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

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.

PERFORMANCE OF NEWZEALAND WHITE, CALIFORNIAN AND CHINCHILLA RABBITS AND THEIR CROSSES IN A WARM TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT