A comparison of selected performance indicators, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance parameters in Californian and Flemish Giant rabbits

Abstract

Medium rabbit breeds such as Californian (CAL) are generally regarded as most suitable for meat production on commercial farms. Despite the increasing scale of production, commercial rabbit breeding has not replaced traditional and organic small-scale farming systems which use various rabbit breeds and hybrids. The Flemish Giant (FG), the largest rabbit breed in the world, is widely used in small household farms. According to researchers, the progeny of FG does have a relatively high weaning weight, and bucks are deemed good paternal components in commercial crossing. The aim of this study was to compare rearing rate, body weight, daily gains, carcass dressing percentage and the percentage of primal cuts in the carcass in CAL and FG rabbits. Nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance and nitrogen retention parameters were also compared in the studied breeds. In our study, CAL rabbits were characterised by better reproductive performance in comparison with FG rabbits. Despite the above, the observed daily gain values, daily nitrogen balance and retention parameters and carcass dressing percentages of the compared breeds suggest that FGs may be a good alternative to medium breeds such as CAL rabbits.