Probiotic Supplemented-diet Mitigated the Effects of Hot-Dry Season on Growth Performance and Welfare of Rabbits in Zaria, Kaduna State

Abstract

Probiotics such as yeasts and their extracts have been described as excellent sources of natural antioxidants, and could help promote growth and alleviate oxidative stress in rabbits during thermal stress situations. A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) supplemented-diets on the growth performance and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration of rabbits reared during the hot-dry season (temperature-humidity index: 34.11±1.10^oC) in Zaria, Kaduna State. Sixty healthy weaned crossbred rabbits, aged between 5-6 weeks with live weight of 605.97±14.72 g (mean ± standard deviation) were used. The rabbits were divided into five treatment groups; SC0 receiving a control diet without supplementation of SC, and SC2, SC4, SC6 and SC8 receiving the control diet supplemented with SC at the rate of 2, 4, 6 and 8 x 10⁹ colony forming units/kg, respectively. Results showed that there was significant (P<0.05) difference in the growth performance (feed intake and body weight gain) across the treatment groups. Rabbits in SC6 had the best growth performance indices. They consumed significantly (P<0.05) more feed (84.69 g/day) and had the highest final body weight gain (1515.25 g). Additionally, SC supplementation improved the welfare of the rabbits, as there was significant (P<0.05) reduction in serum MDA concentration of rabbits fed SC supplemented-diets. Although further studies are required on other biomarkers of oxidative stress, baker’s yeast containing SC containing SC improved growth performance and ameliorated the adverse effects associated with heat stress conditions.

Keywords: Rabbits; Probiotic; Growth performance; Welfare; Hot-dry Season