ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umium-793 103, Meghalaya, India.
200 rabbits consisting of New Zealand White (NZW) and Soviet Chinchilla (SC) breed were maintained individually in outdoor hutch system of housing. Pelleted concentrate feed was provided to the rabbit ad libitum. It was found that in NZW breed of rabbit 2.71,2.44; 3.72,2.09; 4.03,2.35; and 9.87,6.04% improvements were found in F-2 crops over F-1 crops in respect of 2m live weight in male and female, 3 m live weight in male and female, 4 m live weight in male and female, growth in male and female. Whereas in SC 4.61; 1.18; 11.11, 2.84% improvements were observed in F-2 over F-1 in respect of 2m live weight in male, 3m live weight in male, growth in male and female. There was significant (P < 0.05) bred difference at six-month live weight. It was also found that improvement in male was higher than that in female in both the breeds. Study on reproductive traits revealed that 3.83,4.03; 3.52,7.49; -4.33,7.59% improvements were found in case of litter size at birth, litter weight at birth, inter-kindling period in NZW and SC breed of rabbit respectively in F-1 over the crops of parental generation. Effect of breed on litter size at weaning, litter weight at weaning was significant (P < 0.05) and both were significantly higher in SC than that in NZW.
