EFFECT OF GENOTYPE ON SOME REPRODUCTIVE TRAITS OF RABBITS

Abstract

A total number of twenty (20) does and ten bucks (10) were used for the study comprising of ten (10) does and five 5 bucks for each of the genotypes respectively. The study was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm, Department of Animal Science, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno State. Data on some reproductive traits were obtained from does over a period of six months (January-June 2020). Data obtained were; litter size at birth, gestation length, litter weight at birth, weight of doe, and weight of buck. There was significant different (p> 0.05) in body weight of doe with Dutch breed having highest value followed by New Zealand white. The combined Pearson correlation of some reproductive traits of two breeds of rabbit obtained a strong positive and significant correlation (r=0.88) between body weight of doe and gestation length. Moderate positive and significant correlation were obtained between breed and body weight of doe (BWD), Breed and gestation length (GL), and litter size (LS) and litter weight at birth (LWB) with their corresponding values of (r=0.54, r=0.53, and 0.55) respectively. This result revealed that increase in any of the traits may lead to increase in their corresponding values respectively.