Jones Kegan Romelle, Sivakumar Karuppusamy, Sundaram Venkatesan
Department of Basic Veterinary Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Eastern Main Road, St. Augustine, West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
Department of Food Production, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Eastern Main Road, St. Augustine, West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
Trop Anim Health Prod. 2025 Mar 19;57(3):135. doi: 10.1007/s11250-025-04393-9.
Rabbit meat production offers a sustainable solution to meet the rising demand for protein, particularly in regions abundant in plant biomass. This review explores the potential of forages (legumes and non-legumes), medicinal, herbal, and aquatic plants as alternative rabbit feed sources. These alternatives boost protein, fiber, and bioactive compound content, enhancing productive performance, gut health, immunity, and meat characteristics. Challenges such as nutritional variations due to geographic location, seasonal changes, and processing methods, alongside nutrient-hostile factors and high fiber content, must be addressed. Nonetheless, these plants can be integrated into rabbit diets at levels of up to 10% without compromising animal health, performance, or digestibility. The study emphasizes the feasibility of incorporating alternative forages into rabbit feed, improving resource efficiency and sustainability in rabbit meat production. Notably, research indicates comparable growth performance between rabbits fed unconventional plants and those on conventional diets. Aquatic plants and aromatic herbs emerge as promising alternatives, enhancing growth, nutrient utilization, and carcass characteristics in rabbits. Despite challenges, careful dietary formulation can mitigate risks associated with certain unconventional feedstuffs. This review provides insights into formulating balanced, sustainable rabbit diets, highlighting the need for further research to optimize inclusion levels and mitigate anti-nutritive substances. Exploring unconventional plants as viable alternatives holds promise for enhancing both animal welfare and economic efficiency in the rabbit farming industry.
兔肉生产为满足日益增长的蛋白质需求提供了一种可持续的解决方案，特别是在植物生物质丰富的地区。本综述探讨了牧草（豆类和非豆类）、药用植物、草药和水生植物作为替代兔饲料来源的潜力。这些替代品可提高蛋白质、纤维和生物活性化合物的含量，增强生产性能、肠道健康、免疫力和肉的品质。必须应对因地理位置、季节变化和加工方法导致的营养差异等挑战，以及营养不利因素和高纤维含量等问题。尽管如此，这些植物可以以高达10%的比例纳入兔日粮中，而不会损害动物健康、性能或消化率。该研究强调了将替代牧草纳入兔饲料的可行性，提高了兔肉生产中的资源效率和可持续性。值得注意的是，研究表明，喂食非常规植物的兔子与喂食传统日粮的兔子生长性能相当。水生植物和芳香草本植物成为有前景的替代品，可提高兔子的生长、养分利用率和胴体品质。尽管存在挑战，但精心的日粮配方可以降低与某些非常规饲料相关的风险。本综述为制定平衡、可持续的兔日粮提供了见解，强调需要进一步研究以优化添加水平并减轻抗营养物质的影响。探索非常规植物作为可行的替代品有望提高养兔业的动物福利和经济效益。
