PARÂMETROS REPRODUTIVOS E DESENVOLVIMENTO PONDERAL DOS LÁPAROS DAS RAÇAS NOVA ZELÂNDIA E CALIFÓRNIA NO BRASIL

Abstract

The experiment was carried for 12 months in the Rabbit Unit of Departamento de Zootecnia at the Universidade Federal do Ceará. The aim of this work was to evaluate the rabbit reproductive parameters and ponderable performance of the races New Zealand (NZ) and Califórnia(CA) , in Ceará, Northeast Brazil. Animals were fed with a commercial feed of 2500 kcal DE/kg for rabbit in reproduction. Thirty does (50% of each race) were distributed at random in experimental cages, such that each ¿treatment¿ (race) had 15 replications. Data were analyzed in a complete randomized design. Does were selected by weight and age, being included in the expeiment with 3,0 kg and 4,5 months of age, approximately. The male/female ratio was 1:10. Pregnancy check was done by palpation 15 days after mating. Reproductive management adopted was mating 10 days after delivery and weaning at 30 days of age (semi-intensive). Productivity in maternity was similar between races. Numeric productivity for both races was 31.3 rabbits weaned/cage/year. Does CA showed greatest maternal ability as compared with NZ does, with heavier offspring at birth, at 21 days, and at weaning. Finally, it is suggested that to produce a rabbit for slaughtering, it should use females CA with males NZ, in single or industrial mating.