Abstract:
In order to investigate the effects of different feed frequency on growth performance and slaughter performance of Liaoxi donkeys, a single factor design was adopted in this experiment. Eigtheen six-month old Liaoxi donkeys with an body weight(117.83±10.39) kg in good condition were selected and randomly divided into three groups(six donkeys per group). The animals in the trial groupⅠ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ were fed with concentrated feed two, three, four times a day, respectively. The pre-feeding period was 10 d, and the formal experimental period was 170 d. The growth performance indexes(average daily weight gain, average daily feed intake and feed-to-gain ratio)and slaughter performance indexes(live weight, skin weight, carcass weight, bone weight, net meat gain, slaughter percentage, skin weight percentage, bone weight percentage, live net meat percentage, carcass net meat percentage and organ indexes) were measured. The results showed as follows: the average daily weight gain in the trial groupⅡwas significantly higher than those in the group Ⅰand group Ⅲ(P<0.05), There were no significant differences in average daily feed intake and feed-to-gain ratio among three groups(P>0.05), but the feed-to-gain ratio of the trial group Ⅱ was the lowest. Skin weight and skin weight percentage in the trial groupⅡwere significantly higher than those in the group Ⅰ and group Ⅲ(P<0.05), but there were no significant differences in other slaughter indexes among three groups(P>0.05). The cardiac index in the trail groupⅡand trial group Ⅲ were significantly higher than that in the trial groupⅠ(P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in other organ indexs among three trial groups(P>0.05). The results showed that when the feed frequency of Liaoxi donkeys was three times a day, the average daily weight gain was highest, the feed-to-gain ratio was the lowest, the skin weight and skin weight percentage were the highest and the heart index was highest, the effect was the best, and the other slaughter performance indexes of the Liaoxi donkey were not affected.