Rabbit growth performance, carcass traits and hind leg bone characteristics as affected by the sire breed, season, parity order and sex in an organic production system
Journal Title: Animal Science Papers and Reports - Year 2014, Vol 32, Issue 2
Abstract
Live performance, carcass traits and hind leg bone characteristics of crossbred rabbits of both sexes (Sx) of two sire breeds (SB): Vienna Blue – (VB) and Burgundy Fawn – (BF) born with different parity orders (P: 1, 2, ≥3), reared organically and slaughtered in the spring and summer, when they reached 2.8 kg, were evaluated. The slaughter age of VB crossbreds increased between P1 and P2 (P<0.05). During the summer, the rabbits exhibited a higher slaughter age (P<0.01), reference carcass yield (P<0.01), and hind leg meat-to-bone ratio (P<0.05). The P2 crossbreeds exhibited the lowest incidence of scapular fat (P<0.05). The weights of the full gastrointestinal tract and skin were 2.4% higher and 1.5% lower in females, respectively (P<0.01), and head proportion was higher in males (P<0.05). Females exhibited a longer femur and thicker tibia than did the males (P<0.05). The results confirmed the slow growth rate of the crossbreds evaluated, which may represent an interesting genetic resource for organic production of rabbits.
Authors and Affiliations
Antonella Dalle Zotte, Gisella Paci
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP70526
- DOI -
- Views 120
- Downloads 0
The chemokine receptor 1 gene polymorphism and its association with Somatic Cell Score and milk production traits in dairy cattle
CXC chemokine receptors 1 (CXCR1) play a key role in inflammatory response and eventual activation of the innate immunity. Mastitis is a big problem in dairy industry. In the presented study the bovine CXCR1 gene was con...
Comparison of different Hungarian Grey herds as based on microsatellite analysis
The present study aimed at assessing the genetic position of the Hungarian Gray population. Hungarian Grey cattle kept at different farms in Hungary have been sampled (34 herds, n=3,187 in the period of 2009-2011) to inv...
Traits of drug and explosives detection in dogs of two breeds as evaluated by their handlers and trainers
Police dogs handlers’ and trainers’ opinions on Labrador retrievers (n=87) and German shepherds (n=96) trained for drugs vs. explosives detection have been compared. As most important traits in both specialties the respo...
Fatty acid composition of yolk of nine poultry species kept in their natural environment
Fatty acid (FA) composition of eggs from nine poultry species was determined chromatographically. Twenty six FAs were determined in the lipid composition of eggs. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were found in higher a...
Influence of combined supplementation of cows’ diet with linseed and fish oil on the thrombogenic and atherogenic indicators of milk fat
The study was conducted on Polish Holstein Black-and-White cows. From a herd of about 300 animals maintained in a free-stall dairy shed, two groups of 10 were selected by the analogue method: primiparous (P) and second-l...