The experiment was carried out to evaluate the nutritional value of early flowering Italian ryegrass for growing rabbits. A total of 24 New Zealand rabbits at 60 days of age with an average weight of (2.20±0.32) kg were used in a completely randomized design, which consisted of 2 groups and 12 replicates in each group. A basal diet was formulated to meet requirements of growing rabbits and the experiment diet was formulated by substituting 20% of the basal diet with Italian ryegrass. Fecal apparent digestibility of major nutrients in Italian ryegrass for growing rabbits was measured. Both pre-trial and trial period was 7 days. The results showed: 1) Gross energy, dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, crude ash, Ca, total P and nitrogen free extract contents of Italian ryegrass were 16.78 MJ/kg, 92.24%, 10.20%, 1.64%, 26.09%, 51.80%, 31.35%, 7.72%, 0.66%, 0.28% and 46.59%, respectively. 2) The apparent digestible energy of Italian ryegrass was 7.21 MJ/kg. Apparent digestibility of gross energy, dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, crude ash, Ca, total P and nitrogen free extract in Italian ryegrass were 33.45%, 48.36%, 44.18%, 84.45%, 25.91%, 22.73%, 22.25%, 26.10%, 62.87%, 13.94% and 61.42%, respectively. In conclusion, contents of crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber are higher and contents of ether extract, total P are lower in Italian ryegrass. There are certain differences between the nutrient digestibility of Italian ryegrass for growing rabbits, the apparent digestibility of ether extract, crude fiber, Ca, nitrogen free extract are higher, while the apparent digestibility of total P is lower in the Italian ryegrass for growing rabbits.
