Comparison of rabbit breed types for postweaning litter growth, feed efficiency, and survival performance traits. 1991

C E Ozimba, and S D Lukefahr
Dept. of Food Sci. and Anim. Ind., Alabama A&M University, Huntsville 35762.

Postweaning data on 643 rabbits from 122 litters representing four breed types, New Zealand White (NZW) and Californian (CAL) purebreds, CAL X NZW (CXN), and Flemish Giant (FG) crossbreds (the latter group was a collection of FG X CAL, FG X Champagne D'Argent [CHA], and 1/2 FG X 1/4 CAL X 1/4 CHA), were gathered over five seasons and compared for growth, feed efficiency, and survival-related performance traits. Evaluation criteria included litter size and weight at weaning (28 d); 28- to 70-d litter feed intake, weight gain, feed efficiency, and mortality rate; and litter and average market weight (70 d). The least squares model included main effects of breed type, season of birth of the litter and parity of dam, litter size at weaning as a linear covariate, and the random error. Breed-type differences were not detected for litter size and weight at weaning and feed efficiency. Purebred NZW and CAL litter trait performances were comparable (P greater than .05). Purebred NZW litters consumed less feed than CXN and FG crosses, gained weight less rapidly than FG crosses, and weighed less per fryer at 70 d than CXN and FG crosses (P less than .05). Feed intake was lower and average market weight was lighter for CAL purebred litters than for CXN and FG crossbred litters (P less than .05). The CXN and FG crossbreds only differed (P less than .05) for average market weight (2,078 vs 2,192 g). Mortality rate was lower (P less than .05) in CXN crossbred litters than in CAL purebred litters.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008098 Litter Size The number of offspring produced at one birth by a viviparous animal. Litter Sizes,Size, Litter,Sizes, Litter
D010298 Parity The number of offspring a female has borne. It is contrasted with GRAVIDITY, which refers to the number of pregnancies, regardless of outcome. Multiparity,Nulliparity,Primiparity,Parity Progression Ratio,Parity Progression Ratios,Ratio, Parity Progression,Ratios, Parity Progression
D011817 Rabbits A burrowing plant-eating mammal with hind limbs that are longer than its fore limbs. It belongs to the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, and in contrast to hares, possesses 22 instead of 24 pairs of chromosomes. Belgian Hare,New Zealand Rabbit,New Zealand Rabbits,New Zealand White Rabbit,Rabbit,Rabbit, Domestic,Chinchilla Rabbits,NZW Rabbits,New Zealand White Rabbits,Oryctolagus cuniculus,Chinchilla Rabbit,Domestic Rabbit,Domestic Rabbits,Hare, Belgian,NZW Rabbit,Rabbit, Chinchilla,Rabbit, NZW,Rabbit, New Zealand,Rabbits, Chinchilla,Rabbits, Domestic,Rabbits, NZW,Rabbits, New Zealand,Zealand Rabbit, New,Zealand Rabbits, New,cuniculus, Oryctolagus
D001947 Breeding The production of offspring by selective mating or HYBRIDIZATION, GENETIC in animals or plants. Breedings
D003433 Crosses, Genetic Deliberate breeding of two different individuals that results in offspring that carry part of the genetic material of each parent. The parent organisms must be genetically compatible and may be from different varieties or closely related species. Cross, Genetic,Genetic Cross,Genetic Crosses
D004435 Eating The consumption of edible substances. Dietary Intake,Feed Intake,Food Intake,Macronutrient Intake,Micronutrient Intake,Nutrient Intake,Nutritional Intake,Ingestion,Dietary Intakes,Feed Intakes,Intake, Dietary,Intake, Feed,Intake, Food,Intake, Macronutrient,Intake, Micronutrient,Intake, Nutrient,Intake, Nutritional,Macronutrient Intakes,Micronutrient Intakes,Nutrient Intakes,Nutritional Intakes
D005260 Female Females
D006823 Hybrid Vigor The adaptive superiority of the heterozygous GENOTYPE with respect to one or more characters in comparison with the corresponding HOMOZYGOTE. Heterosis,Vigor, Hybrid
D000704 Analysis of Variance A statistical technique that isolates and assesses the contributions of categorical independent variables to variation in the mean of a continuous dependent variable. ANOVA,Analysis, Variance,Variance Analysis,Analyses, Variance,Variance Analyses
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia

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