EFFECT OF DIFFERENT MATING INTERVALS ON LITTER SIZE OF RABBITS

¹P.C. Okiyi, and ²H.C. Edoh

¹Abia State University, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria.

²National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria.

E-mail: okiyipatrickc@gmail.com

Abstract: The experiment was carried out to find out the different mating intervals on litter size of (0 day, 7days, 14 days, 21days and 28 days) after kindling. 15 mature rabbit does of New Zealand White were used for the experiment, each treatment was replicated 3 times. Water and feed were given ad libitum with forage like Panicum maximum as supplement. The experiment lasted for five (5) months. Simple description statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data collected while the New Duncan’s Multiple Range Test was employed to compare treatment means. Results showed that litter size, litter weight, weaning weight, Doe weight at kindling, gestation and mortality were significantly (P<0.05) influenced. It further shows that Doe weight at weaning was non-significantly affected (P>0.05). The result of the study showed that mating of does at 0 day and 14 days after kindling improved litter size.