Effect of nursing method and feeding scheme on the performance of growing rabbits till first mating

The aim of the experiment was to study the effect of the nutrient supply of suckling and growing rabbits on productive traits. The experiment was set-up using a 2x2 factorial design. Half of the litters were nursed by one doe and the other half by two does. Kids were weaned at 3 weeks of age. From the age of 4 weeks each group was halved and one part was fed ad libitum (AL) and restricted feeding (RF) was applied for the others. The productive traits of 136 nursing and growing rabbits were examined. The nursing method affected the kids’ body weight but the difference between groups was significant only till 4 weeks of age (443 and 523g, P<0.05). The daily weight gain and feed intake were independent of the number of nursing does but the feed conversion between 6 and 9 weeks of age was significantly superior to kids nursed by one doe (2.99 and 3.29 g g–1, P<0.01). The effect of feeding scheme was significant on feed intake and weight gain from 4 weeks and on the body weight between 12 and 16 weeks of age. The feed conversion was better between weeks 9–12 in AL while between weeks 12 and 16 in RF group. The body weight of rabbits in groups of AL nursed by two does and RF nursed by one doe were 1042 and 950, 1875 and 1763, 2671 and 2502, 3549 and 3392 at the age of 6, 9, 12 and 16 weeks, respectively.