Rabbit Breeding Research Articles

Evaluation of the Hairballs in the Gastrointestinal Tract and Urinary Stones in Razi Institute Laboratory Rabbits

Background: Usually, the daily self-grooming by rabbits leads to fur accumulation in the animal’s stomach. Since rabbit hair is looser than other animals and constantly licks their body, the fur can be pulled out easily. On the other hand, rabbits are susceptible to urinary stone formation. Objectives: This study was designed to investigate the presence of hairballs and urinary stones in Razi Institute Laboratory rabbits. Methods: During the 1 year, the albino Dutch laboratory rabbit colony, in research, breeding, and production of the Laboratory Animals Department of Razi Institute, including 106 males, 287 females, and 166 kittens, were monitored. After the necropsy of the selected animals, the gastrointestinal tract (stomach and intestines) were examined for the presence of hair and hairballs. Then the urinary system (kidneys, ureter, urinary bladder, and urethra) was examined for any urinary stones. Results: No symptoms of anorexia, lethargy, abdominal pain, weight loss, decrease and abnormal stools were observed in them, and also no mortality occurred in the whole colony. All samples’ stomach was full, indicating enough eating. No gas or congested spots, or hemorrhage were observed in the intestines. The amount and consistency of stool in the intestines were normal. In none of the samples, hairballs were observed, but in most rabbits’ stomachs (both sexes), a small amount of hair was observed in the stomach contents. Also, no symptoms of urinary stones were observed in the colony of the studied rabbits. Conclusion: Balanced diet, supply of nutritional requirements, and the absence of any stressors in breeding environments have played a key role and prevented many diseases, such as hairballs and urinary stones. No observation of urinary stones in this study could lead to the hypothesis that infection with the bacteria that cause urinary stones in the studied rabbits was eliminated or non-pathogenic, indicating specific pathogen-free animals. However, bacterial and other infectious agent monitoring should be specialized.

Analysis of Rabbit Farming Business and Marketing in Increasing Family Income from a Sharia Economic Perspective

The Sharia economic law approach is intended to explore aspects of the problem of business analysis and marketing of rabbit livestock from the perspective of Sharia economic law. The psychological approach is to gain knowledge related to the psychological condition of the informant relating to behavior, knowledge, feelings, and thoughts about the object being studied. The sociological approach takes a social approach to rabbit breeders and buyers. Mattoanging Village, Lalabata District, Soppeng Regency, is the center of rabbit farming in Soppeng Regency. In Mattoanging Village, there are several heads of families who are involved in rabbit farming activities. Currently, the number of breeders who are starting to pursue business is increasing, and marketing is also getting better. This shows that the growing interest of breeders is supported by market opportunities that are still very open. The rabbit farming business is currently being developed by breeders as an effort to increase productivity from a good perspective for health and income. Apart from that, the Break Even Point (BEP) analysis, namely the level of revenue, production, and price of the rabbit breeder's business, is at the break-even point or does not make a profit and does not experience a loss.

Social behaviour and personality profiles of breeding does housed part-time in group.

Housing breeding female rabbits in multi-litter instead of single-litter cages allows for more natural behaviour and social contact with conspecifics. Hierarchy fights among does, however, inhibit uptake on farms. Past focus on high reproductive performances in single-litter cages may have yielded rabbit breeds that are less suited to living in groups. For (part-time) multi-litter systems, it may prove beneficial to identify does with personality traits that are desirable for group-living and that promote the rapid formation and maintenance of a stable social hierarchy without grave injuries and prolonged stress. In this trial, we aimed to profile the personality of does by investigating the consistency of their social behavioural strategy when mixed in different groups. We further tested if strategy and personality of does were linked with skin injuries in the groups and if skin injuries could serve as a proxy to identify doe strategies and profiles. During three consecutive reproduction cycles, three or four does and their 22-day-old kits were housed in multi-litter cages for a period of 13 days (N = 51 does in total). Doe agonistic behaviour was recorded during the first 24 h (cycle 1 and 2) and the first 8 h (cycle 3) after grouping. Cluster analysis revealed two social behavioural strategies does adopted when a new group was formed: ‘offensive’ (36.8%) versus ‘submissive/avoider’ (63.2%). From all does that participated in the study for all three reproduction cycles (N = 32), 46.9% changed strategy at least once between cycles and were identified as an ‘all-rounder’ personality profile. Two other profiles were identified for does that did not change between cycles: ‘consistently submissive’ (40.6%) and ‘consistently offensive’ (12.5%). The presence of both ‘stable’ and ‘unstable’ does suggests that some does adjust their behaviour in response to their social environment. No significant correlations were found between injuries at both individual and group level and doe strategy or profile. Likewise, results could not confirm if skin injuries were a good proxy to identify doe strategy or profile. Future investigations could explore alternatives to identify ‘sociable’ does without relying on intensive behavioural studies (e.g. ano-genital distance of female kits at birth). Additionally, it needs to be ascertained whether removing offensive behaving does would indeed lead to reduced aggression and stress in group housing systems. ImplicationsBreeding female rabbits may benefit from group housing but aggressive behaviour compromises animal welfare and commercial uptake. To gain knowledge on the social dynamics between does, we investigated whether problematic agonistic behaviour could be a stable personality trait. This could facilitate selection towards ‘sociable’ on-farm doe groups. Results showed that social behaviour strategies (offensive or submissive/avoider) were stable across three successive production rounds in half of the does. Other does showed more flexibility, possibly depending on group composition. Links between doe behaviour and skin injuries (including those of group mates), however, are missing which makes identification and practical uptake challenging.

Dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: Effects on reproductive and productive performance and meat quality in rabbit breeding.

Rabbit breeding has many critical aspects related to reproduction, production, and animal welfare, which reduce its profitability as well as consumer attractiveness. Dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) seems to be a good nutritional strategy to improve several aspects of rabbit breeding, enhance animal welfare and produce a new functional food considered healthy for human consumption. For this reason, the main available scientific research regarding the physiological effects of n-3 PUFA rich products supplemented to the rabbit diet will be reviewed. In particular, consequences on the reproductive performances of both doe and buck, the productive parameters, and the meat quality will be analysed.

Rabbits as Animal Models for Anti-Tick Vaccine Development: A Global Scenario.

Studies evaluating candidate tick-derived proteins as anti-tick vaccines in natural hosts have been limited due to high costs. To overcome this problem, animal models are used in immunization tests. The aim of this article was to review the use of rabbits as an experimental model for the evaluation of tick-derived proteins as vaccines. A total of 57 tick proteins were tested for their immunogenic potential using rabbits as models for vaccination. The most commonly used rabbit breeds were New Zealand (73.8%), Japanese white (19%), Californians (4.8%) and Flemish lop-eared (2.4%) rabbits. Anti-tick vaccines efficacy resulted in up to 99.9%. Haemaphysalis longicornis (17.9%) and Ornithodoros moubata (12.8%) were the most common tick models in vaccination trials. Experiments with rabbits have revealed that some proteins (CoAQP, OeAQP, OeAQP1, Bm86, GST-Hl, 64TRP, serpins and voraxin) can induce immune responses against various tick species. In addition, in some cases it was possible to determine that the vaccine efficacy in rabbits was similar to that of experiments performed on natural hosts (e.g., Bm86, IrFER2, RmFER2, serpins and serine protease inhibitor). In conclusion, results showed that prior to performing anti-tick vaccination trials using natural hosts, rabbits can be used as suitable experimental models for these studies.

Breeding practices and selection criteria on livestock farming in the Drâa-Tafilalet region of Morocco

This study aimed to identify breeding practices and selection criteria used by livestock breeders in the Drâa-Tafilalet region in southeastern Morocco. Five sites in the region with three to five rural districts each were selected, within each district, one to eight breeders of each livestock species were interviewed. There were 305 surveys conducted in 21 districts with 60, 105, 71, 21, 35 and 13 breeders of cattle, sheep, goats, camels, chickens and rabbits, respectively. Frequencies were calculated to describe breeding practices and index values were used to examine selection criteria employed by breeders. A total of 74.6% of cattle breeders used natural mating, 16.9% used artificial insemination, and 8.47% used both. However, for other livestock species, natural mating was the only method of mating. In cattle, sheep, goats, camels, chickens and rabbits, the proportion of breeding males from the breeder's own herd was 12.8%, 73.1%, 86.1%, 56.1%, 81.6% and 92.3%, respectively. Breeders who practiced the selection of breeding animals were 74.6%, while the rest used random selection. In the former group, 73.9% selected both males and females, 4.26% selected only males and 21.8% selected only females. In selecting breeding animals, body size ranked first for cattle, sheep, goat, camel, chicken, and rabbit breeders with indices of 0.37, 0.41, 0.43, 0.43, 0.47 and 0.50, respectively for males, and 0.33, 0.34, 0.41, 0.41, 0.44 and 0.50, respectively for females. It was concluded that breeders' existing breeding practices and selection criteria should be considered in order to minimize the failure of genetic improvement programs in livestock production.

Quantifying agonistic interactions between group-housed animals to derive social hierarchies using computer vision: a case study with commercially group-housed rabbits

In recent years, computer vision has contributed significantly to the study of farm animal behavior. In complex environments such as commercial farms, however, the automated detection of social behavior and specific interactions between animals can be improved. The present study addresses the automated detection of agonistic interactions between caged animals in a complex environment, relying solely on computer vision. An automated pipeline including group-level temporal action segmentation, object detection, object tracking and rule-based action classification for the detection of agonistic interactions was developed and extensively validated at a level unique in the field. Comparing with observations made by human observers, our pipeline reaches 77% precision and 85% recall using a 5-min tolerance interval for the detection of agonistic interactions. Results obtained using this pipeline allow to construct time-dependent socio-matrices of a group of animals and derive metrics on the dominance hierarchy in a semi-automated manner. Group-housed breeding rabbits (does) with their litters in commercial farms are the main use-case in this work, but the idea is probably also applicable to other social farm animals.

Effect of rearing system (free-range vs cage) on gut and muscle histomorphology and microbial loads of Italian White breed rabbits.

The growing consumers' interest on animal welfare has raised the request of products obtained by alternative rearing systems. The present study was conducted to assess the influence of housing system on gut and muscle morphology and on microbial load in rabbits reared under free-range (FR) and cage system (CS). A total of forty weaned (35 days of age) male Italian White breed rabbits were allotted according to the rearing system, and at 91 days of age were randomly selected and slaughtered for the morphological evaluation of tissue from duodenum and longissimus lumborum. Morphometric analysis of the villus height, villus width, crypt depth, villus height/crypt depth ratio, and villus surface was performed. The microbial loads on hind muscle was determined by total mesophilic aerobic count (TMAC), Escherichia coli and Enterobacteriaceae; whereas, total anaerobic bacteria count (TABC) and TMAC, E. coli and Enterobacteriaceae was determined on caecal content. Rearing system did not interfere with the duodenum and muscle histomorphology in both rabbit groups. Similarly, microbial load of caecal content showed no significant differences on the TABC and TMAC. Conversely, significant difference was found for E. coli strains in caecal content, with the lower counts in FR compared to CS rabbits (p<0.01). Microbiological assay of muscle revealed significant lower TMAC in FR vs CS rabbits (p< 0.05). All rabbit meat samples were negative for E. Coli and Enterobacteriaceae. Free-range could be considered a possible alternative and sustainable rearing system in rabbits to preserve gut environment and muscle quality.

Response to Selection for Body weight and Linear Body Traits in Breeds of Rabbit

An assessment of the selection response of body weight and linear body traits in breeds of rabbit in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria was conducted. A population of 48 matured rabbits consisting of three breeds; New Zealand white, Chinchilla and Dutch was used in the experiment. Each breed represented a treatment group and was used to generate 288 rabbits in a nested design. The populations were selected at six weeks of age in all the generations. The growth traits considered were; body weight, ear length, nose to shoulder, body length, length of back leg, thigh length, and heart girth and thigh circumference. Data generated were subjected to analysis of variance using the SAS software. The New Zealand White had a higher body weight of 1157.92±22.75g and 1229.35±24.07g in generations one and two respectively, and heart girth of 20.09±0.14cm, thigh length of 15.93±0.09cm, body length of 44.52±0.48cm and thigh circumference 10.96±0.09cm in generation one. The length of back legs and heart girth in generation two were better expressed in Chinchilla and Dutch breeds, respectively. The selection response range was 19.45 - 22.20kg and 13.59 - 14.95kg in males and females respectively for body weight while the linear body traits ranged from 0.01 - 0.30cm and 0.01 - 0.28cm for males and females respectively in New Zealand white. For chinchilla, responses to selection for body weight were 9.45-10.33kg and 1.85 - 14.54kg for males and females respectively while linear body traits ranged from 0.01- 0.33cm for both males and females. The response to selection for body weight in Dutch ranged from 7.48 - 27.40kg and 18.38 - 18.66kg for males and females respectively, whereas for the linear body traits the range was 0.01 - 0.34cm and 0.02 - 0.40cm for males and females respectively. It was observed that the Dutch genotype had the best selection progress for body weight and linear body traits and therefore recommended for improvement of body weight and linear body traits

Sperm quality of Zemplin Rabbit and Liptov Bold-Spotted Rabbit breeds

Zemplin Rabbit and Liptov Bold-Spotted Rabbit are Slovak national breeds. Our aim was to characterize the sperm quality of these two breeds, as these characteristics are important for artificial insemination and cryopreservation as biodiversity conservation tools. For this evaluation, sperm samples of sexually mature Zemplin Rabbit (ZR) males (n = 6) and Liptov Bold-Spotted Rabbits (LR) (n = 4) were used. According to progressive motility (PM) data (CASA), samples were divided into two groups: A (&gt;30% PM) and B (&lt;30% PM). In addition to PM (ZR-A: 48.6±3.8%, ZR-B: 16±3.2%, LR-A: 35.38±2.6%, LR-B: 4±2.2%), total motility (TM) (ZR-A: 69.1±4.1%, ZR-B: 35.5±4.1%, LR-A: 59.1±3%, LR-B: 26.9±4.1%) and morphological abnormalities (ZR-A: 29.7±1.2%, ZR-B: 40±4%, LR-A: 34.3±4.3%, LR-B: 48.3±4.7%) were also assessed using the CASA system. The proportion of dead/live, apoptotic and oxidative damaged spermatozoa (Spz) was assessed by flow cytometry using fluorescent dyes: SYBR-14, Sytox Green, Yo-Pro-1 and CellROX Green, respectively. The results of flow cytometry correspond to the values of motility and morphometry. Sperm with PM less than 30% does not show proper quality values, while the sperm with PM higher than 30% is suitable for further analysis and use.

The Emission from Rabbits Breeding in Slovakia

Statistical surveys about rabbits in households brought interesting results about their breeding. The survey shows that approx. 8.3% of Slovak households breed rabbits, of which the majority are bred in the countryside (61%), followed by breeding in cities (35%), and 4% of households stated both options. As part of the investigation, information was also obtained on the method of breeding rabbits. The results showed that housing with the restriction of movement is the predominant breeding method. Housing without the restriction of movement is higher in cities compared to rural areas, while free breeding is absent in households for both options. The information on excrement recovery showed that approximately 59.5% of all farm waste is composted, 15.8% of respondents said that they apply farm excrement to the soil, and the remaining respondents did not answer. The post-processing survey results led to new estimates of methane and nitrous oxide emissions from domestic rabbit farming. The emissions were estimated using the methodology of the tier 2 approach outlined in the IPCC 2019 Refinement. The results indicated that rabbit breeding in households and farms in Slovakia generates an average of 0.51 Gg of methane and 0.13 Gg of nitrous oxide annually. Additionally, when free-range rabbit breeding is considered, emissions are 0.001 Gg of nitrous oxide. These greenhouse gas emissions from rabbit farming contribute to 7% of the total emissions from animal farming, ranking it as the third highest emitter after sheep. Consequently, it is imperative to prioritize the inclusion of this category in Slovakia’s national emissions report.

Cysticercus pisiformis-derived novel-miR1 targets TLR2 to inhibit the immune response in rabbits.

Cysticercosis pisiformis, a highly prevalent parasitic disease worldwide, causes significant economic losses in the rabbit breeding industry. Previous investigations have identified a novel microRNA, designated as novel-miR1, within the serum of rabbit infected with Cysticercus pisiformis. In the present study, we found that C. pisiformis-derived novel-miR1 was released into the rabbit serum via exosomes. Through computational analysis using TargetScan, miRanda, and PITA, a total of 634 target genes of novel-miR1 were predicted. To elucidate the functional role of novel-miR1, a dual-luciferase reporter assay was utilized and demonstrated that novel-miR1 targets rabbit Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). Rabbit peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLCs) were transfected with novel-miR1 mimic and mimic NC, and the in vitro experiments confirmed that novel-miR1 suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 through the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. In vivo experiments demonstrated that novel-miR1 was significantly upregulated during the 1-3 months following infection with C. pisiformis in rabbits. Notably, this upregulation coincided with a downregulation of TLR2, P65, pP65, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in PBLCs. Collectively, these results indicate that the novel-miR1 derived from C. pisiformis inhibited the rabbits' immune response by suppressing the NF-κB-mediated immune response. This immune modulation facilitates parasite invasion, survival, and establishment of a persistent infection.

Reference Range of Kaolin-Activated Thromboelastography (TEG) Values in Healthy Pet Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Thromboelastography (TEG) is a viscoelastic technique that allows the examination of both cellular and plasma protein clotting factors. Thromboelastography helps to investigate the underlying coagulopathy and to monitor therapeutic modalities. Although viscoelastic techniques have been used in human and veterinary medicine, reference ranges in pet rabbits are missing. The objective of this study is to establish the reference-range values of TEG parameters in healthy pet rabbits. 24 healthy pet rabbits of different breeds were included: 16 crossbreeds, four Californians, two lops, one lionhead, and one angora. Four rabbits were less than one year old and 20 were older than one year. Twelve rabbits were neutered females, 10 neutered males, and two were intact females. Health status was assessed through a physical examination, a complete blood work, and a coagulation profile. A TEG 5000 Thromboelastograph Hemostasis System was used with kaolin-activated citrated whole blood. All samples were analysed 30 min postextraction. The TEG reference ranges were reaction time (R) 1.4-6.9 min; clot formation time (K) 0.8-2.2 min; α angle 65.8-82.2 degrees; maximal amplitude (MA) 53.7-73.5 mm; measure of clot strength/firmness (G-value) 5796.6-13,885.9 dyn/cm2; and percentage of clot lysis in 30 min (LY30%) 0-41.5%. This study provides the reference ranges of TEG in pet rabbits.

Global profiling of miRNA and protein expression patterns in rabbit peritoneal macrophages treated with exosomes derived from Taenia pisiformis cysticercus

Infection of Taenia pisiformis cysticercus is very frequently found in lagomorphs and causes serious economic losses to rabbit breeding industry. T. pisiformis cysticercus has evolved numerous strategies to manipulate their hosts. The release of exosomes is of importance in the interaction between host and parasite. However, the mechanism by which T. pisiformis cysticercus evades the host immune system for long-term survival within the host remains unclear. Using small RNA sequencing and TMT labelling proteomic, we profiled the expression patterns of miRNAs and proteins in rabbit peritoneal macrophages treated with T. pisiformis cysticercus exosomes. Seven differentially expressed (DE)-miRNAs and six DE-proteins were randomly selected to validate the accuracy of the sequencing data by qRT-PCR or western blot. Functions of DE-miRNAs and proteins were analyzed using public data bases. And DE-miRNAs–DE-proteins correlation network were established. CCK-8 assay was used to evaluate the effect of exosomes on macrophages proliferation. Cell cycle of macrophages, isolated from T. pisiformis-infected rabbits, was determined using flow cytometry. A total of 21 miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed, including three worm-derived miRNAs. The expressions of miRNAs and proteins were consistent with the sequencing results. DE-miRNAs targets were related to cell proliferation and apoptosis. Exosomes treatment resulted in a decrease of macrophages proliferation. In vivo, T. pisiformis cysticercus significantly induced S phase cell arrest. Moreover, DE-proteins were related to production of interferon-gamma and interleukin-12, and immunoregulation. Correlation network analysis revealed a negative correlation relationship between DE-miRNAs and DE-proteins. Among them, novel334 and tpi-let-7-5p have potential regulatory effects on IL1β and NFκB2 respectively, which imply that novel334–IL1β/tpi-let-7-5p–NFκB2 axis may be an important way that T. pisiformis cysticercus modulates host immune response through exosomes. Further understanding of these potential regulatory mechanisms will contribute to clarify the mechanism of escape mediated by T. pisiformis exosomes.

Model eksperymentalnoho neinfektsiinoho avtoimunnoho uveitu, yaka vyiavliaietsia kliuchovymy klinichnymy oznakamy zalezhno vid stupenia tiazhkosty

Introduction. Uveitis primarily affects young individuals and often leads to loss of productivity. Understanding the clinical, immunological, and morphological characteristics of this disease is of utmost importance and should be based on a thorough study of its developmental mechanisms. Therefore, the experimental modeling of uveitis in rabbits plays a significant role in studying its dynamics. There are numerous models of non-infectious autoimmune uveitis (NAU) available. However, previous publications did not address the question of the severity level of experimental NAU based on the type of used model or amount of antigen administered. The aim of the study. To describe the model of experimental NAU exposing key clinical manifestations depending on the severity level. Materials and methods. The study was conducted on 30 “Chinchilla” breed rabbits subdivided into two groups 15 animals each. NAU was induced in both eyes by intravitreal injection of either insoluble (group I) or soluble (group II) sterile horse serum. On the days of animal withdrawal from the experiment (3, 7, 10, 14, and 21), the clinical manifestatioin of NAU was evaluated based on changes in the humidity of the anterior chamber and vitreous body. A quantitative assessment of clinical signs of NAU was conducted in both groups animals under investigation. Results. From day 2, the clinical signs of NAU in two experimental groups demonstrated different degrees of severity of inflammation, with certain differences in the developmental dynamics. Namely, in group I, NAU was characterized by moderate and severe degrees of inflammation, while in group II, it was predominantly mild. In both groups, progress of intraocular inflammation was noted on days 3, 7, and 10, followed by a decrease in this process on the later phases of experiment. In comparison between two groups of rabbits concerning the dynamics of inflammatory clinical manifestations reflected in scores, a statistically significant differences were documented on all days of the experiment (p is less than 0.05). Conclusions. An experimental model of non-infectious autoimmune uveitis is described, which manifests key clinical signs of this disease development depending on its severity level. These observations open a new possibilities for this model prospective use in clinical practice for diagnostic and prognostic purposes, as well as for the development of new protocols for endogenous uveitis effective treatment. Keywords: experimental model, non-infectious autoimmune uveitis, blood serum, quantitative assessment.

Diversity and Co-Occurrence Pattern Analysis of Cecal and Jejunal Microbiota in Two Rabbit Breeds.

This study aimed to evaluate the productive performance and microbiota variation in the jejunum and cecum of two rabbit breeds with different growth rates. This study was carried out on Native Middle-Egypt Breed (NMER) and Giant Flanders (GF) rabbits from 5 weeks to 12 weeks of age. Twenty NMER (NM) and GF male rabbits were slaughtered, and the jejunum and cecum tracts were collected to assay gut microbiota composition via 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing and histology examination. At 12 weeks of age, daily weight gain, villus height in the jejunum, total protein, and albumin were higher in GF rabbits than in NMER rabbits. Also, the jejunal villi of GF were well arranged in their dense borders. The microbiota between the jejunum and cecum was significantly different in terms of Beta-diversity. A significant correlation between Enterococcus (jejunum NM samples) and Lactobacillus (cecum GF samples) with body weight and weight gain was found (p < 0.05). Moreover, Escherichia-Shigella in the cecum of NM was significantly correlated with weight gain (p < 0.05). The most abundant genera identified in the jejunal and cecal contents of GF were generally beneficial microbiota. They may also play a role in reducing the pathogenic effects of Escherichia coli in these rabbits.

Mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow and adipose tissue for repairing acute sciatic nerve injury in a rabbit model

Peripheral nerve injury is one of the common disabling clinical conditions and around 50% of the cases end up in permanent impairment. Due to the lack of effective treatment options regenerative medicine employing stem cells is being evaluated. The presented study evaluated and compared regeneration potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow (BM) and adipose tissue (AD) in acute rabbit sciatic nerve injury (axonotmesis) model. A total of n = 54 grey giant rabbits were made subject of the study and divided equally into 3 groups: Control, BM-MSCs in Collagen I and AD-MSCs in Collagen I as per the treatment given. Iliac crest BM and omental AD was harvested from the same donor for isolation and culture of MSCs. The repair of sciatic nerve injury was evaluated on days 60 and 90. The clinical and histopathological scores and SEM morphology was better in cell treated groups as compared to the control. Morphology and histological studies revealed injured nerve in different levels of regenerative process. Gene expression was more than double for N-Cadherin in cell treated groups as compared to the control, especially at day 60. Between cell treated groups, BM-MSCs group showed better response as compared to the AD-MSCs, although statistically non-significant (p > 0.05). Incomplete nerve regeneration observed under various diagnostic parameters was in compliance to the incomplete clinical recovery at day 90. It was concluded that MSCs may improve sciatic nerve healing but fall short of complete regeneration at day 90, although BM-MSCs may have an edge over AD-MSCs.

Population genomic structures and signatures of selection define the genetic uniqueness of several fancy and meat rabbit breeds.

Following the recent domestication process of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), many different breeds and lines, distinguished primarily by exterior traits such as coat colour, fur structure and body size and shape, have been constituted. In this study, we genotyped, with a high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism panel, a total of 645 rabbits from 10 fancy breeds (Belgian Hare, Champagne d'Argent, Checkered Giant, Coloured Dwarf, Dwarf Lop, Ermine, Giant Grey, Giant White, Rex and Rhinelander) and three meat breeds (Italian White, Italian Spotted and Italian Silver). ADMIXTURE analysis indicated that breeds with similar phenotypic traits (e.g. coat colour and body size) shared common ancestries. Signatures of selection using two haplotype-based approaches (iHS and XP-EHH), combined with the results obtained with other methods previously reported that we applied to the same breeds, we identified a total of 5079 independent genomic regions with some signatures of selection, covering about 1777 Mb of the rabbit genome. These regions consistently encompassed many genes involved in pigmentation processes (ASIP, EDNRA, EDNRB, KIT, KITLG, MITF, OCA2, TYR and TYRP1), coat structure (LIPH) and body size, including two major genes (LCORL and HMGA2) among many others. This study revealed novel genomic regions under signatures of selection and further demonstrated that population structures and signatures of selection, left into the genome of these rabbit breeds, may contribute to understanding the genetic events that led to their constitution and the complex genetic mechanisms determining the broad phenotypic variability present in these untapped rabbit genetic resources.

REPRODUCTIVE CAPACITY OF FEMALES AND GROWTH OF YOUNG RABBITS USING DIOECIOUSLY NETTLE FLOUR IN FEEDING

Introduction. Breeding of rabbits is the one of the promising branches that occupies a special position in modern animal husbandry. Rabbits are characterized by high fertility and early maturity. A short pregnancy period and the ability of rabbits to combine the physiological periods of lactation and gestation make it possible to obtain more than 30 rabbits and 70 kg of meat per year from a female rabbit.&#x0D; At the same time, one of the key factors that prevents the comprehensive realization of the genetic potential of female productivity is the deterioration of their reproductive capacity. In this sense, the use of phytobiotics in feeding is considered a promising way to solve the problem in order to prevent unproductive losses of the brood stock during pregnancy and birth. Taking this into account, the purpose of the conducted research was to determine the expediency and effectiveness of using dioecious nettle flour in the alimentation of rabbits in the direction of improving parameters of female reproductive capacity, preservation and growth of young before weaning.&#x0D; The realization of the set goal involved the use of a complex of generally accepted zootechnical and statistical research methods. Three groups of female rabbits in the gestation, each with three heads were formed during the process of justifying the set goal. The difference in feeding was in the method of nutritional intervention of the phytosupplement made from nettle: I group – restriction of phytosupplement consumption, II and III groups – consumption of phytosupplement. In the course of exploratory studies, the optimal dosage of nettle flour for their compound feed was substantiated in the amount of 10% versus 3.5 and 15%. From the offspring obtained from the offspring itself, three groups of young animals with 4 heads in the skin were formed: I – consumption of phytosupplements from the 21st day after birth, II group – consumption of phytosupplements through the placental route via the mother's body. , III – consumption of phytonutrients placental in the mother’s womb and orally from the 21st day after birth.&#x0D; Research results. It was established that the fertility itself ranged from 5 to 8 rabbits in the nest, while a total of 56 viable rabbits were obtained in the offspring. However, a higher average yield of rabbits, including live ones, per female that gave birth of a doe rabbit was noted in group III. According to this indicator, they exceeded their peers in the II and I groups by 16.7% and 23.5%, respectively, whose productivity was almost the same, ranging from 5.67 to 6.00 offspring. Despite this, no probable difference between them was found during the biometric processing of the obtained results. The number of stillborn rabbits of the II group was 2 heads or 11.1%, I – 3 heads or 17.6% of the natural offspring, while the III group of animals was characterized by increased survival of the obtained offspring, in which such individuals were not registered. The weight of the nest at birth in female rabbits of the III group was also greater by 59.0 g or 15.1% compared to the female rabbits of the II group and by 68.4 g or 18.0% compared to the individuals of the I group, while the average live weight of one individual from the offspring within the experimental groups varied from 63.9 g to 66.9 g. On the other hand, the difference between the groups in favor of the females of the III group in terms of the nest weight at the age of 30 days decreased slightly and amounted to 754.7 g or 30.7% in relation to the II group and I group – 806.2 g or 33.5%. The investigated indicators in the females of the II group were close to those of the females of the I group.&#x0D; Conclusions. The live weight of the young of the III group during the first month of postnatal development was significantly higher than the peers of the other groups by 34.5 and 49.2 g, or 8.1% (p &lt; 0.01) and 12.0% (p &lt; 0.001) at one hundred percent level of preservation in all groups. In accordance with the changes in the youngsters live weight from all groups, the intensity of their growth also changed. In general, during the period from birth to 30 days of age, the average daily weight gain of rabbits from the III group increased by 9.2% (p &lt; 0.01) compared to peers of the I group and by 14.5% (p &lt; 0.001), compared to the youngster of the II group. The specified advantages in terms of growth energy were also observed between II and I groups, in favor of the latter, but they were less pronounced and amounted to 4.9%, respectively, without a statistically significant difference between them.

EFFICIENCY OF USING MALES OF DIFFERENT GENOTYPES AS PARENTAL FORM OF THE CROSS

Introduction. Rabbit meat production can be an important element in solving the problem of lack of dietary protein for the growing human population all over the world, especially in developing countries. Compared to other types of animals, the advantage of rabbits is that rabbit meat has a high protein content and low fat and cholesterol content, has excellent taste qualities, and is a product of healthy and dietary nutrition.&#x0D; Using crossbreeding increase the productivity of rabbits due to the effect of heterosis. However, taking into account the fact that the modern technology of industrial rabbit breeding involves the use of rabbits of various crosses, which are imported into our country, there is a need to investigate the possibility of using males of different genotypes as the parent form of the cross and their influence on the reproductive characteristics of female rabbits. Thus, the purpose of the study was to study the selection characteristics of males of different genotypes and the effectiveness of their use as parental forms of the cross.&#x0D; Materials and methods of research. The research was carried out in the conditions of "Krolikoff Farm" LLC, which is located in the Uman district of the Cherkasy region, during 2022. The research was conducted using males of four genotypes: males of the parent form of the Hyla – Hyla Max cross (HM, n = 15), males of the parent form of the Hyplus PS59 cross (PS59, n = 15), males of the Termon white breed (TB, n = 12), males of the Poltava silver breed (PS, n = 9). Males were used on female rabbits of the maternal form of the Hyla – Hyla NG cross, from which 4 groups were formed, depending on the genotype of the breeder, with the sperm of which the female rabbits were inseminated. Females of group I were inseminated with sperm of Hyla Max males, group II – Hyplus PS59, group III – Termon white breed, group IV – Poltava silver breed. The females of the experimental groups were similar in age, live weight, and number of hatchlings.&#x0D; Research results. Analyzing the results of research on the productivity characteristics of males of different genotypes, it was established that males of the Hyplus PS59 parental form had the highest live weight, it was 0.41 kg more (p ≤ 0.001) than males of the Hyla – Hyla Max parental form. The live weight of the males of the Termon white breed was 14% lower (p ≤ 0.001), and that of the males of the Poltava silver breed was 18% lower (p ≤ 0.001) than that of the Hyla Max males. This fact can be explained by the implementation of directed selection work with males of the original lines of crosses based on live weight indicators.&#x0D; Hyla Max males had the highest ejaculate volume values. However, it should be noted that the males of the Thermon white breed were slightly inferior to the males of the parent form of the Hyla cross in terms of this indicator. Males of the Poltava silver breed had the lowest value of ejaculate volume.&#x0D; As a result of the research, it was established that female rabbits inseminated with the sperm of Hyla Max males had the highest litter size. Rabbit does inseminated with PS59 males had 5.6% lower fertility than female rabbits inseminated with Hyla Max males, and rabbits inseminated with Termon White males had a 6.9% lower fertility rate. The highest value of high fertility was recorded in female rabbits inseminated with the sperm of PS59 males. There was no significant difference between the high fertility of female rabbits on which Hyla Max males and Termon white males were used. Female rabbits inseminated with males of the Poltava silver breed had the lowest fertility.&#x0D; Conclusions. According to the results of the conducted research, it can be stated that the most effective as a parent form of the cross is the use of Hyla Max males, however, the use of males of the Termon white breed of rabbits as a parent form of the cross is expedient due to the high cost of imported cross males. At the same time, the productivity of female rabbits remains at a high level, and according to some signs, female rabbits on which cross males were used prevail.