A FEEDING PROGRAMME FOR YOUNG RABBIT DOES BASED ON LUCERNE

[EN] A feeding programme for young rabbit does based on a high fibrous diet was evaluated in the present work, using 46 crossbred does of 70 days of age. Two diets, control (C) and a high fibre diet (F) formulated almost exclusively with luceme (96%), were compared. Young does in F group received F diet ad libitum until first parturition, while does in e group received e diet ad libitum until 3 kg live weight and then were restricted to 150 g per day. As of parturition, C diet was offered ad libitum to both groups until the end of the experiment. Up to 3 kg live weight, does given C diet had higher DE (P<0.001) intake and greater daily weight gain (P<0.001) than those fed F diet. C does weighed 3 kg and had the first parturition earlier than F does (18 and 7.6 days, respectively). F does ingested more food (P<0.001) during lactation, produced more milk (P<0.01) and weaned heavier litters (P<0.01) than C does, but litter size at birth and the number of pups replaced during lactation was not affected by diet. Maintaining these two groups for two years with the same reproduction schedule, no significant differences were detected in parturition interval, litter size at birth and litter size and weaning between them, although the figures related to F group were in general slightly better.[FR] Ce travail porte sur les performances de reproduction de 46 jeunes lapines croisées dont la moitié a rec;u un aliment a forte teneur en fibres (96% de luzeme) a partir de l'age de 70 jours. Les lapines du lot F ont rec;u cet aliment riche en fibres ad libitum jusqu'a la premiére mise bas. Les lapines du lot témoin ont rec;u un aliment classique e ad libitum jusqu'au poids vif de 3,0 kg • puis rationné a raison de 150 g par jours jusqu'a la premiére mise bas. A partir de la premiére mise bas et jusqu'a la fin de l'expérience, les lapines des 2 groupes ont rec;u l'aliment C a volonté. Par rapport aux lapines du lot F, entre 70 jours et le poids de 3,0 kg, les lapines du lot C ont eu une ingestion d'énergie digestible et un gain de poids vif significativement supérieurs (P<0,001). Les lapines du lot C ont atteint le poids de 3,0 kg et ont mis bas respectivement 18 et 7,6 jours plus tót que les lapines du lot F. Les lapines du lot F ont ingéré plus d'aliment (P<0,001) pendant la lactation, ont produit plus de lait (P<0,01) et ont sevré des lapereaux plus lourds (P