ESTIMATION OF MORPHOMETRIC TRAITS OF PURE, MAIN AND RECIPROCAL RABBIT CROSSES USING ALLOMETRIC EQUATION

Abstract

A base population consisted of 9 sires mated to 27 dams in a Completely Randomized Design was used in the production of the F1 progenies for the determination of the effect of genotype on growth characteristics of rabbit crosses in a humid tropical environment. The rabbits consisted of 9 each of Chinchilla, New Zealand White and Dutch does and 3 bucks for each of the genotypes. The data from the study were used to evaluate the allometric growth equation and distribution coefficients for linear growth parameters for 12 week period in pure, main and reciprocal rabbit crosses. The allometric
coefficients showed that thigh girth, tail length and heart girth grew fast in the crossbred than the purebred rabbits. NZW x CHA had allometric coefficients of 0.37 and 0.46 for heart girth and tail length, 0.40 and 0.47 in NZW x DUT. CHA x DUT had allometric coefficients of 0.47, 0.40 and 0.44 for heart girth, thigh girth and tail length, 0.35, 0.40 and 0.46 for CHA x NZW, 0.38, 0.48 and 0.42 in DUT x CHA and 0.39, 0.43 and 0.43 in DUT x NZW. Importance of thigh girth and heart girth as a major meat cut regions is also associated with higher body weight. With the superiority of NZW x CHA in terms of body weight and most linear body measurements, it is therefore concluded that the NZW x CHA rabbits should be used for growth purposes and that linear body measurements can be used as indicators of body weight.