Economic and biological characteristics and quality of production of rabbits of different origin

Abstract

Rabbit as one of the species of farm animals has a number of advantages: precocity, prolificacy, low expenditures on housing and feeding, high payback of feed production. The purpose of the research was to study the economic and biological characteristics and product quality of rabbits of different origin. Comprehensive research has been carried out under the environments of LLC “ACRO” in the Omsk region. Four experimental groups have been formed for research: the 1st group included animals four purebred females and one purebred male of White Giant breed; the 2nd group included four purebred females and one purebred male of California breed; the 3rd group included four purebred females of White Giant breed and one purebred male of California breed; the 4st group included four purebred females of California breed and one purebred male of White Giant breed. The maximum level of profitability of rabbit production has been obtained in the group of animals obtained from direct crossbreeding of White Giant and California breeds – 22,7 % (the 3rd group). This figure was higher by 9,6 % then in the group’s purebred animals of breed White Giant (the 1st group), 4,6 % then in group of animals obtained from the backcrossing breeds of California and White Giant (the 4st group) and 3,2 % then in group of purebred animal of the breed of California (2nd group). It has been found as a result of the conducted research that crossbreds obtained from direct crossbreeding of White Giant and California breeds have been superior to purebred herdmates of White Giant and California breeds, as well as animals obtained from backcrossing of California and White Giant breeds in terms of growth rate, formation characteristics, slaughter indicators and economic efficiency of rabbit production.