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Table 4 Carcass characteristics of the experimental groups

From: Incorporation apricot seed kernel as untraditional source of protein in rabbit rations

Item

Experimental rations

SEM

R1

R2

R3

R4

R5

0% ASK

0.75% ASK

1.5% ASK

3% ASK

4.5% ASK

Slaughter weight (SW), g

2299b

2796a

2266b

2558ab

2477ab

73.87

Total external offal, g

549b

708a

547b

655ab

616ab

24.48

Digestive tract, g

325

334

320

327

354

19.57

Head, g

134

145

133

146

141

3.14

Total internal offal (giblets), g

85b

109a

95ab

113a

99ab

3.83

Carcass weight (CW1), g

1206b

1500a

1219b

1317ab

1267b

38.84

Carcass weight (CW2), g

1425b

1754a

1447b

1576ab

1507b

42.90

Dressing percentages (DP1), %

52.46

53.65

53.80

51.49

51.15

0.47

Dressing percentages (DP2), %

61.98

62.73

63.86

61.61

60.84

0.49

Chemical analysis of best 9th, 10th, and 11th ribs

 Moisture

34.81

33.08

32.39

44.90

35.64

2.02

Chemical analysis on DM basis

 Crude protein (CP)

57.32c

63.52ab

64.85a

62.42b

59.44c

0.79

 Ether extract (EE)

35.04a

28.68bc

26.53c

30.19b

33.27a

0.87

 Ash

7.64b

7.80b

8.62a

7.39b

7.29b

0.16

  1. a,bMeans in the same row having different superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05)
  2. SEM standard error of mean, Total external offal fur, legs, ears, tail and blood, CW1 without head and edible offal, CW2 head and edible offal (liver, heart, kidneys, lungs, testes, and spleen), DP1 CW1/SW, DP2 dressing percentages calculated as (CW2/SW), ASK apricot seed kernels