Can feed supplementation of the refined vegetable oils enhance the seminal quality of rabbit bucks (Oryctolagus cuniculus)?

ABSTRACT

Exploring new feeding strategies are a necessary aspect for improving the reproductive performance in rabbits. Twenty healthy rabbit bucks with a mean live body weight of 1.01 kg (SD = 0.12)and age of 6 months old were used for a period of 17weeks to examine the influence of feeding soybean and sunflower oils on their reproductive performance. Rabbits were randomly assigned into 4 groups (5bucks/group), where bucks in the 1st group, served as a control, were fed for 14 weeks on a standard ration without any oil supplementation, while bucks in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th groups received -on the basis of the inclusion rate- a ration supplemented with 3% soybean oil, 3% sunflower oil, and 1.5% soybean oil plus 1.5%sunflower oil, respectively. Climatic, bio-physiological, blood and seminal measurements were all been determined. The obtained results suggested that offering rations supplemented with soybean and/or sun flower oils at the level of 3% of DM to rabbit bucks had no impacts on their health status, based on the findings that feed conversion ratio, blood hematology as well as liver and kidney functions were all not altered; thereby, indicating that the refined vegetable oils can be safely.[...].