Effect of a diet containing white lupin hulls (Lupinus albus cv. Amiga) on total tract apparent digestibility of nutrients and growth performance of rabbits

Abstract

[EN] The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of white lupin hulls in a rabbit diet on the digestibility of nutrients and growth performance. Two experimental diets were formulated: C [control: 168 g crude protein (CP) and 409 g neutral detergent fibre (NDF)/kg) and WLH diet (substituting 100 g wheat bran by 50 g barley and 50 g white lupin hulls/kg: 162 g CP and 391 g NDF/kg). A total of 24 weaned rabbits were individually housed, randomly allocated to 2 groups and fed one of the 2 experimental diets from 31 to 73 d of age. The coefficients of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) of dry matter, gross energy, CP and NDF of the experimental diets were determined in rabbits between 45 and 49 d of age. The diets had a similar digestible protein/digestible energy ratio (11.2 and 10.7 g/MJ for the C and WLH diet, respectively). Rabbits showed normal figures for growth rate (on av. 52.4 g/d), feed intake (on av. 155.1 g/d) and feed conversion ratio (on av. 2.97). There were no significant differences between treatments in the CTTAD of dry matter (0.656 and 0.666 for the C and WLH diet, respectively), gross energy (0.667 and 0.677 for the C and WLH diet, respectively), CP (0.770 and 0.777 for the C and WLH diet, respectively) or NDF (0.451 and 0.428 for the C and WLH diet, respectively). It may be concluded that white lupin hulls can serve as a suitable by-product for rabbit feed and do not significantly reduce the nutritive value of the diet.