China Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Medicine ›› 2025, Vol. 52 ›› Issue (8): 3584-3594.doi: 10.16431/j.cnki.1671-7236.2025.08.008

• Nutrition and Feed • Previous Articles    

Effects of Millet Replacing Part Corn on Slaughter Performance,Meat Quality, Serum Immune and Antioxidant Index of Ira Rabbits

QIN Yimeng1, CUI Tao1, WANG Jianing1, ZHANG Yanlei2, WU Shuqin1, SUN Quanwen1, MA Xunping1, ZHAO Yueping1   

  1. 1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, China;
    2. School of Economics and Management, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, China
  • Received:2024-12-09 Published:2025-08-02

Abstract: 【Objective】 To investigate the effects of millet (Zhangzagu) replacing part corn on slaughtering performance,meat quality,immune and antioxidant indexes of Ira rabbits,and to select the appropriate proportion of millet. 【Methods】 180 30-day-old Ira rabbits,half male and half female,were randomly divided into 6 groups with 5 replicates per group and 6 rabbits per replicate.The rabbits were fed experimental diets containing 0 (control group),5% (group Ⅰ),10% (group Ⅱ),15% (group Ⅲ),20% (group Ⅳ) and 25% (group Ⅴ) millet, respectively,with 5 d of pre-test period and 55 d formal test period.After the experiment,2 rabbits were selected from each repeat,and 5 mL of blood was collected from ear vein to determine the serum immune and antioxidant index.After slaughtering,slaughtering performance and organ weight were determined,and longissimus dorsi muscle were collected to detect meat quality traits. 【Results】 ①The full carcass weight and half carcass weight of Ira rabbits in experimental groups Ⅲ and Ⅳ were higher than those of control group (P<0.05),there was no significant difference in slaughter rate between the groups (P>0.05).The liver index and sacculus rotundus index of groups Ⅲ and Ⅳ were both higher than those of control group (P<0.05).②Compared with control group,the cooking loss of the longissimus dorsi muscle of rabbits was significantly reduced,and the fat content was significantly increased in experimental groups Ⅲ and Ⅳ (P<0.05).The essential amino acids and flavor amino acids content of longissimus dorsi muscle in all experimental groups had an increasing trend,but the difference was not significant (P>0.05).③In terms of serum immune indexes,the serum immunoglobulin G content of experimental groups Ⅲ and Ⅳ were higher than that of control group (P<0.05).Compared with control group,groups Ⅰ and Ⅴ,the immunoglobulin A content of groups Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ were significantly increased (P<0.05).The serum interferon-α content of group Ⅲ was significantly increased compared to control group (P<0.05),complement protein 4 content was significantly higher than that of control group,groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ (P<0.05).In terms of serum antioxidant indexes,the contents of serum glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in experimental group Ⅲ was significantly increased compared with those in control group and experimental group Ⅰ(P<0.05),and the content of serum glutathione peroxidase in experimental group Ⅳ was also higher than that in control group and experimental group Ⅰ(P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 Considering the above results,replacing corn with 15% Zhangzagu could improve the slaughter performance of Ira rabbits,enhance meat quality,and strengthen immunity and antioxidant capacity.

Key words: millet; slaughter performance; meat quality; immune index; antioxidant index

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