The objective of this work was to study the restorative yeast (Saccharomyces sp) dried by rotative roller (RYRR) or by spray-dry (RYSD), on the performance of 176 growing rabbits, 88 males and 88 females, white New Zealand breed, from 40 to 90 days of age.The animals were distributed in a randomized complete block design, with 11 treatments (five levels of each one yeast: 4.0, 8.0 12.0 16.0, and 20,0%) in gradually replacement of soybean meal (SM) crude protein (CP) of a control diet, with eight replicates and two animals per experimental unit. The live weight at 70 days of age, daily weight gain and the daily diet intake from 40 to 70 days of age decreased linearly as the RYRR level increased in the diet. In the total period, from 40 to 90 days of age, the daily intake of the animals that received RYRR decreased linearly, with linear improvement in the feed:gain ratio. The inclusion of RYSD on the diets did not influence the performance of rabbits in the studied levels. The inclusion of 16 and 20% of RYRR and RYSD in the diet caused a higher mortality of animals, with acute enterite, especially during the period from 40 to 70 days of age. The data showed that RYSD replaced more efficiently the CP of SM than RYRR. However, due to the high mortality, the recommendation is not to use more than 15% of inclusion of the studied yeast.
rabbit; performance; restorative yeast
