EFFECT OF BODY FAT CONTENT ON SOME REPRODUCTIVE TRAITS OF RABBIT DOES

The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of body fat content on some reproductive traits of Pannon White rabbit does. For this purpose rabbits of average 1 S.D. live weight at 10 weeks and of average 1 S.D. daily weight gain between 6 and 10 weeks of age were chosen from the experimental stock of the university, and their fat content was determined with an EM-SCAN SA-3152 type Small Animal Body Composition Analyser (by means of the TOBEC method). Based on the fat content determined the best and worst 16% of the does and the best and worst 8% of the bucks were chosen and mated with each other (fatty doe with fatty buck and lean doe with lean buck). It was found that the conception rate was significantly higher (71.4% vs. 43.7%) and the time between two kindlings significantly lower (56 vs. 67 days) in the case of fatty rabbits. No differences were observed in litter size (8.3 vs. 8.3) or litter weight at birth (437g vs. 450g), but mortality among the suckling rabbits was significantly lower (16.7% vs. 28.3%) in the case of fatty rabbits.