Effect of drinking natural saline groundwater on growth performance, behavior and some blood parameters in rabbits reared in new reclaimed lands of arid areas in Assiut Governorate

الملخص EN

This experiment was carried out to study the effect of drinking natural saline well-water on growth performance, behavior, reproduction and some blood parameters of rabbits reared in the new reclaimed lands of arid areas in Assiut Governorate.

Two trials were carried out in the present investigation, the first one was carried out on growing rabbits of Baladi, Bouscat and California species to determine the effect of drinking natural saline well water on growth performance and blood cortisol, metabolites and mineral levels.

However, the second trial was carried out on multiparous does of the same species to determine the effect of drinking natural saline well water on reproductive and maternal behavior of rabbits.

Allover 60 days experimental period, a group of each breed used in the first and second trials was allowed to freely drink fresh tap water while the other group was allowed to drink natural saline underground well water.

Growing rabbits were weighed by the end of the 60 day experimental period to determine the average total as well as daily weight gain for each breed and blood samples were taken and analyzed for their cortisol, some metabolites and mineral levels.

However, does were investigated for their reproductive and maternal behavior.

The obtained results indicated that, in spite of the significant elevation of some metabolites and mineral levels of their blood, experimented rabbits could tolerate the salinity of normal saline well-water without deterioration effects either on their growth and reproductive performances or on their maternal behavior.

Therefore, there are no problems with the use of underground water for drinking of rabbits reared in farms erected in the new reclaimed arid lands.