Prolificacy and Fecundity Studies among Selected Breeds of Rabbits (Oryctolagus cunniculus Linnaeus) (Published)
Research work on selected breeds of rabbits was staged at Rabbitary Unit of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, Nigeria to examine the differences on prolificacy and fecundity among the breeds. Twelve matured female rabbits of four different breeds were allocated into four replicates laid in completely randomized design. ANOVA at 95% level showed that there was significant difference across all breeds in Weight before mating (WTBM), Weight at two week of pregnancy (WT2P), Weight at four week of pregnancy (WT4P), Weight at birth (WTAB), Weight of Kittens at three week old (WTK3) except LITTER SIZE. New Zealand White (NZW) was the most prolific among the breeds with average kittens of 6 over Flemish Giant of 5. All breeds selected were of high fecundity with ability of 6 parturitions. Flemish Giant and New Zealand White are therefore recommended to farmers and prospective farmers to use as farm stocks for economic turnover in term of prolificacy and size.
Keywords: breeds, fecundity, litter size, parturition, prolificacy