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he current investigation was conducted to study the effects of dietary supplementation of different sunflower oil levels on productive performance and physiological status of New Zealand White Rabbits. A total of 56 weaned New Zealand White rabbits, 5 weeks of age, was assigned randomly into four similar experimental groups, 14 rabbits in each (7 males and 7 females). Rabbits in the first group were served as control (G1), while those in the second, third and 4thgroups were fed diets containing 1% (G2), 2% (G3) and 3% (G4) sunflower oil, respectively, and the experimental period lasted for 8 weeks. Results indicate that all growth performance parameters in G1 and G2, including final LBW and average daily gain were significantly (P<0.05) higher, while average feed intake was significantly (P<0.05) lower than in G3 and G4, being with the best results in G1 and the poorest results in G4. These results reflected significantly (P<0.05) higher feed conversion ratio and productive index (PI) in G1 and G2 than in G3 and G4, being the highest in G1, but did not differ significantly from that in G2. Concentration of blood serum total proteins and globulins in G4, and glucose concentration in G3 and G4 were significantly (P<0.05) decreased as compared to G1. Concentration of blood serum total cholesterol, HDL, and triglycerides in G3 and G4 significantly (P<0.05) increased, while LDL concentration decreased as compared to G1. However, concentration of blood serum albumin and urea as well as serum activity of AST and ALT were not influenced by experimental diets. On the other hand, biochemical parameters in G2 did not differ significantly from that in control one. Sunflower oil at different levels had no significant effects on carcass and dressing percentage (with or without head) of growing rabbits. The same trend was observed for the relative weight of heart, stomach, small intestine, caecum, proximal colon and distal colon. The histological examination revealed normal liver and kidney function in all studied groups. Although rabbits fed the control diet showed the highest net revenue/rabbit, those in G2 fed diet containing 2% sunflower oil had the highest net revenue/group as a result of the highest viability rate in G2 (14/14) as compared to (12/14) in each of G1, G3 and G4. Dietary supplementation of sunflower oil at a level of 1% showed the highest economic efficiency without adversely effects on growth performance, carcass traits, physiological status, and liver and kidney function of growing rabbits.

he objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and L-carnitine (LC) administration on litter size, ovarian characteristics and in vitro production of rabbit embryos. This study was carried out at the International Livestock Management Training Center (ILMTC), belonging to the Animal Production Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture. Total of 36 mature NZW rabbit does (5-6 months of age, 3-3.5 kg LBW as well as 6 NZW bucks (7.5-8 months of age and 3.5-4.0 kg LBW) were used in this study. Does were divided into 3 similar groups, (n=12). The 1 group was control (G1), while does in the 2 and 3 groups were given daily oral dose of 10 mg CoQ10/kg LBW (G2) and 40 mg LC/kg LBW (G3) for 21 days prior to natural mating, respectively. Five does from each group were slaughtered post-mating as oocyte donors for studying the effect of treatments on ovarian characteristics and in vitro maturation and fertilization of oocytes. Immediately after slaughtering, ovaries were removed and oocytes were collected by slicing technique and evaluated, then only compactcumulus oocytes (COCs) were matured and fertilized in vitro. For the rest number of does in each group (n=7), pregnancy was handy diagnosed by palpation 10-12 days post-mating. Also, litter size and weight at birth up to weaning were recorded. The obtained results showed that, ovarian weight and number of follicles increased (P<0.05) in G2 and G3. Number of bleeding follicles and recovered oocytes increased (P<0.05) only in G2 as compared to G1, however, oocyte recovery rate was not affected by treatment. Frequency distribution of compact and partial denuded oocytes was higher (P<0.05), while that of expanded and denuded oocytes was lower in G2 and G3 as compared to G1. Percentage of oocytes with full expansion (maturation rate) was 80.3 and 79.3% vs. 73.8% and fertilization rate was 67.4 and 66.7% vs. 64.5% in G2 and G3 vs. G ((P≥0.05). Percentage of embryos at morula stage was higher (P<0.05) in G2 and G3 than in G1 (30.3 and 3.1% vs. 20%), respectively. Percentage of embryos at blastocyst stage was 21.2 and 21.4% vs. 15% in G2 and G3 vs. G1, respectively. Litter size of rabbit does was higher (P<0.05) in G2 and G3 than in G1 at birth (7.29 and 6.71 vs. 5.43/doe), at 21 days of age (6.71 and 5.86 vs. 4.43/doe) and at weaning (6.43 and 5.43 vs. 4.14/doe). Mortality rate of kits at birth or weaning was not affected by treatment. Average kit weight at birth was higher (P<0.05) in G2 and G1. However, average kit weight at weaning, average litter weight from birth up to weaning and average litter daily gain from birth up to weaning were higher (P<0.05) in G2 and G3 than in G1. In conclusion, treatment of rabbit does 21 days prior to insemination with CoQ10 at a level of 10 mg/kg LBW or L-carnitine at level 40 mg/kg LBW as daily oral dose is recommended to improve in vitro embryo production and also to increase litter characteristics (size and weight from birth up to weaning) of New Zealand White rabbit does.

he present study was designed to investigate the efficacy of different dietary levels of ethanolic olive leaf extract (OLE) on growth performance, blood parameters, carcass traits, meat chemical composition and economic feed efficiency of growing rabbits. Eighty APRI line rabbits of 5 weeks of age with an average live body weight of 562 g were divided and assigned randomly into four experimental groups of 20 rabbits in each (10 males +10 females). Rabbits in the 1 st group were fed basal diet without ethanolic olive leaf extract supplement (OLE1; control), while those in the 2 nd (OLE2), 3 rd (OLE3) and 4 th (OLE4) groups were fed the same diet supplemented with OLE at levels of 0.5, 1 and 1.5 ml/kg diet, respectively. Results show that rabbits fed OLE diet (1.5 ml /kg (OLE4) had significantly (P<0.05) the highest final body weight (2143 g), followed by OLE3 (2056 g), while those in OLE1 had the lowest final body weight (1952 g) and did not differ significantly from that in OLE2 (1993 g) through the whole growing period. Daily feed intake was not significantly affect by treatment. Feed conversion ratio was significantly (P<0.05) improved with increasing OLE level in diets. Rabbits in OLE3 and OLE4 groups did not recorded mortality during the experimental period as compared to 5% in each of OLE1 and OLE2 group. Carcass percentage was significantly (P<0.05) higher in OLE3 and OLE4 than in OLE1 and OLE2. Rabbits fed OLE3 and OLE4 diet showed the best net revenue (122.9 and133.7 %) relative to control diet (100%). The current study suggested that the dietary supplementation of olive leaves extract at levels of 1 and 1.5 ml/kg diet could be successfully save and useful for growing rabbits during the growing period.

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The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of treatment with combination of royal Jelly (RJ) plus green tea (GT) or propolis (PR) plus GT on thermo-physiological response, growth performance, blood biochemicals and carcass traits. Total of 60 NZW weaned rabbits (5 wk of age and 703.03±11.59 g LBW) were assigned into three similar groups of 20 rabbits in each (10 males and 10 females). Rabbits in the 1 st and 2 nd groups were fed complete feed diet (CFD) supplemented with 2 g GT/kg and orally treatment twice/week with 150 mg RJ/kg (G1) or 0.5 g PR/kg LBW (G2). However, rabbits in the 3 rd group were fed the same CFD without any supplements and orally treated with one ml saline and served as a control group (G3). Throughout the experimental period (August and September months), temperature humidity index (THI), rectal temperature (RT), LBW, feed intake (FI), viability rate and performance index (PI) were recorded, and daily weight gain (DWG) and feed conversion ratio(FCR) were calculated at 5-9, 9-13 and 5-13 age intervals. Blood samples were collected from three males from each group for determination of total proteins (TP), albumin (AL), glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoproteins (HDL), low density lipoproteins (LDL), creatinine, urea, triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine (T4) concentrations, as well as activity of aspartate (AST) and alanine (ALT) transaminases in serum. At 13 wk of age, three males from each group were slaughtered to evaluate carcass traits. Meat samples from hind limb were taken for chemical analysis. Results show that rabbits extremely severed from heat stress throughout all months studied. RT reduced in G2 (P<0.05) and G1 (P≥0.05) as compared to G1, being better in males than in females. Both G1 and G2 showed marked improvement in LBW, DWG, RGR, FI, FCR and PI as compared to G3, being with the best G2, in particular, at 5-9 wk of age. VR was the highest in G1, and higher in females than females only in G2. Concentrations of TP, AL, GL, AL: GL ratio, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, creatinine and urea as well as activity of ALT in blood serum were not affected by treatment. Serum glucose concentration was higher (P<0.05) in G2 than in G1, while both groups did not varied significantly from that in G1. Also, AST activity in serum reduced (P<0.05) in G1, but did not differ in G2 as compared to G3. Concentration of T3 and T4 was higher (P<0.05) in G1 than in G2 and G3. All carcass traits and meat composition were not affected significantly by treatments. Economic feed efficiency was the best in G1, followed by G2, and the lowest in G3. In conclusion, treatment of weaned rabbits during growing period under summer ambient temperature from 5 to 13 weeks of age with green tea in combination with royal jelly or propolis twice/week resulted in improving growth performance, viability rate and economic feed efficiency without adversely effects on rabbit health, in particular, at 5-9 wk age interval. A combination of royal jelly with green tea showed the best r...