Effect of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants on Growth, Digestibility and Carcass in New Zealand White Rabbits

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Herbs, spices and botanicals have been demonstrated to improve animal performance and increase nutritional availability. So, the present study aimed to determine the effect of adding each of rosemary leaves, thyme leaves, black cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds at a level of 0.5% to the diets on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and carcass traits of growing New Zealand white rabbits. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Sixty growing New Zealand white rabbits, 425-gram average body weight, kept from 4-11 weeks of age, divided into 5 groups to examine 4 experimental herbs (rosemary, thyme, black cumin and fenugreek) compared with the control group. Growth performance, nutrients digestibility and carcass traits were measured. <b>Results:</b> A significant improvement in feed conversion ratio and a significant increase in both final body weight, body weight gain in rabbit groups fed the 4 tested feed additives diets compared to the control group was shown. Otherwise, rabbit groups fed these diets recorded a significantly higher value of nutrient digestibility, Dry Matter (DM), Crude Protein (CP), Crude Fiber (CF), Ether Extract (EE) and Nitrogen-Free Extract (NFE), than the control group. Giblets (%) was significantly higher in rabbits group fed the control diet than other experimental rabbit groups while the opposite trend was noticed with dressing percent. In addition, rabbit groups fed the different feed additives diets achieved better economic efficiency than the control group. <b>Conclusion:</b> Data of the present study cleared that rosemary, thyme, black cumin and fenugreek had an appositive effect on the performance of growing New Zealand rabbits and higher economic efficiency.