Improving the Utilization of Rabbit Diets Containing Vegetable Oil by Using Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) And Oregano (Origanum vulgare L) as Feed Additives Improving the Utilization of Rabbit Diets Containing Vegetable Oil by Using Fennel

Abstract: Forty five male New Zealand White rabbits aged 5 weeks with an average body weight 574±2.32 g were divided randomly into five equal experimental groups (9 animals in each) and used in a feeding trial lasted 56 days to investigate the response of rabbits to diets diet containing fat with or without herbal mixture formulation consisting of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seeds or oregano leaves (Origanum vulgare L.) and mixture of them on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics, blood constituents and economical evaluation of growing rabbits. The experimental groups were classified to: group 1 fed the basal diet and served as control group (R 1 ); group 2 fed the basal diet + 2% sunflower oil (R 2 ); group 3 fed the basal diet + 2% sunflower oil + 1% Fennel seeds (R 3 ); group 4 fed the basal diet + 2% sunflower oil + 1% Oregano leaves (R 4 ) and group 5 fed the basal diet + 2% sunflower oil + 0.5% Fennel seeds + 0.5% Oregano leaves (R 5 ). The results showed that, tested rations were isonitrogenous but not isocaloric. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on feed intake, CP and EE digestibilities. While DM, OM and CF digestibilities were significantly (P<0.05) improved. Rabbits received R 5 diet recorded the highest value of OM, CF, EE digestibilities and TDN value. On the other hand, dietary treatments improved both TDN and DCP values. Dietary treatments significantly (P<0.05) improved final weight, body weight gain and average daily gain. Final weight was improved by 3.45, 12.37, 9.71 and 13.38% for R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 , respectively, compared to the control R 1 ; while both body weight gain and average daily gain were improved by 4.37, 16.37, 12.46 and 17.48% for the same experimental groups compared to control. Adding medicinal plants (fennel seeds or oregano leaves) to rabbit diets significantly (P<0.05) improved feed conversion ratio. Rabbit fed on R 5 diet recorded the best feed conversion ratio. Dietary treatments significantly decreased (P<0.05) only EBW (R 3 ), total cholesterol (R 3 , R 4 and R 5 ) and LDL (R 5 ). Rabbits received R 5 diet recorded the best total cost, total revenue, net revenue, economical efficiency, relative economic efficiency and feed cost / kg LBW. It can be concluded that adding 0.5% fennel seeds with 0.5% oregano leaves as feed additives to rabbit diets contained 2% oil improved daily gain; both nutrient digestibility coefficients and nutritive values as well as realized the highest value of relative economic efficiency and lowered value of feed cost/ kg live body weight