Two trials were conducted with the goal of determining the digestible energy of vegetal and mixed semi purified glycerin and the performance of growing rabbits fed with diets containing the byproducts. In the digestibility assay 108 New Zealand White rabbits, 45 days old, were used, assigned in a completely randomized design into nine treatments (0, 4, 8, 12 and 16% of glycerins inclusion), with 12 replications. The treatment with 0% of glycerin inclusion was considered the reference diet. In the performance assay, 180 New Zealand White rabbits, 32 to 70 days of age, were assigned to a completely randomized design into a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement (two types of glycerin and four percentages of inclusion: 3, 6, 9 and 12%) plus a reference diet and ten replications with two animals per experimental unit. Vegetal and mixed glycerin showed a digestible energy of 4,048 and 3,697 kcal/kg of dry matter, respectively. From 32 to 50 days of age, the diet with 12% of mixed glycerin affected (P<0.05) weight gain (32.14g/day), feed conversion (3.57) and cost per kilo of weight gain (R$2.08) in relation to the reference diet (39.42g/day, 2.87 and R$ 1.69, respectively). From 32 to 70 days, weight gain (30.11g/day) and feed conversion (3.99) of the animals fed with the diet containing 12% of mixed glycerin were worst (P<0.05) in relation to the reference diet (34.00 g/day and 3.65, respectively). Regarding characteristics of animal performance, from 32 to 70 days, no differences (P>0.05) were observed between the inclusion of vegetal glycerin in the diet and the reference diet, but better economic viability was verified (P<0.05) with the diet containing 12% of vegetal glycerin (R$1.89 x R$2.15, respectively). Vegetal glycerin can be included up to 12% in the diet and mixed up to 9%, reducing production cost without affecting animal performance.
catalytic transesterification; cost; feed conversion; rabbit; weight gain
