Carcass traits and meat quality of two different rabbit genotypes

To evaluate the effect of genotype on carcass traits and meat quality, thirty-two rabbits for two genotypes (local population – LP; commercial hybrids – HY) were used. Rabbits were weaned at 35 days old and slaughtered at 103 days of age for LP and 87 days of age for HY. Comparing the slaughtering traits of two genotypes, LP provided higher dressing out (59.4% vs 56.2%, P<0.01) and skin percentage (16.0% vs 14.2%, P<0.05), lower incidence of full gastrointestinal tract (18.5% vs 22.3, P<0.01) and higher incidence of head (9.5% vs 8,9%, P<0.05) and kidneys (0.99 vs 0.86%, P<0.05) than HY. Reference carcasses from LP had greater incidence of perirenal fat (2.04% vs 1.12%; P<0.01), loin (21.5% vs 19.2%; P<0.01) and hind leg (34.4% vs 31.6%; P<0.01) than HY. Hind leg meat-to-bone ratio was significantly higher in HY than LP (4.7% vs 3.8%; P<0.01). The comparison between the variances of slaughter weight, chilled carcass weight, kidneys percentage, reference carcass weight, perirenal fat and hind leg percentage showed the great variability in the local population. Meat derived from LP showed lower lightness (L*), higher redness (a*), yellowness (b*) and C* value than HY (P<0.01). In conclusion, LP showed good slaughter traits and favourable meat quality and the great variability observed in the local population could allow to improve the productive performances without loss the rusticity and the capacity to fit to different local environmental conditions.