Productivity of young animals of a new breed of rabbits being created

The purpose of the study was to identify the best mating strategy for creation a new rabbit breed according to the productivity and phenotype score of the fourth young animals generation. Selective breeding has been focused on the creation of a new rabbit breed since 2018 with the Rodnik cross parent as initial population. The experiments were carried out on the basis of the Afanas`ev Research Institute of Fur - Bearing Animal Breeding and Rabbit Breeding in 2021. A total of 86 rabbits, 26 bucks, were divided into following groups: 1 - outbred buck × outbred doe (inbred mating); 2 - inbred buck × outbred doe; 3 - outbred buck × inbred doe, 238 kits were obtained. The live weight of young rabbits in the second group at the age of 45 and 77 days was 200 g higher (p<0.001) than in the first and third groups, and at 90 days, it was 400 and 300 g higher, respectively (p<0.001). Young animals at the age of 45 and 90 days in the second group had longer bodies than those in the first and third groups by 2.6 and 2.7 cm and 1.6 and 2 cm, respectively (p<0.001). Breast circumferences of young rabbits at 77 and 90 days in the second group were 1.2 and 1.3 (p< 0.001) cm and 0.4 and 1.3 cm (p< 0.001), respectively, larger than those in the first and third groups. Young rabbits in the experimental groups had a body weight index of 56.9...58.0%, which demonstrated no statistically significant difference. The mating strategy of the second group produced the highest productivity of young rabbits and helped the offspring to consolidate the following desired characteristics: phenotypic homogeneity, with live weights of 2.4 ± 0.03 kg (p< 0.001) and 2.9± 0.03 kg (p< 0.001) at 77 and 90 days, respectively, and the average daily increase of 43 ± 0.8 g (p < 0.001). At 77 days old, the yield of slaughter weight was at a high level and reached 50.9 ± 0.5% (p<0.01).

rabbits, young animals, new breed, productivity, live weight, exterior