Growth of rabbits under different environmental temperatures using high fat diets.

686 rabbits, weaned at 35 days of age, were fed ad libitum up to 84 days of age on three diets (composition per kg dry matter: 11.0 MJ DE - 26 g EE; 12.2 MJ DE - 117 g EE mainly from commercial tallow; 12.4 MJ DE, 99 g EE from vegetable origin) and five environments defined by the mean minimum temperatures during fattening of 10-14°C, 14-22°C, 22-26°C, 30°C constant and 33°C constant. Dally gains recorded for those temperatures were 38, 38, 33, 28, 23 g (P<0.001) and feed intake 83, 77, 70, 62, 53 g DM/kg0.75 (P<0.001). Daily gain recorded for the three diets was 31, 32, 33 g (P<0.001) and feed intake 73, 69, 66 g DM/kg0.75 (P<0.001). lnteraction between diet and temperature was significant (P<0.001) for food intake which was similar at high temperatures while for the rest inversely relatad to the DE content of the dieta.