Effect of Partial Replacement of wheat brain and ‎Alfalfa hay by potato by-products in Diet On ‎Nutrients digestibility coefficients and Nutritive ‎values Of Growing Rabbit

The experimental work of the present study was conducted at Rabbit Production Unit, Poultry Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt, The goal of the current experiment was direct toward the possibility of incorporating graded levels of Potato Peel (0, 5, 10, 15 and20%) as a source of dietary fiber into growing rabbit diets to evaluate their effect on productive performance, mortality, nutrient digestibility coefficients, carcass characteristics, some blood hematological, serum metabolites and economic efficiency throughout the entire studied experimental growth period. A total number of three hundred weaned rabbits, fifty-fifty between Alex. and V-lines, at 4 weeks of age having nearly equal live weights according to their guide line were used in this study. Rabbits of each line were individually weighted, randomly distributed into five equal groups (30 each treatment). Each group divided into ten replicates, each replicate contains 3 rabbits. All animals were kept under the same managerial, hygienic and environmental conditions throughout the experimental growth periods. A photoperiod of 14 to 16 hours of day light was also provided throughout the experimental periods. Feed and clean fresh water were offered ad libitum. the feeding period was extended for 10 weeks of age. Graded levels of the ground potato peel meal (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20%) were incorporated into experimental diets. So, five experimental diets were formulated and pelleted to cover the nutrient requirements of rabbits.
Results obtained could be summarized as follows:

Results of the proximate analysis of potato peels meal shows that it contains a slightly lower crude protein being 14% than that of wheat bran and Alfalfa which being 15 and 15.5%, respectively. While, values of crude fiber and nitrogen free extract determined for the tested material fall in range of wheat bran and Alfalfa hay (15.6 vs.11.0 or 25 and 57.1 vs.64.0 or 49.5), respectively.
Both ether extract and ash content of potato peels were higher than those of other studied materials. Similar results were attained with values of gross energy and digestible energy which being 4296.85 vs.1300 or 3950 Kcal /kg DM and 2574.8 vs.2550 or 2175Kcal /kg DM, respectively.
Rabbits of Alex. line fed 10% level of the potato peels meal containing experimental diet gave the highest values in all nutrients digestibility coefficients over those of other dietary treatments compared with those of V. line. Meanwhile, Alex. Values of OM, EE and NFE were statistically similar with those of V- line fed 5% potato peel meal containing experimental diets. The opposite was true with increasing dietary potato peel up to 20% where the digestions of nutrients were decreased.
Dietary 5% potato peels meal had a beneficial effect on TDN, DCP and DE of V. rabbits, while, adding the same dietary treatment up to 5 or 10% to Alex. diets gave the best values in this respect compared with those of V-lines. The opposite was true with increasing inclusion dietary potato peel up to 15 or 20%. So, the dietary inclusion of 5% is recommended in formulating V. rabbits diets and that of 10% is suitable level in diet of Alex. rabbits.

From the results of this study, it could be concluded that potato peels meal can be used as a good alternative  source of dietary fiber instead of wheat bran and alfalfa containing growing rabbits diets and no adverse effect was faced the digestibility coefficients of nutrient substances and their nutritive values. So, the dietary inclusion of 5% is recommended in formulating V. rabbits diets and that of 10% is suitable level in diet of Alex. rabbits.