PERFORMANCE OF 3 RABBITS STRAINS AND THEIR RECIPROCAL CROSSES IN EGYPT DURING SUMMER.

Abstract

The present work was conducted to study the performance of 3 rabbits strains: New Zealand White (NZW), Baladi Black (BB) and Baladi Red (BR) and 4 of the reciprocal crosses between NZW and Baladi rabbits, during hot summer of Egypt. Values of litter size at birth, weaning (28 days) and marketing ages (84 days) did not differ significantly as affected by genotype, sex or the interaction between them. Mortality values of offspring from birth to weaning age differed significantly (P<0.01) among the 7 genetic types and NZWxNZW showed the lower value (5.4%), while BRxBR showed the highest value (41.1 %). They were no significant differences for mortality from weaning to marketing age due to the effect of genotype, sex or interaction between them. Kit weight at birth was significantly higher (P<0.05) for crossbreds (72 to 78g) than purebreds (48 to 54g), the same trend was realized at marketing age, except for BBxBB group. Significant (P<0.05) interaction between genotype and sex was shown for kit weight at birth, females of BBxNZW cross showed the highest kit weight at birth (80 g). Male kits significantly (P<0.05) surpassed the female kits in marketing live weight at 12 weeks of age (1420 vs 1357 g). The difference between purebred and crossbred groups in the average daily gain was statistically significant (P<0.05) from birth to weaning age (0-28 daY.s). Reciprocal crosses between NZW and BB were of heavier da1ly gain than that of the reciproca! crosses between NZW and BR. From weaning to marketing age (28-84 days), daily gain of the crossbred groups was superior (17.5 to19.4g/day) and the liveweight heavier than that of the purebred ones (14.1 to 16.4g/day). Positive superiority for the studied crosses was observed for the litter size at weaning, mortality rate from birth to weaning, live weight at birth and weight gain from weaning to marketing age.