Influence of two environments on the productive performance of New Zealand white rabbits
1982
Somade, B. (Ife Univ., Ile-Ife (Nigeria). Dept. of Animal Science)
During the month of Nov 1979, which marks the beginning of the dry season in Southern Nigeria, 20 New Zealand White does were randomly assigned to two environments. An air conditioned room (AcD) and an open sided rabbit house (AbD). Mean max. and min. temp. in the two environments were 22.53+-1.22 deg C; 21.57+-0.76 deg C and 30.25+-0.93 deg C; 24.05+-0.77 deg C respectively. The ten does within each environment were in turn subdivided into two groups of five does each. One group was then bred to a buck housed in the air conditioned room (AcB) while the other was bred to a buck housed in an open sided rabbit house (AbB). The process was repeated every month thereafter for a new set of twenty does up till Apr. A total of 120 does were used for the experiment during the months of Nov 1979 to Apr 1980. Results of productive parameters examined showed that there was no difference in the number of does that were bred and no difference in the number of those bred that were pregnant in both environments (P/0.05). There was also no difference (P/0.05) in their gestation lengths. More kids were however alive 24 hrs. post kindling among the AcDs than among the AbDs (268 vs 214; P/0.05). There was a greater number of dead kids among AcDs within 24 hrs. of birth when compared with AbDs (P/0.05)
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