PERFORMANCE OF NEWZEALAND WHITE, CALIFORNIAN AND CHINCHILLA RABBITS AND THEIR CROSSES IN A WARM TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT
PERFORMANCE OF NEWZEALAND WHITE, CALIFORNIAN AND CHINCHILLA RABBITS AND THEIR CROSSES IN A WARM TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT
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Date
1993-03
Authors
YAHAYA, HAJIYA HAUWA'U KULU
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Abstract
Mating within Newzealand White (NN), Californian (CC)
and Chinchilla (CH) rabbits and between all possible crosses
were carried out. A total number of 259 kittens obtained from
65 does and 32 sires were analysed to evaluate various
performance traits. Results obtained indicate that sirebreed
had no significant (P>0.05) effect on GESTL (gestation
length), WTs (kitten body weight at 8weeks of age), NOSURV
(number of Kittens survived to 8 weeks) and PMORTOT (total
percent mortality % ) . However, CC and NN had higher (P<0.05)
Lsize (litter size) (5.35+0.5 and 5.37+0.4) and higher
(P<0.05) MBWT (44.14+3g and 48.49+3g. NN was observed to
produce kittens with higher (P<0.05) LBWT (Litter
birthweight) (242.29+19g), higher (P<0.05) Noweaned (Number
of kittens weaned at 4 weeks) 2.45+0.3 and had lower (P<0.05)
MWD% (Percent mortality at weaning %) (42.63+7). NN and CH
had heaviest (P<0.05) kitten body weight at WT2, (Kitten body
weight at 2 weeks), WWT4 , (Kitten body weight at 4 weeks)
(146.70+4.3g and 149.89±5.7g), (258.64+7.1 and 258.82+9.3)
and WT$, (Kitten body weight at 6 weeks) (394.72+1.7g and
420.25+13.5g). Dam breed had no significant (P>0.05) effect
on GESTL, MBWT, WT2, WWT4, MWD% and PMORTOT %. All the dams
were observed to have similar GESTL (30.72+0.8, 31.24+0.7days
and 31.33+0.7 days). NN and CH had higher (P<0.05) Lsize
(6.17+0.5 and 5.03+0.4), LBWT (239.62+21g and 220.85+18g),
Noweaned (2.65+0.4 and 2.17+0.3) and Nosurv (2.40+0.3 and
2.10+0.3). At 6 and 8 weeks of age, CC and CH had kittens
with heavier (P<0.05) body weights (392.86+14.9g and
401.35+10.3g) and (524.54+19.6g and 546.59+13.Og). Season had
no significant (P>0.05) effect on GESTL, Lsize, LBMT, MBWT,
Noweaned and MWD %. However, kittens kindled between June and
September gave higher (P<0.05) body weights at all sampling
periods, Nosurv and lower (P<0.05) PMORTOT %.
Pure breeding had no significant (P>0.05) effect on
GESTL, kitten body weights at WT2 , and WWT4, NN x NN had
highest (P<0.05) LBWT (213.33+14g) while NN x NN and CC x CC
had higher (P<0.05) MBWT (53.79+4g and 52.14+3g) with NN x NN
and CH x CH having higher (P<0.05) Lsize (4.08+0.4 and
4.64+0,4). At WTe, and WTs CC x CC and CH x CH had heavier
(P<0.05) kitten body weights (414.77+24.85g and
434.48+21.65g) and (578.57+33.78g and 580.00+29.26g), while
NNxNN and CHxCH had higher (P<0.05) Noweaned (3.17+0.5 and
2.82+0.5) and Nosurv (2.67+0.4) and 2.64+0.4) with CC x CC
having the highest (P<0,05) MMD % (46.25+10) and PMORTOT %
(47.50+10).
Crossbreeding had a significant (P<0.05) effect on all
parameters considered. GESTL ranged from 29.25+0.8 days
32.57+0.9 days with CC x NN, and CH x CC having the highest
(P<0.05). NN x CH, CC x NN and CC x CH produced highest
(P<0.05) LBWT (238.00.+ 22g, 241.25+25g and 232.69+20g) while
NN x CC and NN x CH had heaviest MBWT (49.58 + 3g and
46.35+3g). CC x NN, CC x CH and CH x NN had highest (P<0.05)
Lsize (6.25+0.6, 5.46+0.4 and 6.13+0.6). At WT2 , CH x CC had
kittens with heaviest (P<0.05) body weight (190.00+13g), at
WWT-t , NN x CH and CH x CC (247.73+9g and 295.00+18g), at WTe ,
CH x CC (500.00+31g) and at WTa, NN x CH (513.64+16g). CC x
NN had highest (P<0.05) Noweaned (2.75+0.6 while NN x CH, CC
x NN and CH x NN had highest (P<0.05) NOSURV (2.20+0.5,
2.25+0.6 and 1.88+0.6). However, CC x NN had lowest (P<0.05)
MWD % and PMORTOT % (45.83+12 and 48.33+12).
Crossbred rabbits had higher LBWT and Lsize than the
purebreds except for CH x CC (157.14+24g and 3.78+0.5). However,
purebreds had higher MBWT, higher kitten body weights
at WT2, WWT4, WT6, WT8, Noweaned, NOSURV, lower MWD % and
PMORTOT % than their crosses.
Description
A Thesis submitted to the Department of Animal Science,
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in partial fulfillment of the
Award of Master of Science (Animal Science).
March 1993
Keywords
PERFORMANCE,, NEWZEALAND, WHITE,, CALIFORNIAN,, CHINCHILLA,, RABBITS,, CROSSES,, WARM,, TROPICAL,, ENVIRONMENT.