Impact on the growth parameters and microbial populations of probiotics and prebiotics on rabbits raised in the household system

Abstract

The investigations and laboratory determinations were performed within the disciplines of Nutrition and Microbiology of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca. The breeding of rabbits and the collection of samples took place in the own household from Sărata locality, Bistrița-Năsăud county. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the impact of the use of probiotics and prebiotics in feeding rabbits raised in the household system. For this experiment, 12 rabbits, common breed, 55 days old, raised in the household system were used. The basic feed ration was a commercial concentrated, ground feed in which the probiotic (Enteroferm® 35G), 0.15 g / kg feed, containing cultures of Enterococcus faecium, the prebiotic (Inulin FOS, ZENYTH), were incorporated, 25 g / kg fodder, powder obtained from chicory root (Cichorium intybus), which contains polysaccharides with a prebiotic role (inulin and fructooligosaccharide - FOS) and a synbiotic (mixture of the two), in the same doses. There were 4 groups of 3 individuals as follows: group number 1, control, group number 2, probiotic, group number 3, prebiotic and group number 4, synbiotic. In addition to the concentrated feed, good quality natural hay and water were added, both the feed and the water were administered ad libitum. In order to achieve the proposed goal, the amount of feed consumed by each group and the weight of each rabbit were determined weekly for 8 weeks. Based on these data, the final average weight of each group, the total feed consumption of each group, the weekly weight increase for each group, the average weekly and final feed conversion rate were calculated. Samples were also collected from the rectum, before and after treatment with probiotics and prebiotics, to determine their impact on the composition of the bacterial flora at this level. The determinations performed yielded clearly superior results in favor of the experimental groups compared to the control group, highlighting group 2, consisting of rabbits treated with probiotics.