Breed additive and individual heterotic effects on the reproductive performance in three rabbit breeds

N. Sangare and O. M. Ariff

Abstract

Data recorded on 457 litters, from a three-breed diallel experiment, were used to characterize the Californian, Rex and Local rabbits for reproductive traits. The traits investigated included litter size, litter and individual average weights and mortality at birth and weaning stages. Unlike the breed of dam rankings, the breed of sire rankings of Californian, Rex and Local were generally consistent with the rankings in breed direct additive effects for many of the traits studied. The Rex maternal additive effects for average weight at birth and the Local direct additive effects negatively affected almost all the traits investigated, except mortality at birth, and litter weight and litter size at weaning. The Californian maternal additive effects and the Rex direct additve effects significantly increased the litter weight at weaning. The Local direct additive effects significantly improved the postnatal survivality while the Californian ones depressed it. All the two-breed combinations of the three breeds displayed significant heterosis on at least one of the traits investigated. The average heterosis ranged from 0.02% to 12.69%. These results supported the view that crossbreeding could be an effective means of improving the reproductive traits under the present environmental conditions.

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