Farelo de algodão na alimentação de coelhos em crescimento

Abstract

Two experiments were carried out aiming to evaluate the effect of cotton seed meal on the growth of rabbits. Eight rabbits 50 days of age (four males and four females) were utilized in the digestibility trial. The experimental period lasted for 12 days (8 days for adaptation and 4 days of whole faeces collection). Cotton seed meal was offered as single feed, with 0.5% of NaCl end 0.4% of mineral vitamin mixture. The cotton seed meal was then moisted with 40% of water until past was got. The food excess was taken off the feeder daily. The chemical composition of the cotton seed meal for dry matter, crude protein, neutral fiber detergent, acid fiber detergent, crude fiber, calcium, phosphorus, extract ether and gross energy were respectively : 89.57; 38.18; 33.55; 22.93; 13.82; 0.34; 1.26; 0.75% and 4,169.62 kcal/kg. The apparent digestibility coefficients were: 66.81; 84.65; 41.14; 39.00 and 68.27% for dry matter, crude protein, neutral fiber detergent, acid fiber detergent and gross energy, respectively. In the performance trial were utilized 32 rabbits (16 males and 16 females) White New Zealand 41 days of age kept in individual cages. Data were analyzed under a randomized design with replication and three treatments (three levels of soybean meal for cotton seed meal crude protein substitution: (0; 33; 66 and 100%). During performance trial (from 62 nd to 67 th day whole faeces collection was made to establish the diet digestibility. At the end of the experiment the rabbits (76 days old) were slaughter to determine carcass quality. The digestibility coefficient of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral fiber detergent, acid fiber detergent and gross energy of the diets were affected (P<0.05) by treatments. There was significant effect (P<0,05) for daily feed intake and feed: gain ratio, while there was no significant effect of treatments on the live weight gain average and the carcass quality. The results show that crude protein of cotton seed meal may replace the crude protein of soybean meal in feeding of growing rabbits. It´s advisable to study economic evaluation.