Utilization of corn-cob meal and faba bean straw in growing rabbits diets and their effects on performance, digestibility and economical efficiency.

Weaned V-line rabbits aged 6 weeks (n: 84), were randomly distributed into 7 experimental groups to evaluate barley, corn-cob meal (CCM), Alfalfa hay, berseem hay (Egyptian clover) and dried Faba bean straw (DFBS). The evaluation included chemical analysis and effects of substituting 30% CCM instate of barley as an energy source with Alfalfa hay, berseem hay, or DFBS each at 25% as a fiber source on productive performance, carcass traits, nutrients digestion coefficients and economical efficiency. Each experimental group involved 12 rabbits, with 4 replicates of 3 rabbits each. The experimental period lasted from 6 to 12 weeks of age. Results could be summarized as follow: 1- Higher NFE and EE values present CCM as a potential energy source for livestock, while Alfalfa hay had higher CP and EE followed by berseem hay. 2- Higher feed intake (FI) was noted for the control, while lower FI were recorded for all other treatments which averaged 13.95 to 18.14% of the control. Impaired Feed conversion ratio (FCR; 3.69 g./ g.) was recorded due to feeding the control, with better FCR averaging 3.22 g./ g. for all other treatments. 3- Significantly higher protein, digestible energy (DE) and fiber intakes were noted for the control, while overall DE intake of the control was similar to CCM with Faba beans straw. 4- Lower abdominal fat was noted for CCM with Faba beans straw (5.73%), Moreover, an increase in small intestine length was recorded for CCM with Alfalfa hay (362.50 cm), and longer caecum was noted for rabbits fed Barley with Alfalfa hay (13.38 cm).