Efecto del tipo de carbohidrato sobre la producción de leche y el ambiente cecal en conejas en lactación

Laburpena

Dietary effect on caecal environment and several reproductive parameters was estimated in 32 white New Zealand rabbit does randomly alloted to four experimental diets based on two sources of fibre (alfalfa hay, AH, or sugar beet pulp, SBP) combined with two sources of starch (maíze or wheat). Average weight loss over the whole lactation was 149 g, and mean dry matter intake, 205 g/d, being higher when does were fed AH diets than does given SBP ones. However, SBP diets were better digested than AH ones (P<0.001), so no difference in digestible organic matter intake was observed between both fibre sources. Daily mean milk yield was higher in animals receiving diets formulated with AH than those rabbits fed diets with SBP (P<0.05), probably due to the greater feed intake in the former does. SBP fibre was accumulated in the caecum, showing animals fed these diets a heavier caecum than those consuming diets with AH as main source of fibre. But pH and VFA level were not affected by experimental treatment. Caecotrophes excretion (17.6 g DM/d) was lower than usual values in lactating animals, and it may be due to the poor adaptation of the animals to the collar.