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Genetic characterization and its association with quantitative traits in local breeds are important tools for the genetic improvement and sustainable management of animal genetic resources. Myogenic regulatory factor 5 (MYf5) and POU class 1 homeobox 1 (POU1F1) are candidate genes which play important roles in growth and development of mammals. The present study aims to detect the genetic diversity of the MYf5 and POU1F1 genes in four local Egyptian rabbit breeds and their association with growth traits, using PCR-restriction enzyme (PCR–RFLP), PCR-single-strand conformational polymorphism (PCR–SSCP), and direct sequencing techniques. The results showed that MYF5 exon 1 was observed with two genotypes in Baladi Black (BB), Gabali (GB) and New Zealand White (NZW) breeds while APRI-line (APRI) presented one genotype. The genetic diversity of Myf5 exon 2 between breeds showed two genotypes in APRI compared to three in NZW and four genotypes in BB and GB breeds. The genetic diversity of the POU1F1 gene (intron 5 and partial cds) in different rabbit breeds was two genotypes in NZW and three genotypes in BB, GB, and APRI breeds with different frequencies for each genotype. Based on the statistically significant difference between genes genotypes and growth weight, the results suggested that the genotypes of Myf5 exon 2 (1 and 2) of the BB breed, Myf5 exon 2 genotype 2 of the APRI breed, and genotype 1 of Myf5 exon 1 and genotype 1 of POU1F1 of the NZW breed compared to genotypes for each gene can be considered candidate molecular markers associated with the improvement of growth traits in these breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of the research showed that there is a decrease in the actual capacity of mothers in rabbit production farms in Egypt and Beheira Governorate, amounting to 1,143, 439 rabbits, with a decrease rate of about 2.3%, 9.4%, which resulted in a decrease in the actual capacity of the production of rabbit farms, amounting to 101,682, 11,890 rabbits, at a rate A decrease of about 5.1%, 7.1% respectively during the period 2011-2022, which led to a decrease in the quantity produced of rabbit meat in Egypt by 26%, as it was estimated at about 11.2 thousand tons during the same period, while the average quantity produced of Rabbit meat: 43 thousand tons, representing about 3.4% of the average amount of white meat produced, the amount of red and white meat produced during the period under study was about 692, 1530 thousand tons, representing about 32.5%, 67.5% of the average amount of meat produced. 2222 thousand tons at the level of Egypt. On the other hand, the average quantity available for use of red and white meat during the same period was about 1099, 1587 thousand tons respectively. Therefore, the self-sufficiency rate reached 63.2%, 96.2% respectively in Egypt, resulting in a deficit. The average quantity of red and white meat was estimated at about 407, 57 thousand tons, with a deficit of 36.8%, 3.8%, respectively, during the study period. Studying the most important breeds of rabbits in rabbit production farms in Beheira Governorate will have a role in contributing to filling the deficit or reducing the gap between the quantity produced and available for use for white meat while increasing their numbers of the best breed in Egypt and Beheira Governorate, Therefore, the research results concluded that the best breeds for producing rabbit meat at the level of Beheira Governorate in the research sample are the mixture breed resulting from the VLine and Alexandria breeds in terms of the number of offspring, which was reflected in an increase in the amount of meat from 1910 kg/year for the VLine and 2322 kg/year for the Alexandria to 2723 kg/year. For the mixture between them, this resulted in an increase in the total revenue and the net return, i.e. an increase in the net return of the mother from 787 pounds/year for the VLine and 1744 pounds/year for the Alexandria to 2486 pounds/year for the mixture. The results of the comparison between the three breeds showed that the food conversion factor for the breed (VLine, Alexandria, and mixture). It amounted to about 3,300, 3,257, 3,200 kg of fodder/rabbit, giving about 1,770, 1,837, 1,880 kg of meat/rabbit, respectively. It is clear from the results of the comparison between the three previously mentioned breeds that the mixture breed is the best in providing the amount of fodder in the cycle and is given weights. Larger than its counterpart, this resulted in an increase in the production efficiency factor from 80.8% for foam and 85.1% for Alexandria to 88.9% for the mixture and an increase in production efficiency in the optimal employment of production elements, in addition to the distinction of this breed in that it brought about an improvement in total factor productivity by 14.8% and the best technological change. A positive rate of 15.9% compared to the VLine and Alexandria breed. Search Recommend With the following: 1. Necessity Directing the attention of breeders to replacing the mixture breed to produce rabbits instead of the VLine and Alexandria breeds due to the decrease in the amount of feed used in their fattening cycle and the production of a larger amount of meat than the two breeds. 2. The state must, through audio-visual media, create programs to direct consumers to consume rabbit meat because of its nutritional and health benefits to the consumer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

دراسة سلوكيات األرانب المختلفة تعتبر مفيدة في عمليات الرعاية والتربية. يعتبر سلوك تناول البراز والوقت المستغرق للقيام به نقطة مهمة يجب أخذها بعين اإلعتبار لفوائدها الرئيسية للحيوان. تعتبر أساليب تحليل البقاء هي األساليب اإلحصائية المقترحة لدراسة الوقت الذي تستغرقه الحيوانات للقيام بهذا السلوك. اعتمدت هذه الدراسة على مالحظة 96 حيوان من سالالت )نيوزيلندا، كالفورنيا، وركس( في أربعة مواسم. أظهرت النتائج أن الوسيط أفضل من المتوسط كمقياس وصفي. كان الوسيط الكلي لوقت تناول البراز في السالالت الثالثة في الفصول المختلفة كان 14 ثانية بحدود ثقة %95 )22.54-5.46( و 15.66 ثانية بحدود ثقة %95 )21.87-9.45( و 11 ثانية بحدود ثقة %95 )21.57-0.43( و 17.66 ثانية بحدود ثقة %95 )25.21-10.11( لفصول الربيع والصيف والخريف والشتاء علي التوالي. اعتبر اختبار (Cox-Mantel (rank-Log معنويا بقيمة )0.027( بين السالالت الثالثة )نيوزيلندا، كالفورنيا وريكس( في فصل الربيع. كما كانت دالة البقاء معنوية للغاية بقيمة 0.001 و0.033 و0.023 بين سالالت األرانب لفصل الصيف والخريف والشتاء على التوالي حيث كانت قيمة P أقل من .0.05 كانت قيمة Likelihood Log -2 تساوي 272.308 حيث كانت قيمة مربع كاي تساوي 14.306 وقيمة P تساوي 0.003 بالنسبة لنموذج model hazard proportional cox الذي يعتبر معنوي جدا. معنوية هذا النموذج دلت علي مالءمته للتنبؤ بتأثير العوامل المؤثرة علي وقت تناول البراز. استهالك الطعام أوضح تأثير معنوي في النموذج حيث أنه أوضح احتمالية زيادة تناول البراز مع زيادة تناول الطعام [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of breed on the growth, slaughter traits, meat quality traits and meat texture parameters of Blanc de Termonde and Flemish Giant rabbits. Young animals were weaned at 35 days of age. Their weight was recorded from birth to 84 days of age at 7-day intervals. The rabbits were slaughtered between 85 and 90 days of age. Hot carcass weight, cold carcass weight and giblets weight (liver, lungs, heart, and kidneys) were recorded. The pH and colour of the longissimus lumborum and biceps femoris muscles were measured at 45 minutes and 24 hours after slaughter. Shear force and texture parameters were measured. Flemish Giant rabbits attained a higher final body weight but a lower dressing out percentage than Blanc de Termonde rabbits. Carcasses of Blanc de Termonde rabbits had higher loin weight and fat content in the carcass. The effect of breed was found to be significant for some components of meat colour: yellowness (b*) at 45 minutes and lightness at 24 hours post mortem. The effect of sex was found to be significant for meat acidity and the b* component at 45 minutes after slaughter and for redness (a*) at 24 hours post mortem. There were statistically significant differences between Flemish Giant and Blanc de Termonde rabbits in shear force and texture profile analysis (TPA). The sex of the animals affected only the chewiness parameter in the TPA of rabbit meat. Blanc de Termonde and Flemish Giant rabbits attained a high final body weight and dressing out percentage and optimal meat quality traits, and therefore can be recommended as breeding material for the production of slaughter rabbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rabbit breeds in Egypt are local and adapted foreign breeds that have been imported since the middle of the last century. Stressful environmental conditions including climatic changes, exposure to diseases and breeding selection have an influence on how gene flow has shaped the genetic diversity of the breeds. Mitochondrial DNA D-loop is a genetic marker used to trace the geographic distribution of genetic variation for the investigation of expansions, migrations and other gene flow patterns. The study aimed to determine the genetic diversity of the mitochondrial DNA D-loop (mtDNA D-loop) in Black Baladi, Red Baladi, Gabali, APRI line and New Zealand breeds to gather the scientific data required to create a proper conservation and sustainable management plan. Blood samples were taken from animals unrelated to each other. A 332-bp of mtDNA D-loop was successfully amplified and alignment sequences were deposited in the GenBank database. The results detected six haplotypes in the five breeds. Haplotype diversity within individual breeds varied from 0 (Red Baladi) to 0.551±0.114 (Gabali). The nucleotide diversity (π) value was relatively low (0.001-0.006), with greater values in APRI and New Zealand. Pairwise distances between breeds yielded varying values ranging from 0 to 0.254, and the values between the Red Baladi and other breeds were comparatively high, with pairwise distances from 0.172 to 0.254. The phylogenetic analysis involved 74 nucleotide sequences of the Egyptian rabbit and thirty-one sequences retrieved from GenBank of the reference samples of different haplogroups. The results of the phylogenetic analysis correlated to the reference mtDNA GenBank database showed that the five Egyptian rabbit breeds were grouped into haplotypes A, B and K. The results of the genetic diversity using mtDNA shed light on the importance of the local breed’s genetic diversity information and revealed unique mtDNA haplotypes, which is an important finding for breeding strategies designed to conserve genetic variants and provide sustainable management.

This study was designed to assess the effects of breed and inclusion levels of sun-dried pineapple peel on the growth performance of growing rabbit bucks. Thirty-two (32) purebred growing rabbits (Chinchilla, Dutch and New Zealand White) aged between 6-7 weeks with an initial average weight of 762.25±52.66 g were used for the study. The experiment was laid out in a 3 x 4 factorial arrangement (three breeds and four dietary treatments) in a completely randomized design. The rabbits were randomly assigned to the four dietary treatments (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% PP) with eight rabbits per treatment. The rabbits were fed for a period of 56 days. Each rabbit was housed in a separate pen. Data collected and calculated were initial weight (g), final weight (g), total weight gain (g), daily weight gain (g), total feed intake (g), daily feed intake (g), feed conversion ratio, and mortality. The data collected were analyzed using Statistix and the means with significant differences were compared using Duncan Multiple Range Test. There was no significant (p>0.05) difference in all the growth parameters for breed and graded levels except on mortality. Inclusion of up to 15% PP across all breeds gave zero mortality. This study therefore concluded that, the sun-dried pineapple peel is a suitable feedstuff for rabbit of different breeds and up to 15% PP can be used without any adverse effect on growth performance of rabbit bucks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rabbit farmers will mobilize and transform productive resources into output without waste if they are to be technically efficient. The study was carried out to measure technical efficiency of rabbit farmers in southwest, Nigeria. A total of 196 respondents were surveyed using copies of well-structured of questionnaire and multistage sampling procedure was employed for the selection of respondents reached and interviewed. From the result, rabbit farmers in the study area produced an average of seven rabbits per month while variables such as total space, labour, water, veterinary drug, years of experience and number of extension contacts were found to significantly increased farms' technical efficiency at various conventional levels of 1%, 5% and 10% respectively. The minimum and maximum efficiency of farmers were 0.11 and 0.95 which were unevenly distributed across farms. Rate of Technical Substitution was 0.589 which indicates that rabbit farmers operate in stage II of the technical efficiency frontier which is expected of rational farmers. Ordinary least square estimation results revealed that all the modeled basic inputs increased rabbits output significantly. It was recommended that appropriate education and extension services be made available to rabbit farmers for better productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first objective of the study was to compare the reproductive traits of females of two medium rabbit breeds, Termond White and Popielno White. The traits evaluated were litter size at birth, litter size at weaning, and birth weight. The next step was to determine whether the breed of the sire influences the reproductive parameters of the females. As the study covered four seasons and five years, the authors also investigated whether there were differences in the reproductive traits of females depending on the season and year of birth. The litters for analysis were obtained by crossing female Popielno White (n = 49) and Termond White (n = 108) rabbits with males of the breeds Flemish Giant, California, New Zealand White, Popielno White and Termond White. The females were allowed to mate for the first time at the age of 4.5 months. Four seasons were established: spring (March-May), summer (June-August), autumn (September-November) and winter (December-February). The analysis of the maternal component showed that the Termond White does gave birth to significantly larger litters than the Popielno White rabbits. The weaned litters of Termond White does were also significantly larger than those of Popielno White does. Kits born to Termond White does were significantly heavier than the young of Popielno White does. The breed of the sire had no significant influence on litter size at birth or at weaning or on birth weight. Significant differences between birth years were observed in the case of litter size at birth and weaning and birth weight. Litter size at birth differed between 2019 and 2020. Litter size at weaning differed significantly between the year 2020 and the years 2018 and 2019. Significant differences between seasons were observed for litter size at birth and weaning as well as birth weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to assess the possibility of using two nonlinear models, i.e. the von Bertalanffy and Gompertz functions, for fitting growth curves of Popielno White and New Zealand White rabbits. The study was conducted using 37 Popielno White (21 male and 16 female) and 55 New Zealand White (28 male and 27 female) rabbits. The nonlinear regression procedure (NLIN) in SAS 9.4 software was used to model the rabbits’ growth curves from birth to 12 weeks of age. To see how rabbit growth might progress in subsequent weeks, we extrapolated the weights of the rabbits up to the age of 30 weeks. Six criteria were used to compare models: mean error, mean squared error, mean absolute error, quotient between the error sum of squares and observed sum of squares, corrected Akaike information criterion, and Bayesian information criterion. The shape of all curves was sigmoid, and both models fitted well to the data from birth to 12 weeks of age, i.e. during the interpolation process. A problem with the fit occurred later, during the extrapolation process, i.e. when the models were used to predict the animals’ course of growth in subsequent weeks. When body weight was extrapolated in later weeks of life, the fitting of the von Bertalanffy model was slightly worse, and asymptotic body weight was overestimated. To predict the further course of rabbit growth in practice, the Gompertz function would be a better choice. The Gompertz model could also be a helpful tool for breeders to describe the growth process of rabbits and to select a more economically profitable breed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was performed to assess the genetic variations among six rabbit breeds in Egypt based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequences. The length of partial mitochondrial 16S rRNA in the six rabbit breeds ranged from 546 bp to 558 bp. The sequenced regions were submitted to GenBank/NCBI under accession numbers (MW052052 - MW052057). The average content of A+T was 57% in all breeds. Among breeds, the percentages of genetic distance values were ranged from 0.000 to 0.004. The highest P-distance (0.004) was found between the New Zealand White breed and all other breeds. The results support the suitability of mitochondrial 16S rRNA for genetic diversity analysis of rabbit breeds and the applicability for future research on genetic relationships and the phylogeny of rabbit breeds.

diets on growth performance. 30 rabbits from New Zeeland breed, on 55 days of age (±2) were randomly allocated to three experimental groups for 47 days (until reach 2100g of body weight). The experimental design consisted of three dietary treatments: 1) control group received standard compound feed - unsupplemented; 2) the first experimental group (M3) received diet supplemented with 3% thyme leaves powder instead of alfalfa hay; 3) the second experimental group (M5) received diet supplemented with 5% thyme leaves powder instead of alfalfa hay. Individual rabbits' body weights were recorded weekly. Feed intake and feed conversion rate were determined weekly per group. Carcass characteristics were determinate at the end of the trail. The results of this study have shown that thyme inclusion at level up to 3 or 5% did not adversely affect rabbit's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rabbit breeds in Egypt are local and adapted foreign breeds that have been imported since the middle of the last century. Stressful environmental conditions including climatic changes, exposure to diseases and breeding selection have an influence on how gene flow has shaped the genetic diversity of the breeds. Mitochondrial DNA D-loop is a genetic marker used to trace the geographic distribution of genetic variation for the investigation of expansions, migrations and other gene flow patterns. The study aimed to determine the genetic diversity of the mitochondrial DNA D-loop (mtDNA D-loop) in Black Baladi, Red Baladi, Gabali, APRI line and New Zealand breeds to gather the scientific data required to create a proper conservation and sustainable management plan. Blood samples were taken from animals unrelated to each other. A 332-bp of mtDNA D-loop was successfully amplified and alignment sequences were deposited in the GenBank database. The results detected six haplotypes in the five breeds. Haplotype diversity within individual breeds varied from 0 (Red Baladi) to 0.551±0.114 (Gabali). The nucleotide diversity (π) value was relatively low (0.001-0.006), with greater values in APRI and New Zealand. Pairwise distances between breeds yielded varying values ranging from 0 to 0.254, and the values between the Red Baladi and other breeds were comparatively high, with pairwise distances from 0.172 to 0.254. The phylogenetic analysis involved 74 nucleotide sequences of the Egyptian rabbit and thirty-one sequences retrieved from GenBank of the reference samples of different haplogroups. The results of the phylogenetic analysis correlated to the reference mtDNA GenBank database showed that the five Egyptian rabbit breeds were grouped into haplotypes A, B and K. The results of the genetic diversity using mtDNA shed light on the importance of the local breed's genetic diversity information and revealed unique mtDNA haplotypes, which is an important finding for breeding strategies designed to conserve genetic variants and provide sustainable management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the exterior faults in selected Slovak breeds of rabbits of different colour varieties according to a current Book of Rabbit Standards. Of 336 rabbits from 9 exhibitions organized in the territory of the Slovak and Czech Republics, 2 national medium-sized breeds of Liptov Bold-Spotted Rabbit (270 pcs) and Nitra Rabbit (66 pcs) were selected. The qualities and exterior faults of typical breed traits were evaluated in seven positions including: weight, shape, type, coat, top colour (eventually markings), under-colour (eventually intermediate colour), condition and health. Our evaluations showed that the most common exterior faults in these categories were in the: positions, shape, type, coat, and top-colour. In the shape position there were found significant exterior faults, such as slightly protruding hips with slanting rump, and worse legs position with loose skin on the body. In the type position, the faults observed in all selected breeds included: narrow chest, body too lean or too long, more delicate head with ears too fine and longer. The coat was usually thick and less elastic with a lighter under-colour at the base of the skin and non-sharply defined intermediate colour. In the top colour position of evaluated breeds there were numerous deficiencies involving uneven, and incomplete colour, and significant faults in the drawing. The data obtained in this study were innovative, as they represented a new approach that may help to characterize the Slovak breeds of rabbits included in this study and to select individuals with the best exterior traits towards improving the quality of these breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Chinese indigenous rabbits have distinct characteristics, such as roughage resistance, stress resistance and environmental adaptability, which are of great significance to the sustainable development of the rabbit industry in China. Therefore, it is necessary to study the genetic diversity and population structure of this species and develop genomic resources. Results In this study, we used restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) to obtain 1,006,496 SNP markers from six Chinese indigenous rabbit breeds and two imported rabbit breeds. Jiuyishan and Fujian Yellow rabbits showed the highest nucleotide diversity (π) and decay of linkage disequilibrium (LD), as well as higher observed heterozygosity (Ho) and expected heterozygosity (He), indicating higher genetic diversity than other rabbits. The inbreeding coefficient (F IS) of New Zealand rabbits and Belgian rabbits was higher than that of other rabbits. The neighbour-joining (NJ) tree, principal component analysis (PCA), and population structure analysis of autosomes and Y chromosomes showed that Belgian, New Zealand, Wanzai, Sichuan White, and Minxinan Black rabbits clustered separately, and Fujian Yellow, Yunnan Colourful, and Jiuyishan rabbits clustered together. Wanzai rabbits were clearly separated from other populations (K = 3), which was consistent with the population differentiation index (F ST) analysis. The selection signature analysis was performed in two populations with contrasting coat colours. With Sichuan White and New Zealand rabbits as the reference populations and Minxinan Black and Wanzai rabbits as the target populations, 408, 454, 418, and 518 genes with a selection signature, respectively, were obtained. Gene Ontology (GO) classification and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed on the genes with a selection signature. The results showed that the genes with a selection signature were enriched in the melanogenesis pathway in all four sets of selection signature analyses. Conclusions Our study provides the first insights into the genetics and genomics of Chinese indigenous rabbit breeds and serves as a valuable resource for the further effective utilization of the species.

Generally, in recent times across the breeding spectrum, rabbits of giant, medium, small and dwarf breeds have been reared. The largest representation among breeders at most breeding exhibitions held in central European countries is amongst giant and medium breeds. The aim of this work was to evaluate the qualities and exterior faults in selected giant and medium rabbit breeds in different colour varieties according to a current book of rabbit standards. Of 1779 rabbits from 11 exhibitions held in the territory of the Czech and Slovak Republics, 646 giant rabbits weighing 5.5 kg and over and 1133 medium rabbits between 3.25 to 5.5 kg of different breeds and colour varieties were selected. Giant (large) breeds population included 210 of Giant, 187 of Giant Papillon and 249 of Lop. In the medium weight category, 308 of Big Light Silver, 184 of Chinchilla Giganta and 641 of Vienna group breeds were selected. The qualities and exterior faults of typical breed traits were evaluated in six positions: weight, shape, type, coat, top colour or markings and undercolour. The results of the work show that the most common exterior faults in these categories were in the shape, type and coat positions. In the shape position, significant exterior faults were found, such as slightly protruding hips with slanting rump, worse legs position with bowed or splayed limbs and loose skin on the body. Especially observed in the type position in all selected breeds were narrow chest, body too lean or too long and a more delicate head with finer structure of ears. The coat was usually thick and less elastic with the lighter undercolour at the base of the skin and non-sharply defined intermediate colour. The data obtained are ground-breaking, representing a new approach to assist in the characterisation of giant and medium rabbit breeds included in a study and to select individuals with the best exterior properties with a view to improving the breed quality.

The rabbit produces healthy meat, generating low methane emissions, and without competing for grain and other food resources for humans, hence adequately responding to the principles of the bioeconomy. For these properties to have a positive impact on society, it is necessary to promote the production and consumption of rabbit meat. Therefore, we evaluate the quality of carcass and meat of New Zealand breed rabbits was assessed in 12 males reared under commercial conditions and slaughtered at two months of age under standard conditions. The average weight of animals at slaughter was 2.6 kg, and their carcass had a yield, length and compactness index of 52.6%, 32.6 cm and 41.29 g/cm, respectively. The carcass measurements offered average percentages of 38.2%, 27.4%, 18.7% and 14.8% for the legs, loin, thorax, and shoulders, respectively. The pH of the meat was at normal values and the pressure and cooking losses and tenderness showed mean values of 12.8%, 26.6% and 3.1 Kg/cm2, respectively. The chromatic variables showed mean values of L * = 46.9, a * = 0.54 and b * = 8.14. These results are in line with those reported for industrial breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of breed and season on rabbits’ fur characteristics under Egyptian semi-arid conditions was studied in this research. Fifty-nine male rabbits aged 3-3.5 mo of Gabaly (GB, n=21) and New Zealand White (NZW, n=27) breeds and their crossbred (NZW×GB, n=11) were studied during two subsequent seasons; summer (n=31) and winter (n=28). Skin samples were taken pre-slaughtering to determine the histological parameters, skin layer thicknesses and physical traits of fur fibres. After slaughter, rabbits’ furs were chrome tanned to determine physical and chemical properties. Results showed that all histological parameters of follicle dimensions were affected (P

Background: Chinese indigenous rabbits have distinct characteristics, such as roughage resistance, stress resistance and environmental adaptability, which are of great significance to the sustainable development of the rabbit industry in China. Therefore, it is necessary to study the genetic diversity and population structure of this species and develop genomic resources. Results: In this study, we used restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) to obtain 1,006,496 SNP markers from six Chinese indigenous rabbit breeds and two imported rabbit breeds. Jiuyishan and Fujian Yellow rabbits showed the highest nucleotide diversity (π) and decay of linkage disequilibrium (LD), as well as higher observed heterozygosity (Ho) and expected heterozygosity (He), indicating higher genetic diversity than other rabbits. The inbreeding coefficient (FIS) of New Zealand rabbits and Belgian rabbits was higher than that of other rabbits. The neighbour-joining (NJ) tree, principal component analysis (PCA), and population structure analysis of autosomes and Y chromosomes showed that Belgian, New Zealand, Wanzai, Sichuan White, and Minxinan Black rabbits clustered separately, and Fujian Yellow, Yunnan Colourful, and Jiuyishan rabbits clustered together. Wanzai rabbits were clearly separated from other populations (K = 3), which was consistent with the population differentiation index (FST) analysis. The selection signature analysis was performed in two populations with contrasting coat colours. With Sichuan White and New Zealand rabbits as the reference populations and Minxinan Black and Wanzai rabbits as the target populations, 408, 454, 418, and 518 genes with a selection signature, respectively, were obtained. Gene Ontology (GO) classification and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed on the genes with a selection signature. The results showed that the genes with a selection signature were enriched in the melanogenesis pathway in all four sets of selection signature analyses. Conclusions: Our study provides the first insights into the genetics and genomics of Chinese indigenous rabbit breeds and serves as a valuable resource for the further effective utilization of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was performed to assess the genetic variations among six rabbit breeds in Egypt based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequences. The length of partial mitochondrial 16S rRNA in the six rabbit breeds ranged from 546 bp to 558 bp. The sequenced regions were submitted to GenBank/NCBI under accession numbers (MW052052 - MW052057). The average content of A+T was 57% in all breeds. Among breeds, the percentages of genetic distance values were ranged from 0.000 to 0.004. The highest P-distance (0.004) was found between the New Zealand White breed and all other breeds. The results support the suitability of mitochondrial 16S rRNA for genetic diversity analysis of rabbit breeds and the applicability for future research on genetic relationships and the phylogeny of rabbit breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Scabies, caused by infestation of the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, is one of the most severe ectoparasitic diseases in rabbits. Scabies seriously affects the commercial rabbit breeding, causing severe economic losses. Host resistance to S. scabiei is an important factor in further development of the rabbit industry. In the present study, we compared the host resistance to S. scabiei var. cuniculi of a new breed of domestic rabbit propagated by the Sichuan Animal Sciences Academy (QiXing rabbit, QX) compared with that of a traditional rabbit breed in the domestic rabbit industry (IRA rabbit, IRA). Methods Both QX and IRA rabbits were experimentally infested with live S. scabiei var. cuniculi mites for 48 h. Then, during the course of four-week experimental infestation period, the body weight of rabbits was recorded every two weeks for calculating body-weight variations in comparison to the non-infested control rabbits. Skin lesions in the foot area were assessed on weekly basis and serum samples were tested weekly for the estimation of changes in the total antibody levels (IgG, IgE and IgM). Moreover, DNA extracted from the blood samples was amplified for analysis of the genetic diversity in the major histocompatibility complex, class II, DQ Alpha (MHC-DQA) gene. Results Compared to the IRA rabbits, the QX rabbits showed a significantly higher (P

Abstract Background Within the rabbit population in South West of Nigeria, four exotic breeds of rabbits consisting of Fauve de Bourgogne, Chinchilla, British Spot, and New Zealand White were evaluated for their reproductive response. This investigation was carried out within July and August, when the least temperature-humidity index (THI) (ranged between 23.41 and 25.30) is observed in Ibadan, South West, Nigeria, which depicts the highest thermal comfort in the study area. Thirty bucks per breed, housed individually and randomly allotted to experimental units, were used for this study. All bucks were made to serve an artificial vagina, libido was evaluated, and the collected ejaculates were assessed for semen characteristics, seminal biochemical parameters, and oxidative stress indices weekly for 4 weeks. Two ejaculates per buck were collected weekly. The first ejaculate for spermiogram and the second ejaculate was centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 15 min to separate seminal plasma and used for biochemical analysis using standard procedures. Result The result obtained revealed that sexual urge (reaction time) in the four breeds was similar statistically. British Spot and New Zealand White breeds despite recording a lower semen volume had apparently higher mass motility, individual sperm motility, and significantly higher (P

Background: The study evaluated the growth performance, haemabiochemical and antioxidant profile of two breeds of rabbits fed diets containing varying levels of Rhizopus stolonifer fermented cocoa pod husk meal (FCPHM). Cocoa pod husk meal was taken through solid-state fermentation for a period of 2 weeks using Rhizopus stolonifer as its starter culture. One hundred and eighty, 5-week-old unsexed weaned rabbits 90 New Zealand white (NZW) and 90 Chinchilla (CHL) were randomly allocated into three dietary treatments, Diets I, II and III (0%, 12.5 and 25%FCPHM, respectively), and were arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial design (2 breeds and 3 diets) of a randomized block design. Results: The study showed that the breed effect and dietary treatment were significant (p < 0.01) for total weight gain and feed conversion ratio with NZW breed fed 12.5% FCPHM having higher values than CHL breed. Serum total protein concentration was significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by the dietary treatment, while alanine aminotransferase, globulin and total protein concentrations were significantly (p < 0.01) affected by the breed effect. The interactive effect of breed and dietary treatment was only significant (p < 0.05) for serum albumin concentration. Malondialdehyde concentration was significantly influenced by both dietary treatments (p < 0.05) and breed (p < 0.001) factors. Conclusion: It was observed that CHL rabbits were more predisposed to stress than the NZW rabbits as indicated by the lipid peroxidation values, and according to this present finding, 12.5% FCPHM is recommended as active feed ingredient in rabbit diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment was designed to study the behavioural and physiological responses of two breeds of rabbits to natural oestrus induction methods in non-receptive female rabbits to mating. One hundred multiparous female rabbits from Baladi Red (BR) and New Zealand White (NZW) breeds (50 from each breed) and twenty mature bucks from two breeds (10 from each breed) were used in the study. The following two methods were used: (1) doe-litter separation in the suckling females, or (2) presence of a doe beside buck cage in the non-suckling females. Basic behavioural (time of standing, walking and sitting %) and sexual behavioural activities (frequency of male circling around female, female circling around male, male mounting female and actual mating) were recorded for each male and female rabbits. Receptivity and conception rates were calculated in each treatment group. Also, serum concentrations of estradiol-17β hormone were determined in does under investigation. The results of this experiment indicated that animals after application of natural inducing oestrus treatments are more active than before treatments. Time of standing was significantly higher than time of sitting in both breeds after treatments compared with those before treatments. Moreover, animals after application of treatments showed significantly higher frequency of female circling around male, male mounting female and actual mating, and insignificantly higher frequency of male circling around female, than those values recorded in animals before application of treatments. Oestrogen levels significantly increased after presence doe beside buck cage and insignificantly increased after doe-litter separation in both breeds. Both treatments showed pronounced improvement in terms of receptivity and conception rates, irrespective of breed. NZW does were significantly superior over BR does in most studied traits. Highly significant positive correlations were found between both sexual behaviour and oestrogen level with receptivity and conception rates. Generally, natural methods used to induce oestrus led to a positive change in the basic and sexual behaviour as well as improvement in the physiological performance of non-receptive female rabbits for mating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background We deciphered thermoregulatory activities of exotic breeds of rabbit in the event of least thermal discomfort in Ibadan, Nigeria. This investigation was carried out between July and August during the least temperature-humidity index (THI). Twenty bucks and 14 doe per breed, housed individually and randomly assigned to experimental units in a completely randomized design, were used for assessment of respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR), rectal temperature (RT) and ear temperature (ET). Measurements were taken between 07.00 to 09.00 h and 16.00 to 18.00 h of the day, using standard procedures. Result The result obtained showed that the effect of sex was evident in respiratory and heart rates, with males having higher values in the evening. But the core body temperature was not affected. Although the higher function of thermoregulatory apparatus of Fauve de Bourgogne, Chinchilla and British Spot rabbits were recorded, New Zealand White had lower core body temperature than other breeds. Conclusion We reported that August was the most thermal comfortable period during the year for rabbit in Nigeria. New Zealand White has a lower core body temperature without a compensatory increase in thermoregulatory activities.

Generally, in recent times across the breeding spectrum, rabbits of giant, medium, small and dwarf breeds have been reared. The largest representation among breeders at most breeding exhibitions held in central European countries is amongst giant and medium breeds. The aim of this work was to evaluate the qualities and exterior faults in selected giant and medium rabbit breeds in different colour varieties according to a current book of rabbit standards. Of 1779 rabbits from 11 exhibitions held in the territory of the Czech and Slovak Republics, 646 giant rabbits weighing 5.5 kg and over and 1133 medium rabbits between 3.25 to 5.5 kg of different breeds and colour varieties were selected. Giant (large) breeds population included 210 of Giant, 187 of Giant Papillon and 249 of Lop. In the medium weight category, 308 of Big Light Silver, 184 of Chinchilla Giganta and 641 of Vienna group breeds were selected. The qualities and exterior faults of typical breed traits were evaluated in six positions: weight, shape, type, coat, top colour or markings and undercolour. The results of the work show that the most common exterior faults in these categories were in the shape, type and coat positions. In the shape position, significant exterior faults were found, such as slightly protruding hips with slanting rump, worse legs position with bowed or splayed limbs and loose skin on the body. Especially observed in the type position in all selected breeds were narrow chest, body too lean or too long and a more delicate head with finer structure of ears. The coat was usually thick and less elastic with the lighter undercolour at the base of the skin and non-sharply defined intermediate colour. The data obtained are ground-breaking, representing a new approach to assist in the characterisation of giant and medium rabbit breeds included in a study and to select individuals with the best exterior properties with a view to improving the breed quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Rabbit breeding with high performance imported ones would be of benefit for genetic diversity and improvement of performance in domestic rabbit breeds. The rearing of more productive rabbit breeds could be pathway to improve the productivity and reduce the production cost. Maternal nutritional status exert a great influence on reproductive functions of does, which may expand from conception, through gestation and parturition and development of kits to puberty. Methods Four breeds of rabbit were evaluated for their parturition, weaning and pubertal differences among the rabbit population in Ibadan, Nigeria. The breed consist of Fauve De Bourgogne (FDB), Chinchilla (CHA), British Spot (BS) and New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. A total of 60 bucks and 360 does consisting of 15 bucks and 90 does per breed were mated in 6 mating cycles, three each of natural mating and artificial insemination. All does were synchronized for estrus with 20 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin 48 h prior to mating. The does after parturition were assessed for milk yield (g) and kit survival rate (%) till weaning, weight changes of kits from birth to puberty. At puberty, the pubertal age (days) and weight (g) of the offspring were assessed. Result Results obtained reveals that British Spot doe had highest milk yield among the breeds which significantly increased growth of kit and weight at weaning in British Spot rabbits. Survival rates of Chinchilla kits were significantly (p

The objective of this study was to differentiate between five rabbit breeds at four microsatellite loci on autosomal chromosomes 5, 7 and 19, and to assess the association between detected microsatellite alleles and some economical traits. The breeds were Baladi White (BWH) and Baladi Red (BR) as native Egyptian breeds, and New Zealand White (NZW), American Rex (AR) and Chinchilla (CH) as exogenous breeds. Genomic DNA was extracted from nine individuals/breed, and screened by four pairs of microsatellite markers (Sat5, D7Utr4A, D7Utr4B and D19Utr4B). A total of 26 alleles was detected, with an average of 6.5 alleles per locus. The within-breed genomic variability was in general high, and was not significantly differed between breeds. The expected heterozygosity was also high and ranged from 0.769 in NZW to 0.826 in CH, with no significant differences between the breeds. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) varied from 0.286 in BWH to 0.593 in CH. The genetic distance indices revealed close genetic relationship between BWH and CH and averaged 2.629, however the genetic distance between AR and NZW averaged 3.355. Many alleles were found to associate many growth and reproduction traits. D7utr4A`4 showed significant association with body weight and chest circumference at 8 weeks of age and body length at 8 and 10 weeks of age. The microsatellite locus D7Utr4B on chromosome 7 showed significant association with parity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Scabies, caused by infestation of the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, is one of the most severe ectoparasitic diseases in rabbits. Scabies seriously affects the commercial rabbit breeding, causing severe economic losses. Host resistance to S. scabiei is an important factor in further development of the rabbit industry. In the present study, we compared the host resistance to S. scabiei var. cuniculi of a new breed of domestic rabbit propagated by the Sichuan Animal Sciences Academy (QiXing rabbit, QX) compared with that of a traditional rabbit breed in the domestic rabbit industry (IRA rabbit, IRA). Methods: Both QX and IRA rabbits were experimentally infested with live S. scabiei var. cuniculi mites for 48 h. Then, during the course of four-week experimental infestation period, the body weight of rabbits was recorded every two weeks for calculating body-weight variations in comparison to the non-infested control rabbits. Skin lesions in the foot area were assessed on weekly basis and serum samples were tested weekly for the estimation of changes in the total antibody levels (IgG, IgE and IgM). Moreover, DNA extracted from the blood samples was amplified for analysis of the genetic diversity in the major histocompatibility complex, class II, DQ Alpha (MHC-DQA) gene. Results: Compared to the IRA rabbits, the QX rabbits showed a significantly higher (P < 0.05) relative body weight gain compared to the non-infested control rabbits and significantly lower (P < 0.05) scores for foot skin lesions and higher levels of IgG, IgE and IgM at weeks 1 to 4, week 2 and week 1 post-infestation, respectively. Furthermore, a polymorphism site at position 103 bp of exon two of MHC-DQA gene and a different gene frequency were found between two rabbit breeds, suggesting the genetic basis for the differential host resistance to the S. scabiei var. cuniculi between two rabbit breeds. Conclusions: The QX rabbits showed higher host resistance to S. scabiei var. cuniculi compared to the IRA rabbits at the clinical, immunological and genetic levels. These results provide a reference for the breeding of rabbits with adequately improved and sustained host resistance to scabies in the domestic rabbit industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flemish giant rabbit and New Zealand white rabbits (group ON), were used as a material for the study. Rabbits were fed ad libitum with commercial pelleted feed, with the addition of small amounts of green feed and hay. The experiment included 6 rabbits, 3 males and 3 females. Previously defined live weight of 1800 to 2500 g was achieved within 77 days and after that they were slaughtered. Study results presented in this paper show fattening and slaughter properties of Flemish giant rabbit and New Zealand white rabbit. The achieved average weight of male rabbits was 2792 g and meat-to-bone ratio was 47.92%, 2597 g and 48.61% respectively in female rabbits. Average participation of the back part of the carcass in male/female rabbits was 28.02% and 27.34%, dorsal part was 20.93% and 22.65%, front of the carcass was 25.26% and 25.39%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty (30) rabbit bucks of mixed breeds (New Zealand white x Chinchilla) with average live weight of 852g, aged between 12 and 14 weeks were subjected to a feeding trial for 14 weeks, to determine the effects of diets with different ratio concentrate to fresh leaves of Gmelina arborea (FLGA) on semen characteristics, testicular and epididymal morphometry of rabbit bucks. The rabbits were randomly allocated into five treatments: Treatment 1-T1 (100g concentrate /C/: 0g FLGA), Treatment 2-T2 (75g C: 25g FLGA), Treatment-T3 3 (50g C: 50g FLGA), Treatment 4-T4 (25g C: 75g FLGA), Treatment 5-T5 (00g C: 100g FLGA). The results obtained showed that sperm motility, concentration and percentage of live sperm cells showed significant effects (P<0.05), while semen volume and percentage of normal sperm cells were not significantly affected by the test diets. Rabbits on T4 did not ejaculate within the experimental period. Mean testis density was not significantly affected, while paired testes weight, mean testis length, paired testes volume, paired epididymal weight and mean epididymal length were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by the dietary treatments. The results revealed that rabbit bucks on T2 and T3 performed better, rabbits on T4 performed least, while rabbit bucks in T5 could not survive beyond two weeks. Concentrate to FLGA at the ratios of 75g C: 25g FLGA (T2) and 50g C: 50g FLGA (T3) are therefore recommended as the best combinations for rabbit breeding bucks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the current knowledge on the genetics of growth, carcass and meat traits in rabbits. There is a great variety in size of rabbit breeds, from which commercial production uses medium size breeds for does and large breeds as terminal sires. Selection experiments for growth and feed efficiency have been successful. Selection for residual feed intake did not modify growth rate, acting on reducing the appetite. Selection for growth rate increased adult weight and led to poorer carcass yield when comparing selected and unselected animals at the same commercial weight, but not at the same age, near the same maturity stage. The results on meat/bone ratio do not show a clear pattern. Negative effects on intramuscular fat and some sensorial traits have been found in lines selected for growth rate, but meat quality in general does not seem to be affected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rabbit meat has become increasingly popular in China; however, the main available products are still as cut-up parts or whole carcass due to a lack of processing. Currently, rabbit meat products do not fully meet the consumer demand for convenience, thus hindering the further development of the rabbit meat industry. As the biggest rabbit meat producer globally, China has conducted a series of studies on rabbit meat processing and the development of new products. This review presents rabbit breeds, meat importation, exportation, and meat production in China. The development of the rabbit meat industry and research on rabbit meat processing are discussed. The main problems, including a lack of leading enterprises and brand products, insufficient investment and research, and the weakness of fundamental studies on traditional products, are highlighted. Furthermore, current trends of rabbit meat production and processing of being centralized and regionalized, as well as being intelligentized and standardized, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents data obtained during the study of the influence of various environmental factors on the biochemical parameters of blood serum in different rabbit breeds differing in directional productivity. It has been established that irrespective of the pedigree of rabbits, when growing under conditions of comparatively intensive contaminated (CIC) conditions in blood serum, the amount of total protein and albumins decreases. And the amounts of globulins and transferrin were high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The initial live weight of the body is considered a very important factor influencing the growth traits and the final body weight. The differences are expressive especially in species of large litters and short period of fattening. The large litters are the precondition of different live weights of the youngs. Especially the large litters with more than ten alive youngs produces youngs of different live weight. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of live weight at born on growth traits of synthetic broiler rabbit line. The 3rd generation of giant sire line with the basis of Belgian Giant White rabbit and local standard broiler population (M91) was tested in this experiment. Animals born in 18 litters were individually marked and weighted at birth day, 35th day, 84th day and at the age of 105 days. All animals were consequently divided in eight groups according to the live weight at born. The average growth rate of each groups was evaluated. The lowest average live weight at weaning (35th day) was 846.25 g in group 1 and the highest live weight was 1093.18 in group 8 with significant differences between groups (P-value = 0,0000 at the 95,0 % confidence level). Similar results were determined also at the age of 84 days, when the lowest weight was obtained in group 2 and the highest weight in group 8 with average weight 2442,50 g; 3173,64 g resp. Significant differences with P-value = 0,0000 at the 95,0 % confidence level. The 105th day is considered as the age of sexual maturity. The lowest body weight reached group 3 and the highest live body weight was in group 8 with average value 2913.50 g and 3701.82 g resp. The significant differences were determined as well with P-value = 0.0000 at the 95.0 % confidence level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic resource banks (GRB) are a valuable tool for maintaining genetic variability and preserving breeds from pathogens or catastrophe, enabling us to assess and correct breeding schemes, minimizing the impact of genetic drift and facilitating diffusion. This study tests their efficiency in re-establishing two extinct populations of a synthetic rabbit line selected for daily weight gain, using vitrified embryos from two generations (18th and 36th) separated by 15 years of genetic selection. The effect of long-term storage of vitrified embryos in liquid nitrogen was also evaluated. A total of 516 vitrified embryos using the same protocol were transferred into 54 recipients. The embryos had been maintained in liquid nitrogen during 2 different periods, (i) 1 year (301 embryos and 26 transfers, 36th generation) and (ii) 15 years (259 embryos and 28 transfers, 18th generation). A total of 80.0% (8/10 to 18th) and 60.0% (9/15 to 36th) of the foundational sire families were eventually re-established. Over approximately one year, animals within each population were crossed to produce the next generation and re-establish the original population size. Our study demonstrated that our GRB of embryos vitrified 15 years ago is a successful strategy to re-establish rabbit populations to continue the breeding programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is proposed to grow rabbits in the modern production technology with the use of the developed technology of using recycled materials in the construction of cages for keeping rabbits. It is also proposed to use interbreed crossing of New Zealand White breed and Flanders, and also breeds Californian and Flanders breed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The use of a rabbit meat is a perspective and accessible way of solving the problem of the shortage of domestic meat products in Georgia. Nowadays, there are sufficient on rabbit breeding in the country, but no data are available on the quality and technological properties of rabbit meat. Therefore, of scientific and practical interest is to study the quality indicators, safety, chemical composition and biological value of meat of different breeds of rabbits. The modern, standard, commonly accepted methods of the research have been used in performing this work, which are suitable for accomplishing the set tasks. Statistical processing of the results obtained and the evaluation of the reliability of the obtained data were carried out by the mathematical statistics methods using the Windows IBM SPSS Statistics software program. Based on the study of microbiological indicators of rabbit meat, it has been demonstrated that the number of mesophylic-aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms does not exceed the values established by the sanitary standards and rules, no bacteria of intestinal bacillus and pathogenic microorganisms were detected, including salmonella, which is also is in compliance with the biological and hygienic safety requirements and standards. The safety of rabbit meat is also indicated by a study of its toxicity. It has been established that the breeds of rabbit bred in the country are distinguished by a high meat productivity, high protein and moderate fat contents and low caloric capacity. The biological value of rabbit meat has been determined: it is distinguished by the number of all essential amino acids and the protein-quality index, it does not have limited amino acids, and all essential amino acids scores, especially of lysine, tryptophan and leucine, exceed the "ideal protein" score. The level of satisfaction of human daily needs is also high with amino acids. The resulting data point to the high quality and biological value of the meat of rabbits bred in Georgia, and made it reasonable to use as raw material for domestic high-quality meat production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of organic acids, medium chain fatty acids and yeast cell walls on the productivity, physiological state and intestinal histomorphology of the rabbits. The study was conducted with 14 Californian breed rabbits. The rabbits (77-161 days old) were assigned to two treatment groups (7 rabbits per each treatment group). The dietary treatments were 1) control diet, 2) diet supplemented with the additive Luscent (dosage 1 kg/t of feed) - from INNOV AD nv/sa, Belgium - a commercially available product that medium chain fatty acids, Yeast cell wall (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), butyric acids esters, plant extracts. The rabbits were kept in individual wire-net cages with grid floors and an individual vessel for watering and feeding. Storage conditions were the same for both groups. Rabbits were fed twice a day (ad libitum). During the feeding trial the following parameters were analysed: rabbits' performance, blood parameters, development of intestinal tract, pH and dry matter content in different parts of the intestine, the villus height and the crypt depth. The inclusion of organic acids, medium chain fatty acids and yeast cell walls in the compound feeds increased the rabbit's body weight, weight gain, growth rate and decreased feed intake. The feed additive Luscent had a positive effect on the length of the intestinal tract, the villus height in the duodenum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last 1.5 decade in Romania has launched a few very important breeding programmes in the field of rabbit breeding. Namely three rabbit breeds were created in a period of ten years (this period represents the time from the start of the first project until the three breeds were officially recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development through the National Livestock Production Agency "Prof. Dr. K. G. Constantinescu"). Before 2016 Romania had no certified rabbit breed. The three rabbit breeds we are talking about are: Rabbit of Cluj, Giant of Transylvania and the Szekler Rabbit. The latter (Szekler Rabbit) has its breed standard published in 2016, were three color variety is mentioned (the black sallander, the havana-sallander, and the blue-sallander color variety). The creation of the black sallander Szekler Rabbit was previously described in 2015. So far there is no publication concerning the creation/development of the havana-sallander and the blue-sallander color variety. Therefore the present paper aims to describe in detail, step by step the havana color variety breeding programme. Briefly havana-sallander Szekler Rabbit descends from the black sallander Szekler Rabbits, which was infused with havana color gene (bb). The infusion crossings involved the French Lop and Giant Papillon (the solid color variety) and California (havana-himalaya) breeds certainly all of them havana colored. During the breeding programme, beside the new/external blood infusion through the three breeds mentioned (havana gene carriers) also consaguinization was used in order to stabilize the color pattern. From here it can be deduced that the havana-sallander Szekler Rabbit has a polyphyletic origin. Although the havanasallander Szekler Rabbit is a very recent creation, it is already present in the rabbit shows, attaining very promising results even in a national show in Romania in 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat production efficiency can be enhanced by crossbreeding to capture heterosis. This study aimed to investigate the impact of rabbit genotype on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality and amino acids profile. A total of 504 weaned rabbits from nine genotypes of full factorial crossing of New Zealand White (NZW), Californian (CA) and Rex (RX) were used. Longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscles were assessed for meat quality and amino acids profile. There were no differences between groups at weaning and 6 weeks, but by 10 weeks differences were significant (P < 0.001) and the numerically heaviest groups were CA × RX and RX × NZW (1970 g, P < 0.001) with to some extent better amino acids profile. In conclusion, RX growth performance was improved by crossing CA sire with RX dam and RX sire with NZW dam and to have dual purpose breed with better growth performance without hazard on carcass and meat quality. CA × RX and RX × NZW had the heaviest body weight at 10 weeks of age and highest body weight gain during the whole finishing period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of research was to study the effect of rearing season and feeding on the performance evaluation of a local rabbit population. Five small scale family farms with rabbits of local breed were included in the study. Two groups of rabbits per farm were fattened during summer and winter seasons. One group was fed in usual way with feeds produced in farm consisted mainly of alfalfa dry or fresh depending on season and family residues. The feeding of the other group was daily supplemented with 25 g concentrate feedstuffs (17% protein) bought in the market. Supplementation with concentrate feedstuffs showed to improve meat production from rabbits in both seasons. Live weight at the end of fattening was increased with 216.9 g and 371.6 g respectively during winter and summer season. The factors that affect the differences in live weight realized were feeding regime, sex of rabbit (P<0.001) and season of fattening (P<0.01). The effect of these factors depended on their interaction effect like as "feed ration x season" (P<0.01), and "feed ration x sex" (P<0.05). Approaching growth curves with theoretical one of Gompers showed that concentrate adding in feed ration improved daily weight gain. It did not affect the dynamics of body weight change. It affects the gradient of quantity of daily gains of rabbits. Concentrate supplementation of daily feeding during fattening period increased up to 15.5 % the meat production as well as net income of the farm. The rabbits feeding with daily supplementation, showed better slaughtering results than the another group; carcass percentage respectively 55.3% vs. 49.8 %; 61.2% vs. 51.8%) (P <0.01); good performance of the region's most puncture respectively (20.4 %vs. vs. 18.4 %; 22.6% vs. 19.1 %) (P <0.01); and had also the highest bone ratio of hind leg; 3.6 vs. 3.2 and 4 vs. 3.39 (P <0.01) respectively during winter and summer seasons [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic characterization of our native rabbit populations is crucial for their development of genetic improvement and conservation programs. In the current study, fifteen microsatellite markers were used to investigate the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship among four Algerian popula- tions of rabbits; White (B), White and grey (G), Black and white (N) and Brown and white (M) in addition to Gabali (EG) and New Zealand White (EN) from Egypt. The microsatellites were INRACCDDV0003, SAT2, SAT3, SAT4, SAT5, SAT7, SAT8, SAT12, SAT13, SOL30, SOL33, SOL44, D3Utr2, D6Utr4 and D7Utr5. 90 animals were studied including 15 rabbits from each population. Results revealed that the average number of alleles per locus was 14.26 and the observed heterozygosity averaged 0.62 and ranging from 0.47 in marker SAT2 to 0.8 in marker, D6Utr4 while the expected heterozygosity averaged 0.72 and ranged from 0.62 in marker SAT2 to 0.77 in marker SOL44. The average polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.85 and ranged from 0.77 at locus D3Utr2 to 0.93 at locus SOL33. Most loci showed deviations from Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium with highly significant level. The inbreeding coefficient of the individuals relative to the total population (FIT) was the highest 0.28. The within-population heterozygote deficit (FIS) averaged 0.13. The pairwise variation among the populations (FST) averaged 0.16 and ranging from 0.09 for D3Utr2 to 0.27 for SAT2. The highest pairwise Nei's genetic distance was recorded between G and EG (0.87) and the closest genetic distance for natif population was between M and N (0.33). The smallest pairwise FST was recorded between G and M (0.059). B, G and M, N populations were clustered together forming admixed mosaic cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic diversity and genetic relatedness of seven indigenous Czech rabbit breeds included in the National Program of Conservation and Utilization of Genetic Resources was evaluated. The set was completed with a modern hybrid strain Hyplus 19×59 for comparison. Sixteen microsatellite loci compiled from published sources were multiplexed by 3 or 4 in order to rationalize the reactions and capillary electrophoresis. High level of diversity was demonstrated in all breeds, as expressed by polymorphism information content of the markers and allelic richness, in spite of the limited populations of most of the traditional breeds. On the other hand, the ubiquitous presence of private alleles and substantial genetic distances among the breeds indicated considerable distinctness of all the breeds at the molecular level. The microsatellite profiles were sufficiently characteristic to allow breed assignment of most individuals. The differences among breeds allowed for building an interpretable similarity dendrogram, although without statistical evidence for the hierarchical structure of the multi-breed population. Clustering at the individual animal level and probabilistic assignment of animals to the newly delimited groups consistently revealed distinct subpopulations in two breeds. The degree of inbreeding as a threat to the conservation program was evaluated with the heterozygosity coefficient and the subpopulation inbreeding coefficient F IS . While heterozygosity corresponded to the panel of European breeds, it remained lower than the values reported for wild and other domestic populations. In conclusion, the conserved rabbit breeds can serve as a reservoir of genetic variants for future breeding despite small living populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]