Growth of Rabbits on Purified Diets

Abstract

For growth of rabbits fed a simple purified diet, defatted soybean meal was superior to casein as a protein source. With 20% casein the rate of growth was about 15 gm/day. Soybean meal as the sole source of protein at an equivalent level permitted growth of about 30 gm/day. This compared favorably with growth of 35 gm/day for rabbits on a commercial feed. A supplement of arginine, glycine and tryptophan improved growth of rabbits fed the casein diet, and accounted for a part of the soybean meal effect. Other deficiencies in casein, as yet unidentified, were corrected by soybean meal or by dried brewers' yeast. The type of carbohydrate in the diet had a minor effect on rabbit growth. Sucrose, starch, gum arabic, agar, cellulose and triacetin were compared. Gum arabic and agar influenced the growth rates most favorably.