Effect of Digestarom® dietary supplementation on the reproductive performances of rabbit does: preliminary results
Chiara Celia | Marco Cullere | Zsolt Gerencsér | Zsolt Matics | Antonella Dalle Zotte | Valerio Giaccone | Zsolt Szendrő
The study investigated the effect of Digestarom<sup>®</sup> dietary supplementation on the reproductive performances of rabbit does. Pannon Ka (maternal line) multiparous does were randomly divided into two dietary groups since insemination and fed <em>ad libitum</em>. In the first group (n=51), rabbit does were fed with a commercial diet (C), whereas in the other group (n=52) they received the same diet supplemented with 300 mg/kg of Digestarom<sup>®</sup> (D). The experiment lasted for two reproductive cycles (kindling 1=K1; kindling 2=K2). Body weight of does and litter size (kits born total, alive, stillborn) were recorded at kindling. Litter size and litter weight were registered at 7, 14, 21 days of age after nursing, and the average individual weight of kits was calculated. Kits’ mortality was recorded daily. At K1, rabbit does performances were unaffected by dietary treatments. During K2, D does were significantly lighter than C ones (P<0.05) and displayed a lower kindling rate (P<0.05). Digestarom<sup>®</sup> did not improve the reproductive performance of rabbit does. They seemed to dislike the D diet in K1 and such behavior could have led to the negative results in K2. Further studies should focus on feed acceptance, dose-dependent effect, physiological adaptation and <em>in vivo</em> oxidative status of does. Finally, several consecutive reproductive cycles are recommended to test the efficacy of new feed supplements.
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