the performance, nutritional contribution of cecotropes or digestibility of growing New Zealand White rabbits.