Effect of dietary protein level on milk production of Algerian local rabbit does

Fifty-two Algerian local rabbit does were used to study the effect of dietary protein content during two reproductive cycles on milk yield and lactation curves. Three experimental groups were constituted by 17/18 does that received different isoenergetic diets with 2600 kcal Digestible Energy (DE)/kg during reproduction (gestation and lactation). Diets differed in their protein (CP) content (15%, 17%, and 19% for diets L (light), M (medium) and H (high), respectively) and were fed ad libitum.
The use of high protein diets did not affect rabbits does weight at parturition, daily feed intake and total litter size at birth (P>0.05). In contrast, the daily protein intake was significantly higher in rabbits fed H diet (P<0.001), regardless of parity. In addition, total milk production does not vary according to the dietary protein level (P>0.05). However, lactation peak occurs at different times (16th, 20th and 20th day PP at first lactation and 15th, 17th and 20th days PP at second lactation for L, M and H groups respectively), without significant effect of parity. In our experimental conditions, the change in protein level had no effect on milk yield but with increasing CP, lactation peak tended to occur later.