The comparison of the selected morphometric traits in three medium-sized rabbit breeds

Article Details: Received: 2019-09-03 | Accepted: 2019-10-14 | Available online: 2019-12-31 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2019.22.04.138-143 The aim of the study was to determine the growth characteristics of three rabbit breeds (Czech Solver, CSo, n = 11; Czech Spotted, CS, n = 28; Blanc de Hotot, BH, n = 24) under small-scaled stock conditions as a basis for their potential meat performance. The body morphometric characteristics live weight (LW), head length (HL), body length (BL), ear length, thoracic circumference (TC) and body compact index TC/BL were recorded in growing rabbits from 21st to 91st day of their age. At the end of the trial, the highest LW value was recorded in the BH breed (2,700.0 g) as compared to the CSo and CS breeds, respectively (1,887.5 and 1,545.4 g). The values of the HL were significantly affected by a rabbit breed up to the 63rd day of their age (P <0.01). The highest values of BL and TC were found in the BH breed as compared to the CSo breed and also the CS breed (P <0.01). The BH breed showed also the longest ears (P <0.01) while the different dynamics of the ear growth among the evaluated breeds was found. Concerning the body compact index TC/BL, the growing rabbits of the BH breed showed wider body given by their musculature proportion as compared to the representatives of the CSo and CS breeds (P <0.01). Our findings suggest that the Blanc de Hotot breed possesses suitable growth and morphometric characteristics for intended meat production. References BLASCO, A. and OUHAYOUN, J. (1993) Harmonization of criteria and terminology in rabbit meat research. Revised proposal. In World Rabbit Science, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 93–99. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.1996.278 DALLE ZOTTE, A., RICCI, R., SARTORI, A., LUKEFAHR, S. and PACI, G. (2013) Body morphometric development during growth and maturity of colored dwarf rabbits available in the Italian market. In World Rabbit Science, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 227– 233. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2013.1386 EUROPEAN UNION (2017) Overview Report: Commercial Rabbit Farming in the European Union. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. 16 s. DOI: 10.2772/62174. FIK, M., ANDREJI, J., HRNČÁR, C., ARPÁŠOVÁ, H. and NEIRUREROVÁ, P. (2018) Reproduction performances, growth and slaughter traits analysis of rabbit of Nitra breed. In Acta fytotechnica et zootechnica, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 162–165. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2018.21.04.162-165 GONDRET, F., JUIN, H., MOUROT, J. and BONNEAU, M. (1998) Effect of age at slaughter on chemical traits and sensory quality of Longissimus lumborum muscle in the rabbit. In Meat Science, vol. 48, no. 1–2, pp. 181–187. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0309-1740(97)00088-0 HASSAN H.E., ELAMIN K.M., YOUSIF I.A., MUSA, A.M. and ELKHAIREY, M.A. (2012) Evaluation of body weight and some morphometric traits at various ages in local rabbits of Sudan. In Journal of Animal Science Advances, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 407–415. HERNÁNDEZ, P., PLA, M. and BLASCO, A. (1996) Prediction of carcass composition in the rabbit. In Meat Science, vol. 44, 1–2, pp. 75–83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0309-1740(96)00078-2 HINKLE, A. (2011) Color genetics of the Dwarf Hotot. In HINKLE, A. American Dwarf Hotot Specialty Club Guidebook, pp. 112–116. JOSROVÁ, L. (2018) Situation and Prospect Report: Rabbits. Praha: Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic. 20 pp. KHAN, S., KHAN, M.H., MUHAMMAD, S., KALEEM, K., SHAH, P., KHAN, A. SHAKIR, M.I.M. and KHAN, N. (2017) Phenotypic and morphometric characteristics of Angora rabbis in rabbit model farm JabbaMansehra Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan. In Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare, vol. 7, no. 5, pp. 68–71. LUKEFAHR, S.D. and RUIZ-FERIA C.A. (2003) Rabbit growth performance in a subtropical and semi-arid environment: effects of clipping, ear length, and body temperature. In Livestock Research for Rural Development, vol. 15, no. 2. MACH K., MARTINEC, M., VOSTRÝ, L., ADREJSOVÁ, L. and MAJZLÍK, I. (2010) History and development of rabbit breeding in the Czech Republic. In Acta fytotechnica et zootechnica – Mimoriadne číslo, pp. 111–114 (In Czech). MARTINEC, M., ŠIMEK, V. and JAHODA, J. (2017) Development of rearing of national rabbit breeds included into genetic resources preserve programme in the Czech Republic. In New trends in intensive and hobby rabbit breeding. Praha 29.11.2017. Praha: Institute of Animal Science, pp. 54–56 (In Czech). McNITT, J.J., LUKEFAHR, S.D., CHEEKE, P.R. and PATTON, N.M. (2013) Rabbit production. 9th ed. Wallingford: CABI, 300 pp. OUYED, A., RIVEST, J. and BRUN, J.M. (2011) Heterosis, direct and maternal additive effects on rabbit growth and carcass traits from a Canadian experiment. In World Rabbit Science, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 31–41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2011.783a QUENEY, G., VACHOT. A.-M., BRUN, J.-M., DENNEBOUY, N., MULSANT, P. and MONNEROT, M. (2002) Different levels of human intervention in domestic rabbits: Effects on genetic diversity. In Journal of Heredity, vol. 93, no. 3, pp. 205–209. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/93.3.205 TŮMOVÁ, E., MARTINEC, M. and CHODOVÁ, D. (2011) Analysis of Czech rabbit genetic resources. In Scientia Agriculturae bohemica, vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 113–118. TŮMOVÁ, E., BÍZKOVÁ, Z., SKŘIVANOVÁ, V., CHODOVÁ, D., MARTINEC, M. and VOLEK, Z. (2014) Comparison of carcass and meat quality among rabbit breeds of different size and hybrid rabbits. In Livestock Science, vol. 165, pp. 8.14. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2014.04.019 STATSOFT Inc. (2011) STATISTICA Data analysis software system, version 10. StatSoft Inc., Tulsa. SWEET, H., PEARSON, A.J., WATSON, P.J. and GERMAN, A.J. (2013) A novel zoometric index for assessing body composition in adult rabbits. In Veterinary Record, vol. 173, no. 15, pp. 369. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.101771 SZENDRŐ, K., METZGER S., OEDRMATT, M., RADNAI, I., GARAI, É., HORN, P. and SZENDRŐ, Zs. (2012) Effect of age and weight of rabbits at slaughter on carcass value. In Acta agriculturae Slovenica, suppl. 3, pp. 333–337. WANG, J., SU, Y., ELZO, M.A., JIA, X., CHEN, S. and LAI, S. (2016) Comparison of carcass and meat quality traits among three rabbit breeds. In Korean Journal of Food Science of Animal Resources, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 84–89. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5851/kosfa.2016.36.1.84 WHITMAN, B.D. (2004) Domestic rabbits and their histories: Breeds of the World. Leawood: Leathers Publishing, 456 pp. ZITA, L., TŮMOVÁ, E. and BÍZKOVÁ, Z (2010) Genetic resources of rabbits in the Czech Republic. In Acta fytotechnica et zootechnica – mimoriadne číslo, pp. 34–36 (In Czech). ZADINA, J. (2003) Rabbit breed standard. Praha: Czech Association of Breeders. 371 pp. (in Czech)

Fetched live from OpenAlex and de-inverted. Abstracts are not stored in this database: the inverted indexes are 8.6 GB of the frame’s 9.3 GB of text, and the host has 13 GB free.