Dietary effects of the inclusion of white lupine seeds and different types of binders on the blood indicators of young Dwarf Lop rabbits

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of whole seeds of white lupine and different binder types in complete pelleted diets on selected haematological and plasma biochemical indicators of growing dwarf rabbits. The individual litters of Dwarf Lop rabbit kits were randomised after birth into control (n = 12) and experimental (E) groups. The young rabbits of the E group (n = 24) received an experimental pre-weaning diet containing a 25% share of white lupine seeds. At the time of weaning, the live weights of eight-week-old rabbits in the control group and E group were 727 g and 743 g, respectively. The weaned rabbits of the E group were further equally divided into two post-weaning experimental dietary groups (M = 12; G = 12); these diets contained a 20% share of white lupine seeds each and their composition only differed in the type of the binder (molasses or glycerol component). The rabbits of the control group received a commercial pet rabbit diet with no white lupine seeds during the entire experimental period. At the age of eight weeks, the diet showed a significant effect on the level of albumin (P < 0.05), A/G ratio (P < 0.05) and ALP activity (P < 0.01) in plasma of dwarf rabbit kits. Significant effects of diet were found in 15-week old rabbits in relation to the plasma level of albumin (P < 0.05), Ca (P < 0.05), A/G ratio (P < 0.05) and ALT activity (P < 0.01). The dietary inclusion of white lupine seeds resulted in beneficial health effects on certain blood indicators of rabbits, and their use in the proportion of 25% in the pre-weaning diet and 20% in the post-weaning diet can be recommended as a suitable feed additive for dwarf rabbits. The use of crude glycerol as binder in the experimental diet had no adverse effect on the blood indicators of the growing rabbits and thus it can be recommended for the manufacture of feed pellets intended for dwarf rabbits.

Keywords

• pet rabbit
• diet
• haematology
• plasma biochemistry
• white lupine seed