Effect of diet on chemical composition of rabbits slaughtered at fixed body weights.

Four hundred and thirty-two Spanish Giant rabbits were fed 12 diets of variable energy to protein ratio [kcal digestible energy (DE)/g digestible crude protein (DCP)] from weaning to slaughter, both at different ages and weights. Body composition analysis for various chemical components indicated that body weight accounted for the greatest part of the variation in these constituents. Sex influenced only the N content (P less than .05). Dietary E/P accounted for greater variability in body composition than crude protein or crude fiber content of the diet. High dietary E/P increased (P less than .001) the proportion of body fat and reduced the proportion of body protein. This effect was made more obvious by adjustment to equal rate of weight gain and it showed that there may be a greater influence of dietary E/P on body composition than previously recognized.