Desempenho e análise econômica de coelhos cruzados em crescimento suplementados com silagem de milho ou silagem de girassol

The rabbits can improve part of the fibers due to the caecal fermentation process and the habit of caecotrophy. In this sense the use of conserved forage as a feed supplement is an alternative in rabbit breeding since commercial feed being the most expensive input. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of sunflower silage or corn silage in the diet of growing rabbits on performance and diet economic viability.  The study used 15 animals of both sexes, with 45 days, distributed in 3 treatments and five repetitions each lasted 69 days. The treatments evaluated were basal diet (DB), basal diet and sunflower silage (SG) and basal diet and corn silage (SM). Animals fed SM consumed 20% less feed than animals fed DB. Daily silage consumption was different between the types of silage fed. Water consumption was lower in animals fed silage. The average daily gain did not differ, being 33 g, 38 g, 34 g respectively for animals fed DB, SG and SM. There was a reduction in feed cost by using silage in rabbit diets. The rabbits that were fed with SM presented better economic viability.