الفهرس 
Materials and mithodsOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
This study was carrid out at Wadi El-Natton Prison Farm, Prisons
Establishment. Ministry of Internal Force during 1993. Fourty rabbits
(20 males and 20 females) from each of NZW and NZWXB cross rabbits
with an average weight of 496.5 and 498.2 gm. respectively. were used
in this study. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect
of azolla level (0. 12. 24 and 36%). breed group and sex on the
performance of growing rabbits from 5-12 weeks of age. At the
termination of the feeding trial (12 weeks of age). a digestibility trial
was undertaken to determine the effect of dietary azolla level and breed
group on the digestibility of feed nutrients of the experimental rations.
At 12 weeks of age. four rabbits (2 males and 2 females) from each of
the four dietary treatments within each breed group were slaughtered to
study carcass traits. The most important results obtained could be
summarized as follows :-
Body weight.
1- Body weight of rabbits decreased with increasing dietary azolla
level from 0 to 36% at different ages of the study (5-12 weeks of age).
The differences in body weight between rabbits fed 0% azolla (T1) and
those fed 12% azolta (T2) were not significant at all ages studied.
whereas, the differences between either T1 or T2 and T3 (24% azolla) or
T4(36% azolla) in body weight values were almost significant (P < 0.05).
2- NZW x B cross breed rabbits surpassed those of NZW in body
weight at all ages studied, but the differences in body weight due to
breed group effects were not significant.
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3- Males recorded heavier body weights than females. The
differences in body weight to sex effects were not significant up to 9
weeks of age, but significant ( P < 0.05) at 10, 11 and 12 weeks of age.
Daily gain.
1- Rabits fed the control ration Tl (0% azolla) recorded higher daily
gains than did those fed either 12, 24 or 36% dietary azolla levels at all
intervals of the study. The differences in daily gain between rabbits of
T4 (36% azolla) and all other treatments were significant ( P <0.05).
Also, the differences between rabbits to T3 (24% azolla) and all other
treatments in daily gain were significant ( P < 0.05). Whereas, no
significant differences in daily gain were detected between TI’ ( 0%
azolla) and T2 ( 12%azolla).
2- NZW x B cross rabbits recorded higher daily gain values than did
NZW’ ones, but the differences in daily gain due to breed group effects
were not significant.
3- Daily gain for male rabbits was significanlty (P <0.05 or P <0.01)
higher than that for females at all age intervals studied