TY  - BOOK
AU  - Kasiviswanathan D
AU  - Raghavan K C (Guide)
TI  - Genetic factors influencing feed efficiency in pure and crossbred broiler rabbits
U1  - 636.082 
PY  - 2000///
CY  - Mannuthy
PB  - Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
N2  - An experiment was carried out to study the genetic and non- 
genetic factors influencing feed efficiency (feed g/gain g) in broiler rabbits 
viz. New Zealand White (NZW), Soviet Chinchilla (SC) and SC x NZW 
crossbreds (CB). The non-genetic factors induded were sex, litter size at 
birth, season and year of birth. The data pertaining to fortnightly body 
weight from four to 12 weeks of age, feed efficiency (FE) and daily gain 
(OG) were subjected to least squares analysis. 
Breed had significant effect on body weights at all ages. NZW 
had the least body weights through out the experiment and SC and CB did 
not differ significantly at market age of 12 weeks. Overall daily gain was 
not affected by breed while FE was significantly (P.:: 0.01) influenced by 
breed. CB had the highest FE followed by SC and NZW rabbits. Dressing 
percentage was highest (48.91) for CB compared to NZW and SC. 
Crossbred rabbits exhibited a heterosis of 1.6 and 9.3 per cent for iz" 
week body weight and FE respectively over the pure bred parents. 
Sex was not a source of variation for any trait except for body 
weight at weaning (four weeks). Litter size at birth had significant effect on 
body weights at all ages but had no effect on overall OG and FE. Season 
and year of birth influenced body weights at early ages only and had no 
effect on overall OG and FE. 
 
Estimates of heritability by sire + dam component of variance were 
moderate to high for body weights at different ages, high for DG and not 
different from zero for FE. Phenotypic correlations among body weights at 
different ages were high and significant and genetic correlation estimates 
were higher in magnitude for later ages. Phenotypic and genetic correlation 
of FE with twelfth week body weight and DG were near to zero. 
The present study indicated that breed is a significant source of 
variation affecting body weight from four to 12 weeks of age and FE in 
during period. CB rabbits though did not differ from SC for 1 z" week body 
weight excelled the pure breeds when FE and dressing percentage are 
considered. In monetary terms CB rabbits are found to be superior by 1.6 
and 1.43 times over NZW and SC rabbits. So, crossbreeding of SC and 
NZW rabbits is advocated for profitable commercial broiler rabbit production. 


UR  - http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810104201
ER  -