The protein and calorie efficiency of rabbits

R. B. Bradfield, L. A. Maynard
1958 British Journal of Nutrition  
The shortages of meat during the last world war stimulated the use of the rabbit as a meat animal. A series of studies was carried out by Hutchinson (1947a, 6 ) and Hutchinson & Baker (1949) dealing with the nutrition of domestic rabbits. The possibilities of the rabbit as a meat animal for underdeveloped areas stimulate further study. This paper reports a study of the efficiency of conversion of feed protein and energy into edible body protein and calories. EXPERIMENTAL Two experiments were
more » ... ducted, the first during the spring months, the second during the summer months. In each study, eight weanling New Zealand White does, aged 6 weeks, were obtained from a commercial grower. Two animals, about the average weight of the group, were killed at the beginning of the study. The remaining six were killed at the end of the 8-week experimental period. The same experimental procedures were used for both groups. The rabbits were ear-marked for identification purposes and individually housed in metal cages with wire floors. They were fed and watered daily and food consumption and weight gain determined weekly. The ration used was a pelleted commercial ration, GLF Bunny Pellets (Canandaigua, New York). It has the following percentage composition: wheat bran, 7.5; standard cuts (whole wheat), 20.5; wheat germ (flour millings), 5.0; soya-bean meal, 15.0;
doi:10.1079/bjn19580004 pmid:13523098 fatcat:m4zaks2l2zfz7hd7fumwyxbqie