الفهرس 
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Abstract
The present experiment was carried out at the Cairo University, Giza, during November and through December 2019. The laboratory work was done at the Regional Center for Food and Feed and Ain Shams University.
This study goal aimed to experiment with the effect of using different dietary levels of fennel straw and basil straw as a partial replacement (25, 50, and 75%) for alfalfa hay on growth performance, digestibility coefficients of nutrients, nutritive value, nitrogen balance and some blood plasma constituents of growing New Zealand White rabbits. Carcass characteristics and economic efficiency were studied. The result is summarized as follows.
1. Proximate analysis of basil straw and Fennel straw compared to alfalfa hay
The results of the chemical analysis showed that alfalfa hay had the highest percentage of crude protein, organic matter, etheric extract, and nitrogen-free extract, while it contained the lowest percentage of ash. Basil straw contains the highest percentage of ash, while the lowest percentage of crude fiber. Fennel straw contains the highest percentage of crude fiber, NDF, ADF and cellulose, and the lowest percentage of protein.
2. daily Feed consumption (g/rabbit/day)
The fourth group that fed 75% of basil straw recorded the highest intake while the second group (25% of basil straw) recorded the lowest consumption rate during the period from 5-11 weeks of age.
3. Nutrients digestibility and nutritive values
Replacing alfalfa hay with basil straw 50% of the diet led to an improvement in the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, and digested crude protein, and compared to the control group, and on the contrary, diets containing 75% of fennel straw had the lowest digestibility rate of dry matter. The organic matter and the control had the lowest digestibility of the etheric extract, the digestion of nutrients, and the digestion of crude protein.
4. Blood parameters
Replacing alfalfa hay with basil straw or fennel straw did not significantly affect the blood content of total protein and cholesterol in the blood plasma and the concentration of liver enzymes ALT and AST among the different groups. The group fed 50% of fennel straw with the control group, and the group fed 75% of basil straw recorded the lowest values. It was observed that there were significant differences in the concentration of albumin, urea, and triglycerides, alkyne phosphatase.
5. Growth performance
There were significant increases in the average gain of body weight gain, and the highest percentage of weight gain was in the rations fed on 25% basil, followed by 50% of fennel straw, and the lowest increase was 75% of fennel straw. There was also a significant improvement in the rate of dietary conversion for the group that fed 25% of basil straw and the least increase of 75% of fennel straw.
6. Feed conversion ration
The replacement of basil straw by 50% in the diet replaced alfalfa hay caused a significant improvement in the efficiency of feed conversion compared to the control groups during the stage (5-8 weeks) and by 52% in the diet replacing alfalfa hay also during the total stage (5-11 weeks).
7. Carcass traits
replacing alfalfa hay with basil or fennel straw on carcass traits. No significant effects (p>0.05) were detected in relative and absolute weights for most of the carcass traits due to feeding diets containing different basil and fennel straw levels. Rabbit groups which received a B50 diet were recorded higher kidney weight, liver weight and spleen weight followed by the group received an F50 diet than all treatments. Rabbit fed B 25 diet had the heights body weight, hot carcass, and head weight and heart weight than the B50 diet.
8. Economical efficiency (EEF)
Replacing alfalfa hay with 25% of basil straw and 50% of fennel straw led to a reduction in the cost of feeding, while the use of basil straw by 75% in the diet reduced the cost of feeding as a result of the increase in daily consumption.
Basil straw and fennel straw can be successfully used at 25, 50 or75 % of rabbit diets as a source of fiber to replace alfalfa hay with no adverse effects on their performance. It can be useful in reducing rabbit feed costs. Also using fennel hay in rabbit diets can be one of the alternative solutions to environmental problems in some regions as Abdel-Azeem, where the Agriculture West accumulated and caused many environmental hazards.