Effect of Different Equine Chorionic Gonadotrophin (eCG) Doses on Does and their Kits Reproductivity of Hybrid Rabbits

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the effect of Equine Chorionic Gonadotrophin (eCG) injection on the doe reproductive and their kits productivity traits of hybrid rabbits. The experiment was carried out at the animal farm, College of Agricultural Sciences, University of Sulaimani, during spring (March to July) of 2018. A total of (48) forty-eight does and (24) twenty-four fertile bucks' rabbits were randomly assigned to a completely randomized design, arrangement of four treatments (12 does/treatment) with allotted into 3 three replicates, which included; control: without injection (T1), positive control: with buffer saline (T2), T3: eCG (10 IU) and T4: eCG (20 IU) injected intramuscularly, and they were housed in a semi-closed rabbitry housing system. Data on the parameters studied were collected on an individual does in each group. The reproductive and productivity traits were measured by the number of weaned rabbits. The results showed that eCG dose (T3 and T4) decreasing in gestation period GP as compared to control groups which were higher significantly (p≤0.05). The kindling rate significantly exceed in injected group T3 when it compared to control groups, and with no significant differences with T4. For litter size (LS) at 7, 21, and 28 days (at weaning) T4 has significant exceed when it compared to control T1 and T2. While significant differences emerged of T4 for live weight at LW7, LW21, and LWW, respectively. And the T3 exceed significantly on the control (66.06±3.46 g/kit) for LW7, the control at LW21 and LWW. In conclusion, using eCG hormone in hybrid rabbits (T3) resulted in increasing doe reproductive and their kits productivity performance during the suckling period and proved to be an efficient way to increase production.