Effect of simplified feeding based only on wheat bran and brewer’s grain on rabbit performance and economic efficiency

Abstract

Simplified diets aim to maximise the incorporation rate of fodder and/or by-products into animal feed to minimise costs and importation dependency. This study aimed to evaluate the possibility of feeding fattening rabbits with a simplified diet composed of only 2 inexpensive and locally available agro-industrial by-products: brewer’s grain and wheat bran. At weaning (35 d of age), 68 rabbits were divided into 2 groups (mean body weight: 833±126 g) and housed in individual cages until slaughter (77 d). Rabbits were fed ad libitum either a commercial pelleted feed (control: B0 group), or a simplified pelleted experimental diet (SF group) containing 72% wheat bran and 27% brewer’s grain. The feed conversion ratio was similar in the 2 groups (3.55 on av.). The daily weight gain and daily feed intake were 12% higher (P<0.001) in the B0 group than in the SF group (35.2 vs. 31.2 g and 128.3 vs. 113 g/d). The cold carcass yield (+4 percentage points) and carcass weight (+9%) were higher (P<0.001) in B0 than in SF group. The carcass was less fatty in SF than in B0 group (perirenal fat: –23%, inguinal fat: –41% and scapular fat: –14%). The economic efficiency was 40% better when rabbits were fed SF diet (+0.37 €/kg of meat) in current local market conditions.