EUROPEAN GROUP ON RABBIT NUTRITION

 

 

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ALTERNATIVES TO ANTIBIOTIC GROWTH PROMOTERS IN RABBIT FEEDING: A REVIEW

Falcão-e-Cunha L.(1), Castro-Solla L.(1), Maertens L.(2), Marounek M.(3), Pinheiro V.(4), Freire J.(1), Mourão J.L.(4)

 (1) Inst. Superior de Agronomia, Univ. Técn. de Lisboa, TAPADA DA AJUDA, Portugal

(2) Inst. Agricultural and Fisheries Res., Animal Sci. Unit, MELLE, Belgium

(3) Inst. Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sci., UHRINEVES, Czech Republic

(4) Dpt. Zootecnia, UTAD-Univ. Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, VILA REAL, Portugal


 

ABSTRACT: This review is focused on the most studied and developed substances which are commonly knownas alternatives to dietary antibiotics, particularly as far as rabbit feeds are concerned. After a reminder of thereason to be and success of antibiotic growth promoters, and why they lately came to be banned in theEuropean Union, we successively deal with probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes and organic acids. Data on rabbitsare, as expected, quite scarce when compared to species such as pigs and poultry. Nevertheless, theavailable performance results are discussed together with the possible mechanisms of action. Special mentionis made of the effects of these substances on digestibility and caecal activity.

More information about this work: World Rabbit Science