Effect of a diet containing white lupin hulls (Lupinus albus cv. Amiga) on total tract apparent digestibility of nutrients and growth performance of rabbits

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of white lupin hulls in a rabbit diet on the digestibility of nutrients and growth performance. Two experimental diets were formulated: C [control: 168 g crude protein (CP) and 409 g neutral detergent fibre (NDF)/kg) and WLH diet (substituting 100 g wheat bran by 50 g barley and 50 g white lupin hulls/kg: 162 g CP and 391 g NDF/kg). A total of 24 weaned rabbits were individually housed, randomly allocated to 2 groups and fed one of the 2 experimental diets from 31 to 73 d of age. The coefficients of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) of dry matter, gross energy, CP and NDF of the experimental diets were determined in rabbits between 45 and 49 d of age. The diets had a similar digestible protein/digestible energy ratio (11.2 and 10.7 g/MJ for the C and WLH diet, respectively). Rabbits showed normal figures for growth rate (on av. 52.4 g/d), feed intake (on av. 155.1 g/d) and feed conversion ratio (on av. 2.97). There were no significant differences between treatments in the CTTAD of dry matter (0.656 and 0.666 for the C and WLH diet, respectively), gross energy (0.667 and 0.677 for the C and WLH diet, respectively), CP (0.770 and 0.777 for the C and WLH diet, respectively) or NDF (0.451 and 0.428 for the C and WLH diet, respectively). It may be concluded that white lupin hulls can serve as a suitable by-product for rabbit feed and do not significantly reduce the nutritive value of the diet.

Keywords

• rabbit
• diet
• lupin hulls
• digestibility
• growth performance