Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-68ccn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-11T16:23:37.388Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of temperature and diet on the water and energy metabolism of growing rabbits

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

L. M. Jin ,
E. Thomson  and
D. J. Farrell
L. M. Jin
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Nutrition, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
E. Thomson
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Nutrition, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
D. J. Farrell
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Nutrition, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Water and energy metabolism were measured in six growing female New Zealand White rabbits placed individually in metabolism cages within chambers at 20 or 30 °C and offered a diet high (H) or low (L) in roughage. For water balance measurements, feed intake was higher at 20 °C than at 30 °C; mean water balance of rabbits on diet L was 7 g/day at 20 °C and 36 g/day at 30 °C. Total daily water consumption was 84–96 g/kg body weight (W), and the ratio of free water to feed intake was 1·6:1 at 20 °C and 2·3:1 at 30 °C.

Calorimetric measurements showed no differences in energy metabolism of rabbits due to diet or temperature. Metabolizable energy needed for maintenance was 357 kJ/kg W0·75 per day and was used with an efficiency of 0·44 for weight gain.

Type
Animals
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 115 , Issue 1 , August 1990 , pp. 135 - 140
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Blaxter, K. L. (1967). Energy Metabolism of Ruminants. London: Hutchinson & Co.Google Scholar
Brouwer, E. (1965). Report on sub-committee on constant factors. In Energy Metabolism (Ed. Blaxter, K. L.), pp. 160–163. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Cizek, L. J. (1961). Relationship between food and water ingestion in the rabbit. American Journal of Physiology 201, 557–566.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eggum, B. O., Chwalibog, A., Jensen, N. E. & Boisen, S. (1982). Protein and energy metabolism in growing rabbits fed sodium hydroxide treated straw. Archiv für Tierernähnmg 7/8, 539–549.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Farrell, D. J. (1972). An indirect closed circuit respiration chamber suitable for fowl. Poultry Science 51, 683–688.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hellberg, A. (1949). Metabolism of Rabbits at Different Planes of Nutrition. Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksells Boktryckcri AB.Google Scholar
Hoover, L. H. & Heitman, R. N. (1972). Effect of dietary fibre levels on weight gain, caecal volume and VFA production in rabbits. Journal of Nutrition 102, 375–380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hornicke, H. & Mackiewicz, , (1977). Significance of the caecotrophe for starch digestion and the formation of D- and L-lactate in the rabbit's stomach. Nutrition Abstracts & Reviews, Series B 47, 29–30.Google Scholar
Lang, J.( 1981). The nutrition of the commercial rabbit. Part 1. Physiology, digestibility and nutrient requirements. Nutrition Abstracts & Reviews, Series B, 197–225.Google Scholar
Lloyd, L. E., McDonald, B. E. & Crompton, E. W. (1978). Fundamentals of Nutrition, 2nd edn.San Francisco: W. H. Freeman & Co.Google Scholar
Mitchell, H. H. (1962). Comparative Nutrition of Man and Domestic Animals. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Pangi-Bini, R., Xiccato, G. & Lanardi, D. (1985). Effect of nutritive level on body gain composition and an energy retention in growing rabbits. In Energy Metabolism of Farm Animals (Eds Moe, P. W., Tyrrell, H. F. & Reynolds, P. J.), pp. 106–109. Totowa, Nj: Rowman & Littlefield.Google Scholar
Parker, D. S. (1976). The measurement of production rates of volatile fatty acids in the caecum of the conscious rabbit. British Journal of Nutrition 36, 61–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Partridge, G. G., Garthwaite, P. H. & Findlay, M. (1989). Protein and energy retention by growing rabbits offered diets with increasing proportions of fibre. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 112, 171–178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pullar, J. D. & Webster, A. J. F. (1977). The energy cost of fat and protein deposition in rats. British Journal of Nutrition 37, 355–363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pym, R. A. E. & Farrell, D. J. (1977). A comparison of the energy and nitrogen metabolism of broilers selected for increased growth rate, food consumption and conversion of food to gain. British Poultry Science 18, 411–426.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Raharjo, G. C., Cheeke, P. R. & Patton, N. M. (1988). Evaluation of tropical forages and rice by-products as rabbit feed. Journal of Applied Rabbit Research 11, 201–211.Google Scholar
Scheele, C. W., van den Broek, A. & Hendricks, F. A. (1985). Maintenance energy requirements and energy utilization of growing rabbits at different environmental temperatures. In Energy Metabolism of Farm Animals (Eds Moe, P. W., Tyrrell, H. F. & Reynolds, P. J.), pp. 202–204. Totowa, Nj: Rowman & Littlefield.Google Scholar
Thorbek, G. & Chwalibog, A. (1982). Protein and energy metabolism of growing rabbits. Parts I & II. Rivista di Bioiogia 75, 293–302.Google Scholar
Thwaites, C. J. (1989). Growth, feed and water intake after feed or water restriction in the New Zealand White rabbit. Journal of Applied Rabbit Research 12, 86–89.Google Scholar
Uden, P. & Van Soest, P. J. (1982). Comparative digestion of timothy (Phleum pratense) fibre by ruminants, equines and rabbits. British Journal of Nutrition 47, 267–272.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Webster, A. J. F. (1980). The energetic efficiency of growth. Livestock Production Science 7, 243–252.CrossRefGoogle Scholar