THE PERFORMANCE OF ANGORA RABBIT DOES AND THEIR PROGENY DEPENDING ON THE SEMEN USED FOR ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION

Abstract

German Angora does were artificially inseminated with either Pannon White (N) or heterospermic (N+A) or Angora (A) rabbit semen to compare the reproduction and growth traits of 54 N x A, 53 (N+A) x A and 65 A x A matings. The kindling rate was 59.3, 58.5 and 47.7%, resp., the value of total born per litter averaged 7.09, 6.36 and 6.19, litter size at 21 days of age 5.73, 5.97 and 4.89, and litter weight at 21 days 1739, 1700 and 1446 g. In the (N+A) x A group the ratio of NA and AA offspring at 21 days of age was 70.1 % and 29.9%, which differed from the expected 1 :1 distribution (P<0.05). Rabbits were weaned at 42 days of age. For 91 NA from N x A, 74 NA and 30 AA from (N+A) x A, and 94 AA offspring from A x A mating combinations, the body weight averaged 317, 287, 288 and 303 g at 21 days and 1054, 993, 869 and 908 g at 42 days, and 2004, 1891 , 161 O and 1594 g at 70 days, and the daily weight gain between 3 and 6 weeks of age was 35.0, 33.6, 27.7 and 28.8 g and between 6 and 10 weeks of age 33.4, 32.1, 25.4 and 24.7 g, respectively. lt seemed that the Angora sperm disadvantageously influenced the fertility and litter size. The larger birth litter size, better gain and lower mortality of NA and their higher ratio in the heterospermic group indicated their better viability comparad to AA rabbits. The body weight of NA born in the heterospermic group differed more and more with advancing age from their AA littermates, which supports the hypothesis of the negativa pleiotropic effect of the Angora gene and/or the remaining part of the genoma on growth.