Productivity of rabbits when used in rations hydroponic green fodder

Abstract

Aim. The study of the productivity of rabbits when using hydroponic green fodder in feeding rations. Materials and Methods. The experiment was carried out in the conditions of a mini-farm of the agrarian faculty of Kalmyk State University named after B.B. Gorodovikov. According to the principle of analogues, two groups of rabbits of the Gray Giant breed were formed at the age of 2 months. Each group consisted of 10 heads. The period of the experiment is 3 months. Animals of the control group received a general farm ration, the rabbits of the experimental group were nutritionally replaced with alfalfa hay with hydroponic green fodder in the amount of 200 g in the first month of the experiment, 300 g in the second and third months. Rabbits were weighed monthly to measure their live weight, and at the age of four months, measurements were taken to determine the rate of their growth and development. Economic efficiency was determined according to the accounting data for the costs of young animals growing and the cost of products sold. The research materials were processed on a PC using the Microsoft Office software package. Results. The conducted studies showed that the rabbits that received hydroponic green fodder with the diet surpassed the animals of control group in live weight after a month of growing by 10,15% (P≥0.95) and after three months – by 19.95% (P≥0.99), in absolute growth – by 37.23% (P≥0.95) and 33.36% (P≥0.99), relative growth – 21.1 and 5.4%, respectively. The massiveness index was also higher in the animals of experimental group by 7.1%. Conclusion. The use of hydroponic green fodder in feeding rabbits of the Gray Giant breed, along with an increase in live weight, contributes to additional profit and a profitability of 46.6%.