Influence of dietary supplementation of antibiotic and thyme on zootechnical parameters and caecal microflora of growing rabbit

The objective of this study was to compare the influence of antibiotic and thyme dietary supplements on zootechnical parameters and caecal microflora of growing rabbits. One hundred and ninety eight weaned rabbits (forty days old), white New Zealand (of both sexes) were divided into three groups to submit to the following dietary treatments: Control diet, diet A (control diet + 100 ppm zinc bacitracin), and diet T (control diet + 7% Thymus capitatus leaves) for twenty-one days. The remaining nine days they received only the control diet. The results showed that both the live body weight and feed conversion ratio were positively affected by the antibiotic diet (P<0.05). However, the rabbits' growth performance was not influenced by dietary thyme supplements. The antimicrobial effect of thyme observed against C. perfringens in caecum is not determined even after 20 days of treatment. In conclusion, zootechnical parameters and mortality were not positively affected by dietary thyme supplements comparing it with the antibiotic diet, but these phytobiotics showed the antibacterial effect against E. coli and C. perfringens in caecum of rabbit.