Performance of growing New Zealand white rabbits fed fresh or ensiled ramie
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2026v47n2p399Keywords:
Animal nutrition, Boehmeria nivea, Conservation, Oryctolagus cuniculus, Silage.Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the performance of New Zealand White rabbits fed ramie-based diets in two different forms: fresh or ensiled. A total of 48 rabbits (24 males and 24 females), 35 days of age, were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments: Control (fresh ramie-based diet) or Silage (ramie silage-based diet). The Control diet consisted of fresh chopped whole ramie plants and a commercial pelleted rabbit feed. The silage diet consisted of a 1:1 ensiled mixture (wet basis) of fresh chopped whole ramie plants and the same commercial feed used in the Control diet, which served as a moisture-absorbing additive. Both diets were offered ad libitum. The animals were weighed weekly from 35 to 70 days of age. At 60 days of age, an apparent digestibility trial was conducted, with total fecal collection over four consecutive days. Feed and fecal samples were analyzed to determine the apparent digestibility coefficients. Daily weight gain during the first and last weeks of the experimental period and final body weight at 70 days of age were higher (P < 0.05) in the Control group. Dry matter intake differed between groups only during the second week of the experimental period. No significant differences (P ≥ 0.05) were observed in the apparent digestibility coefficients of the nutrients. Feeding ramie silage reduced feed selectivity and, consequently, the performance of growing rabbits compared with offering fresh ramie separately from the pelleted feed provided ad libitum.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Rafael Henrique Prado, Luana Santiago de Magalhães, Ricardo Garbuio, Fabiana Alves de Almeida, Juliana Aparecida de Assis, Patrick Schmidt, Alessandra Martins Camargo, Viviane da Silva Ganzert, Letícia Viana Duchinski , Luiz Gustavo Dias Gonzaga
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