A.Y. El-Badawi, M.H.M.Yacout, Salma H. Abu Hafsa, A.A. Hassan, M.S. Khalel and Azza M. Kamal
The biological response to ozone (O3) treatments was investigated on growth performance and semen quality of male rabbits. Fifty four New Zealand White (NZW) male rabbits aged eight weeks; weighed 969.7g were blocked by weight into three equal groups each ranked in three replicates. Treatment groups wereT1 (untreated) served as control, T2 treated with ozonized drinking water and T3 treated with rectal ozone injection. Experimental growth period was for 11 weeks (19th week of age), while 15 rabbits were kept under treatments until 25th week of age to evaluate their semen quality . The results illustrated that ozone treatments did not influence voluntary feed intake or daily water consumption. In comparison to control group, ozone treatments significantly improved final body weight by 15% and feed efficiency by 25%, increased nutrients digestibility except that of crude fiber, increased dietary nitrogen utilization, increased carcass dressing percentage, increased blood protein content and enzymatic antioxidants activity and improved semen quality of mature rabbits. Ozone treatments had obvious effect on reducing caecal pathogenic bacteria. Results of most measured parameters were nearly comparable for ozone treated drinking water or rectal injection, however drinking water treated with ozone at (3.5ml ozone / L water) seemed easy and applicable for the daily practices in commercial rabbit farms.
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