EFFECT OF USING DATE STONE MEAL SUPPLEMENTATION ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, BLOOD CONSTITUENTS AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTIC OF GROWING RABBITS

A total number of 64 flender weaned male rabbits aged 6 weeks with nearly equal live body weight were used in the present search to study the effect of replacing yellow corn by date stone meal in growing flender rabbit diets. Rabbits were randomly divided into four equal groups with four replicates of four rabbits weighing about (645-658 g) as an average.
The first treatment was fed the basal diet as a control while the other three treatment diets were formulated by replacing 10, 20, 30% of yellow corn in the control, the growing rabbits’ diet contained 17% CP and 2600 K cal DE/kg diet. All experimental diets were iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric. The result obtained in live weight and weight gain value significantly varied (p<0.05) among different experimental groups of rabbits fed on date stone. Feed conversion ratio (g feed/g gain) revealed a significant difference (P<0.05) among the experimental groups. The carcass traits did not differ statistically among the different feeding groups. Digestibility coefficient of DM, OM, CP and CF values significantly varied (P<0.05) among the different experimental groups. Dressing percentage and blood constituents were not significantly different.
Generally, from the nutritional and economical point of view date stone could be used successfully and safely up to 30% of rabbits diets without adverse effect on performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and blood constituents.