Evaluation of milk yield and some related maternal traits in a crossbreeding project of Egyptian Gabali breed with Spanish V‐line in rabbits

Abstract

This study was conducted in a four-year rabbit project that aimed to develop a synthetic line named Moshtohor (M) by crossing Sinai Gabali breed (G) with the Spanish V-line (V). The G, V, F(1) (G x V), F(2) (G x V)(2) and M line were analysed. Traits of doe body weight at delivery (DBW), litter size at birth (LSB) and at weaning (LSW), milk production during the first, second, third and fourth week of lactation and total milk yield (TMY) were recorded. Data were analysed using a repeatability uni-trait animal model to estimate the genetic parameters and estimable functions of genetic group effects. Based on them and the matrix of their variance-covariance, the crossbreeding parameters were also estimated. Estimates of heritabilities for all the studied traits were low ranging from 0.06 to 0.11 for DBW, LSB and LSW and from 0.0 to 0.06 for milk production traits. Permanent environmental effects were very low ranging from 0.0 to 0.10 for all the traits, except for DBW (0.41). Least square means of V line were superior (p < 0.05) in DBW (3253 versus 3037 g) and LSB (6.71 versus 6.28 young) relative to G breed. M line had superiority in LSB (6.94 young) compared with G breed. M line and G breed were better than V line for milk production traits (3415 and 3236 versus 2893 g for TMY). Significant effects of direct additive were observed for most traits studied (ranged from -6.8 to 20.7%). Effects of individual heterosis for most milk production traits were significant and ranged from 2.1 to 13.9%, but they were not significant for DBW, LSB and LSW. On the opposite side, effects of maternal heterosis for all the traits were not significant.

Correlated Response on Litter Traits and Milk Yield in New Zeland White Rabbits Selected for Litter Size at Birth

“…In the present study, estimates of heritability (h 2 ) for LSB, LSW, LWB, LW21 and LWW are low and ranging from 0.05 to 0.14 ( Table 2). These estimates were within the range of the literature estimates (ranged from 0.0 to 0.17) for litter traits reported by (Ferraz and Eler, 1996;Sorensen et al, 2001, Iraqi , 2008Al-Saef et al, 2008;Iraqi et al, 2010). Similarly, low estimates of h 2 for litter size and weight traits ranging from 0.0 to 0.13 were repoted by Johnson et al (1988), Baselga et al (1992), Khalil, (1994), Lukefahr and Hamilton, (1997), Baselga and Garcia, (2002) and Nofal et al (2002).…”

“…Similarly, low estimates of h 2 for litter size and weight traits ranging from 0.0 to 0.13 were repoted by Johnson et al (1988), Baselga et al (1992), Khalil, (1994), Lukefahr and Hamilton, (1997), Baselga and Garcia, (2002) and Nofal et al (2002). Iraqi et al (2010) reported that h 2 estimate for LSB and LSW was 0.06 and 0.07 in rabbits. found that estimates of h 2 was low and values were 0.04, 0.01, 0.08, and 0.09 for LSB, LWB, LSW and LWW, respectively.…”

IMPACT OF MACA (Lepidium meyenii) TREATMENT ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE, LITTER SIZE AND MILK YIELD OF RABBIT DOES OF DIFFERENT BREEDS.

“…These findings disagreed with Steven et al, (1983), who found that the NZW rabbit does were significantly heavier than that of the California rabbit does at 154 days during the first breeding season. Similarly, the findings of Iraqi et al, (2010), found that the body weight for V-Line rabbit does were superior to Gabali rabbit does.…”

Association of growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) and progesterone receptor (PGR) genes with some productive traits in Gabali rabbits

“…However, the two Gabali populations are acclimatised to the desert conditions; the Sinai Gabali rabbits in our study are characterised by low lactating abilities, which may be a reason for low litter size and weight at weaning (Khalil, 1999). Nevertheless, some trials were conducted for the improvement of productive traits of Egyptian Gabali rabbits by crossbreeding with Californian rabbits (Gad, 1998), New Zealand White (Khalil and Afifi, 2000) and with V-line rabbits (Iraqi et al, 2010a), but this important breed still needs more genetic improvement, using an effective selection tool such as the marker-assisted selection method. World Rabbit Sci.…”