Effect of genotype of growing rabbits on the productive performance with special reference to residual feed intake at hot temperature

Fathi, Moataz; Abdelsalam, Magdy; Al-Homidan, Ibrahim; Abou-Emera, Osama; Rayan, Gamal

doi:.0.0.0

Article

https://doi.org/10.5713/ab.22.0355 [Accepted] Published online February 27, 2023.

Effect of genotype of growing rabbits on the productive performance with special reference to residual feed intake at hot temperature

Moataz Fathi^1,2,*

, Magdy Abdelsalam^1,3

, Ibrahim Al-Homidan¹

, Osama Abou-Emera⁴

, Gamal Rayan^2,5

¹Department of Animal Production and Breeding, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah, Al-Qassim 51452, Saudi Arabia
²Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Hadayek Shoubra 11241, Cairo, Egypt
³Department of Animal and Fish Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, El-Shatby 21545, Alexandria, Egypt
⁴Agriculture Research Centre, Animal Production Research Institute, Dokki, Giza 12618, Egypt
⁵Department of Animal and Fish Production, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia

Correspondence: Moataz Fathi, Tel: +966594067644, Fax: +96663801360, Email: mmfathi@fulbrightmail.org

Received: 13 September 2022 • Revised: 18 January 2023 • Accepted: 10 February 2023

Abstract

Objective
Better feed efficiency can be achieved by selecting rabbit genotypes with lower residual feed intake (RFI) under high ambient temperatures.
Methods
Two genotypes of rabbits (Jabali, Saudi local breed and imported, Spanish V-line) were used to derive RFI and to investigate the relationship between RFI and productive traits. In total, 250 animals (125 each) were housed in individual wire mesh cages in a semi-closed rabbitry. Growth performance, feed criteria, carcass evaluation, biochemical blood analysis, and immune responses were determined.
Results
Superiority in growth performance, feed efficiency, carcass characteristics, and cellular immunity was recorded in the Jabali breed compared to the V-line genotype. According to regression analysis, a significant effect of daily body weight gain was found, upon computing the expected feed intake in both genotypes. Moreover, mid-body weight0.75 had a significant effect only in the Jabali breed. Positive correlation coefficients between RFI and dry matter feed intake or feed conversion ratio were found. The same trend in this relationship between RFI and productive traits was observed in some cases for both genotypes. An opposite trend in correlations was observed in the studied genotypes for some traits.
Conclusion
The results suggest that the relationship between RFI and productive traits must be taken into consideration in rabbit breeding programs under the prevailing environment. However, further studies are required to investigate the effect of rabbit genotype and environmental factors on computing RFI.

Keywords: Correlation Coefficient; Hot Climate; Rabbit Breed; Regression Analysis; Residual Feed Intake