Breed and Environmental Effects on Postweaning

Growth of Rabbits

J. I. McNitt*J and S. D. Lukefahrt

*Center for Small Farm Research, Southern University and A&M
College, Baton Rouge, LA 70813 and +International Small Livestock
Research Center, Department of Food Science and Animal Industries,
Alabama A&M University, Huntsville 35762

ABSTRACT Growth records of 4,270 weanling
rabbits born between March 1985 and December 1989
were studied to evaluate the effects of breed and
month of birth on postweaning growth performance of
four medium-sized breeds: Californian (CALI, New
Zealand White (NZW), Palomino (PAL), and White
Satin (WS). Traits examined were 28-d weaning
weight (WW), postweaning gain (GAIN), attainment
of 1,600-g market weight by 76 d of age (MKT), and
approximate age at 1,600 g (AGE). Least squares
models included breed, month of birth, sex, and year of
birth as fixed effects and litter within breed by month
and by year and the residual as random variables. The
NZW had significantly higher GAIN and MKT and
lower AGE than the other three breeds. White Satin
had the highest WW, followed by CAL, NZW, and
PAL. White Satin had higher GAIN and lower AGE
than PAL or CAL but did not differ for MKT. Poorer
performance was seen during the summer, but the
Key Words: Rabbits, Breeds, Growth, Environmental Temperature, Photoperiod
NZW tended to be less affected by the environmental
extremes than the other breeds. The effects on GAIN
of mean monthly temperature and daylength and the
interrelationships of these with estimated milk
production and litter size at weaning were evaluated
by regression methods for the 2,100 NZW fryers.
Temperature and daylength had significant effects on
GAIN, with lowest GAIN in the summer, but the
individual contributions t o the variance were small
because of some redundancy when month, tempera-
ture, and(or) light were included in the same model.
Curvilinear trends were observed that favored GAIN
as estimated milk production increased but decreased
GAIN as litter size at weaning increased. In the hot,
humid climate of southern Louisiana important breed
differences were noted. There were also indications
that daylength may be an important factor in post-
weaning fryer performance.

J. Anim. Sci. 1993. 71:1996-2005

Introduction 56-d weight, whereas McNitt and Lukefahr (19911, in

Several factors influence postweaning growth of
rabbits. Climatic variations on a seasonal or shorter
basis have been shown to have definite effects on doe
productivity (Ross et al., 1961; Sittmann et al., 1964;
McNitt and Moody, 19901, but few studies have been
conducted in the United States of the effects of climate
on fryer production. Rollins and Casady (19601, in
California, found no effect of season on individual
weaning weight at 56 d; however, season did affect
total litter weight at 56 d (Casady et al., 1962). More
recently, Lukefahr et al. (19861, in Oregon, observed
that season had a significant effect on individual
'To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received November 30, 1992.
Accepted April 6, 1993.
Louisiana, and Roberts and Lukefahr (19921, in
Alabama, detected significant month effects on in-
dividual market weight traits. Comparisons of these
studies must be done with caution because the rabbits
in the California studies were weaned at 56 d and
were all purebred New Zealand White (NZW),
whereas in the latter three reports rabbits were
weaned at 28 d and represented several breeds and
crosses.
Breed comparison studies conducted in the United
States involving the medium-sized NZW, Californian
( CAL) , Champagne D'Argent, and Palomino ( PAL)
breeds generally have demonstrated small to nonsig-
nificant differences for postweaning growth traits
(Lukefahr et al., 1983b; Grobner et al., 1985; Ozimba
and Lukefahr, 1991; Roberts and Lukefahr, 1992). In
contrast, crossbred litters from large-sized sire breeds
(e.g., Flemish Giant and Terminal Sire Line) have

1996
 GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF RABBIT BREEDS
been reported to achieve more rapid gains, attaining
market weight earlier than medium-sized breeds or
their crosses (Lukefahr et al., 1983b, 1984; Ozimba
and Lukefahr, 199 1). Development and general
recommendations for purebreeding or crossbreeding
programs will require information on genetic and
environmental parameters for growth performance
traits of both purebred and crossbred rabbits reared in
a variety of climates. To date, no postweaning growth
studies using the white variety of the Satin (WS)
breed have been reported.
The objectives of this investigation were 1 ) to
compare four medium-sized meat rabbit breeds for
postweaning growth traits, 2 ) to examine breed x
month trends for growth traits during a 5-yr period,
3 ) to determine the influence of mean monthly
temperature on ADG in NZW purebred fryers, 4 ) to
determine the effect of daylength on ADG in NZW
purebred fryers, and 5) to study response surfaces
involving climatic factors (daylength and tempera-
ture) and maternal and(or) litter characters (esti-
mated milk yield and litter size at weaning) and ADG
in NZW purebred fryers reared in southern Louisiana.
Materials and Methods
Stock Housing and Environment. The data used in
this analysis were collected from 4,270 rabbits reared
in the Southern University rabbitry between March
1985 and December 1989. The herd comprised com-
mercial stock used for production research at the
Center for Small Farm Research at Southern Univer-
sity and A&M College, Baton Rouge, LA (latitude 30”
32”). The rabbits were housed in groups of up to four
in suspended, all-wire cages (76 cm x 76 cm x 46 cm)
inside a building with opened side panels that
provided protection from rain and sun. Fans were used
for air circulation when ambient temperatures ex-
ceeded approximately 23°C.
Climate in the rabbitry was monitored by a
recording hygrothermograph that provided continuous
records of the temperature and humidity. As far as
possible, the hygrothermograph was maintained in an
empty cage or at cage height to provide a record of the
temperatures actually experienced by the rabbits.
Monthly means of daily maximum and minimum
temperatures were used for statistical analyses. The
mean monthly maximum and minimum temperatures
in the rabbitry for the period of this study are shown
in Figure 1. Of particular interest are June, July,
August, and September, when the mean maximum
temperatures exceeded 30°C and the mean minimum
temperatures did not fall below 21°C.
Lights were turned off daily at 2200. Daylength
(total length of natural light plus added hours of
incandescent lighting) thus varied according to the
time of sunrise. Those times were obtained from the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
1997
35 -
30 - -
25 --
0
u* 20 --
E
3
$ 15--
;
W
10-
I-
5 ._
- ,
JAN F ~ BMAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
MONTH
Figure 1. Monthly mean maximum and minimum
temperatures (fSE) and daylength in the rabbitry from
March 1985 to December 1989.
office located at an airport 3 km from the rabbitry.
Because of daylight savings time, the lengths of the
daily light periods reached a minimum in October and
a maximum in April (Figure 1).
A commercial, alfalfa-based, pelleted rabbit diet
(Petrus Feed and Seed, Alexandria, LA) with a
guaranteed analysis of 18% CP, 18%crude fiber, and
2.5%crude fat was available t o the rabbits fresh daily
on an ad libitum basis. Water was available continu-
ously from automatic valves.
Breeds and Traits Studied. The fryers were of four
medium-sized breeds of US.origin (American Rabbit
Breeders Association, 1991) and included 720 CAL,
2,100 NZW, 691 PAL, and 759 WS. The breeding stock
were selected as commercial replacement animals on
the basis of gains and body conformation. Matings
were unplanned, although sire-daughter and full-sib
matings were avoided. No fostering of kits at birth to
equalize litter size was practiced. The does were
usually rebred 8 d postpartum. The distribution
among breeds of sires, dams, litters, and fryers is
shown in Table 1. Of the 4,270 fryers included, 3,915
reached market weight within the specified time.
In all years, there were more NZW than rabbits of
other breeds. In the earlier years of the study this was
a reflection of the greater productivity of the NZW in
terms of the numbers of fryers that actually reached
market weight. The breed comparison study was
phased out by attrition after 1988 and the herd
reverted t o purebred NZW. As a result, there was no
replacement of breeding does of the other breeds,
which resulted in the decline in numbers.
All rabbits were weaned at 4 wk of age. They were
weighed and tagged at weaning and then weighed
once weekly, usually on Tuesday, until they were
removed from the herd. Rabbits were generally
marketed on a weekly basis and a shipment included
all animals that weighed 2 1,600 g live weight at the
latest weighing. Data were included in this study for
all fryers that reached 2 1,600 g or had not been
1998 M c N I l T AND LUKEFAHR
Table 1. Numbers of rabbits of each breed and classification
included in the study
Category CAL NZW
Sires 8 9
Dams 29 76
Litters 157 382
Fryers 720 2,100
aCAL = Californian, NZW = New Zealand White, PAL = Palomino, WS = White Satin.
removed from the herd before the sixth weighing after
weaning ( a maximum of 76 d). Using the weekly
weights, a linear regression coefficient of BW on day of
age during the postweaning growth period was
computed for each fryer as an estimate of the
individual postweaning rate of gain (Liu et al., 1990).
Traits included in the analysis were individual
weaning weight at 28 d (WW), postweaning rate of
gain ( GAIN), age at which the 1,600-g market weight
was first recorded (AGE), and attainment (0, 1) of
market weight ( MKT) at or before the sixth weighing
postweaning.
Statistical Procedures. To compare the postweaning
performance of the four breeds, data were analyzed
using the General Linear Mixed Model (GLMM)
program of Blouin and Saxton (19901, according to
the following mathematical model:
where Yijumn = observed value of the dependent
variable; p = overall mean; Bi = fxed effect of the ith
breed; Mj = fxed effect of the jth month of birth; YRk =
fixed effect of the kth year of birth; (BM)ij = fixed
effect of the breed x month interaction; (BYR)ik =
fixed effect of the breed x year interaction; (MYR)p =
fixed effect of the month x year interaction;
(BMYR)ijk = fixed effect of the breed x month x year
interaction; ll$ = random effect of the kth litter nested
within breed x month x year of birth subclass,
assumed to be NID (0, 4); Gm = fixed effect of the mth
sex class; (BG)im = fixed effect of the breed x sex
interaction; (MG)jm= fixed effect of the month x sex
interaction; (YRG)I, = fxed effect of the year x sex
interaction; and qumn= random errors, assumed to be
NID (0, 4).
The above full model was employed to obtain
generalized least squares means for breed, month, and
year and their first- and second-order interactions
where the random litter source served as the error
term. Despite the obvious genetic relationships among
litters, this was considered the appropriate error term
because of the limited number of sires and because
Breeda
~ ~~~~
PAL ws Total
8 8 33
30 31 166
151 180 870
69 1 759 4,270
litter accounts for more than just additive genetic
variance. For the sex source and interactions inclusive
of sex, the residual was the error term used. In
preliminary analyses, except for breed x month and
breed x sex, no other interactions influenced the
growth traits investigated, so these sources were
eliminated from the models. Also, age and(or) parity
of dam were not included in the above model because
preliminary analyses showed these effects to be
nonsignificant. The Bonferroni t-test was used to
separate breed means at the P < .05 probability level
(Gill, 1978). The sex mean difference with a single df
was tested based on results from ANOVA.
To examine breed x month trends for growth traits,
a statistical package (Harvey, 1990) with polynomial
regression capabilities was used. The second mathe-
matical model was the same as above, except that
equations for litters were absorbed using the ratio of
residual to litter variances obtained from GLMM
analyses (litter effect accounted for 75.3, 37.5, 21.2,
and 47.2% of total random variation [o$ = 0; + 0 2~ 1
for WW, GAIN, AGE, and MKT, respectively), as
shown:
A generalized least squares solution for a fixed effects
model was then obtained using Harvey's program. The
sums of squares for breed, month, and breed x month
interaction were partitioned into those due to each
degree in orthogonal polynomials (limit was 5th
degree). A step-down, P c .05 probability level was
used to yield best fit polynomial regression models.
To carry out a more detailed analysis of the effects
of daylength and temperature on growth, only the
data from the purebred NZW were used because of the
larger numbers ( n = 2,100). After absorbing the
random litter effect, solutions for fixed effects were
obtained from two generalized least squares models
consisting of month, year, and sex and first-order
interactions, excluding or including mean monthly
temperature (TI as a covariate, as follows:
 GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF RABBIT BREEDS 1999
Table 2. Generalized least squares breed and sex means, SE, and variances for growth characteristics

Proportion
Age a t reaching
Weaning Rate of gain, market wt, market wt
Item wt, g ( W W g/d (GAIN) d (AGE) (MKT)
Breed
Californian 525 f 9.6b 35.0 k .35a 61.1 f .2gC .90 f .02a
New Zealand White 539 k 6.2c 39.9 f .23c 58.4 f .laa .94 f .Olb
Palomino 496 f 9.ga 34.5 f .36a 61.9 f .30d .89 ir .02a
White Satin 550 k 9.1d 36.0 f .34b 60.1 f .28' .92 f .02a
Sex
Male 529 f 4.6 36.7 f .19 60.2 ir .16 .92 f .01
Female 526 k 4.6 36.0 i .19 60.5 ir .16 .90 f .01
Contrast
Male-female 3 k 2.1 .7 f .17** -.3 f .16** .03 f .01**
Variance
Among-litter, a1 11,590 12.0 14.2 .02
Within-litter, uc 3,810 19.7 15.9 .06
a,b,c,dBreed means within a column lacking a common superscript letter differ ( P c .05).
**P c .01.

of the litter at 21 d (Lebas, 1970; Lukefahr et al.,

where all effects are as defined for Model 1, except for
the linear, quadratic, and cubic regression of GAIN on
mean monthly temperature. In preliminary analyses,
interactions were not significant and so were elimi-
nated from the final models. A step-down, P < .05
probability level was used for testing temperature to
yield the best-fit regression model.
To determine the effect of mean monthly daylength
on GAIN in NZW purebred fryers, month as a main
effect was replaced by daylength ( L ) (the number of
classes being 10) in the Models 3a and 3b described
above to produce Models 4a and 4b:
1983a). Model 4b was augmented by the additional
covariates litter size at weaning ( L S ) and estimated
milk production ( M P ) to produce Model 5:
Using multiple regression analysis step-down proce-
dures, covariates were first tested at the cubic level for
significance at the P e .05 probability level. Partial
regression coefficients obtained from the final, best-fit
regression prediction equation were used to plot three-
dimensional GAIN response surfaces.

Results and Discussion

Breed Comparisons. According to Model 1 results,

Interactions were not important in preliminary ana-
lyses and were therefore not included in the final
models. A polynomial regression analysis was per-
formed for daylength and the effect of the temperature
covariate was again evaluated to determine the best-
fit regression model.
The final objective was to study interrelationships
between climatic (daylength and temperature) and
maternal (litter size at weaning and estimated milk
production) factors on GAIN in NZW purebred fryers.
Milk production was estimated from the total weight
least squares means for WW differed significantly
among all four breeds (Table 2). The WS had the
heaviest WW, whereas the GAL had the lightest. The
NZW and PAL breeds were intermediate. Small breed
differences for WW were associated with a high
experimental sensitivity (residual df = 4,214 for WW,
GAIN, and MKT and 3,609 for A G E ) . Previous
comparative breed studies (Carregal and Lui, 1984;
Grobner et al., 1985; Coudert and Brun, 1989; Ozimba
and Lukefahr, 1991; Roberts and Lukefahr, 1992)
involving fewer observations did not report differences
for this trait.
The NZW had higher GAIN than the other three
breeds ( P c .05). The WS had significantly better
GAIN than GAL and PAL, whereas the latter two
breeds did not differ. Grobner et al. (1985) observed
no difference between NZW and PAL purebred fryers
2000 McNITT AND LUKEFAHR
in gain performance from 28 t o 56 d, although the
former breed was numerically superior by 3.8 gid.
Ozimba and Lukefahr (1991) found no difference in
gain from 28 to 70 d in purebred CAL and NZW
litters. In a crossbreeding study, Masoero et al.
(1985) reported more rapid postweaning gains in
fryers sired by CAL than in those sired by NZW bucks,
but no difference between fryers reared by CAL and
those reared by NZW dams. No differences in gain
from 28 to 56 d between CAL and NZW sires or dams
in purebred or crossbred litters were observed by
Lukefahr et al. (1983b). Roberts and Lukefahr
(1992) reported that PAL x NZW crossbred litters
gained more slowly from 28 to 70 d than did CAL x
NZW crossbred litters, whereas NZW purebred litters
did not differ from these two crossbred groups.
Overall, there was no clear trend for postweaning gain
performance involving the medium-sized breeds in
this study compared with that reported in the
literature. Generally, use of nonstandardized breed
populations and limited control of environmental
factors (e.g., climate, diet, housing, and management)
may explain this disparity.
The breed means for AGE were different ( P c .05).
The NZW reached market weight earliest (58.4 d ) ,
followed by WS (60.1 d ) , CAL (61.1 d), and PAL
(61.9 d). Rouvier (1973) reported that NZW purebred
fryers reached 2,200-g market weight 6 d earlier than
CAL purebred fryers, compared with the approximate
3-d difference to reach 1,600 g observed in our study.
Proportion of marketable fryers was significantly
higher for NZW than for the other three breeds, which
did not differ from each other. Obviously, the superior
GAIN and AGE performance for NZW fryers directly
account for the better MKT results, even though the
breed mean range was only .05. Roberts and Lukefahr
(1992) observed no differences in the proportion of
marketable fryers by 70 d among NZW purebred and
CAL x NZW and PAL x NZW crossbred fryers.
Numerical rank order of sire breed means did
correspond, however, to the ranking in the present
experiment.
No sex difference existed in WW, but males had
slightly better GAIN, AGE, and MKT performance
than females (by .7 g/d, -.3 d, and .02 proportion,
respectively). Paradoxically, due to the experimental
sensitivity involved in this large data set, these
differences were statistically significant, although the
biological importance is questionable. Unlike in most
domestic livestock species, the sex effect does not
strongly influence weaning-to-market growth and
carcass characters in rabbits (Rollins et al., 1963;
Vogt, 1979; Lukefahr and Ozimba, 1991; Ozimba and
Lukefahr, 1991). In addition, a significant breed x sex
interaction was detected for GAIN. Females had
higher GAIN than males (but by only .07%) in the
NZW, whereas the opposite trend was observed for the
other three breeds. The implications of this minor
interaction can be disregarded.
Breed x Month Trends. Based on Model 2 results,
there were definite breed trends in relation to month,
although breed did not interact with month in
influencing WW (Figure 2a). All the breeds showed
similar declines in WW through the summer months
and had the highest values in December and January.
The increase in WW in the autumn tended to be
slower for the WS than for the NZW and CAL.
Weaning weight at 28 d is strongly influenced by the
milk production of the dam and the size of the litter
(Lebas, 1970; Lukefahr et al., 1983a). The latter
authors reported that 89% of the variation in total
21-d litter weight was directly attributable to milk
production of the dam. Heavy WW is important
because the time periods when the WW was greatest
were also the periods when AGE was lowest.
The GAIN of the NZW was more rapid than that of
the other breeds for all birth months (Figure 2b). The
CAL and the NZW had similar GAIN response early in
the year with a decline in the summer and an increase
later in the year. The NZW, however, had much
higher values than the CAL for all months. The PAL
and WS showed a decline in GAIN early in the year
with an increase in the early autumn and a secondary
decline in late autumn. This seemingly unique re-
sponse may have been in some way related to the
fluctuating daylengths in those months. A significant
breed (cubic) x month (cubic) interaction was de-
tected in GAIN response. For all breeds, the least
favorable production occurred during the summer and
early autumn months and the most favorable during
the winter.
The mean age at marketing was lowest early and
late in the year for all breeds, reached a maximum for
kits born in the summer, and then declined through
the autumn (Figure 2c). Generally, the changes in
this growth characteristic closely follow as a reverse of
the curve for GAIN. A significant breed (quadratic) x
month (linear) interaction was observed in AGE
response. The NZW showed a more symmetrical trend
in market age from winter and spring and from
summer and fall than the other breeds.
An increase MKT was seen throughout the year for
all breeds in nearly parallel fashion (Figure 2d).
Breed did not interact with month in affecting MKT.
For all months, the NZW had the highest MKT and
the PAL the lowest.
Generally, poorer performance was seen during the
summer and early autumn, although there were
different breed trends noted in response to month.
These results show the serious decline in production
during the summer months when the temperatures
are the highest. It is also apparent from these results
that, among the breeds studied, production and
growth performance of the NZW tends to be less
sensitive to the climatic extremes. The WS seemed to
follow the NZW closely. That may be a reflection of the
relatively high proportion of NZW breeding that was
originally included when the WS was developed.
 GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF RABBIT BREEDS 2001

424
(b)
..' 0

5 0 . 1 : : : : : : : : : : : I
JAN FW YAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUQ SLP OCT NOV DEC

@4+

86 .m4: : : : : : : : : : : I
JAN FW UAR APR YAY JUN JUL AUQ SEP OCT W DEC JAN FEE UAR APR YAY JUN JUL AUQ SEP OCT NOV M C
MONTH MONTH

Figure 2. Breed x month responses for fryer growth performance. (CAL = Californian, NZW = New Zealand
White, PAL = Palomino, and WS = White Satin; WW = weaning weight at 28 d, GAIN = postweaning rate of gain,
AGE = age at which the 1,600-gmarket weight was first observed, MKT = proportion attaining market weight at or
before the sixth weighing postweaning].

Year was a significant source of variation for WW,
GAIN, and AGE, although there were no apparent
trends in the year means during the 5-yr period of the
study (Table 3 ) . The highest rates of gain were in
1986 and 1987 when, incidentally, the lowest mean
maximum temperatures were recorded. These were
also the years when the highest proportion of fryers
were marketed at the lowest ages. The heaviest WW
were observed in 1986, although those in 1987 were
nearly the lowest.
Temperature and Daylength Effects on Postweaning
Weight Gain o f New Zealand White Fryers. As shown

Table 3. Mean values (+ SE) by year for production characteristicsa

Year
Item 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989

Production trait least squares means

ww, g 539 k 12.0 557 f 8.8 514 f 8.2 509 i 8.1 518 f 9.75**
GAIN, g/d 35.5 k .46 37.4 k .33 37.6 f .30 36.0 f .29 35.3 f .35**
AGE, d 60.4 f .37 59.6 f .27 59.7 k .25 61.7 f .24 60.6 f .28**
MKT .89 f .03 .94 i .02 .92 f .02 .92 f .02 .87 f .02
Covariate overall means
TEMP, "C 27.5 f .39 25.0 i .38 24.0 f .38 25.9 i .38 24.8 f .41
MILK, g 2,060 k 20.9 1,993 2 18.2 2,066 f 17.7 2,129 f 15.2 2,213 f 17.4
LS28, n 6.2 i .09 5.8 f .07 6.3 k .06 6.8 i .06 6.9 f .07
aWW = weaning weight at 28 d, GAIN = postweaning rate of gain, AGE = age at which the 1,600-gmarket weight was first observed, MKT
= attainment ( 0 , 1 ) of market weight a t or before the sixth weighing postweaning, TEMP = mean monthly maximum temperature, MILK =
estimated doe milk production, and LS28 = litter size at weaning a t 28 d.
**Indicates year was a significant ( P < .01) source of variation for these variables.
2002 MCNITT AND LUKEFAHR

50 - summer. Addition of temperature as a covariate

(Model 3b) resulted in a quintic response for month,
with the highest GAIN in the summer and the lowest
45 -- in mid-winter, suggesting a somewhat different re-
sponse due to month. Although temperature was a
W
\ significant source of variation for GAIN in Model 3b,
U, 40.-
its marginal contribution to the total variance was
z4 small (4.45 - 4.06% = .39%) in relation to Model 3a
0 (Table 4). This probably occurred because month
35 -- d
already reflects most of the variance due to this
source. Several authors have associated elevated
3 0 4 : : : : : : I I I I 4 temperatures with reduced feed intake and rate of
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
gain (Simplicio et al., 1988; Jin et al., 1990). Others
MONTH have compared seasonal performance and attributed
the lower performance during the summer to higher
Figure 3. Postweaning rate of gain (GAIN) of New temperatures (Lebas and Ouhayoun, 1987; Simplicio
Zealand White fryers for the Models 3a and 3b as et al., 1988; Ismail, 1992). This assumption is not
described in the text. strictly true, however, because of other seasonal
factors such as daylength and precipitation, which
may also affect performance.
in Figure 3, Model 3a, which included month, year, Daylength also significantly influenced GAIN.
and sex as fixed effects, predicted that the response for Model 4a, which included daylength replacing month
month would be quartic with the highest GAIN in the as a main effect, showed an increase in GAIN as
early spring and late autumn and the lowest in the daylength increased up to 15.0 h, with a decline

Table 4. Prediction equations for average daily gain (GAIN] in New Zealand White rabbits according to en-
vironmental and(or) maternal characters

Item 3a 3b 4a 4b 5
Intercept 37.68 46.85 39.68 41.75 41.17
Month of birth
Linear .2593 2.6870
Quadratic ,4346 -.5179
Cubic -.0029 -.2166
Quartic -.0113** ,0056
Quintic .0046**
Daylength, h
Linear -.06770 -.06772 -.06400
Quadratic .00011 -.00036 -.00036
Cubic .00001* .00001* .00001**
Temperature, "C
Linear -1.0699 ,3383 .3868
Quadratic -.0488* -.0498 -.0479
Cubic - -.0062* -.0065**
Litter size a t 28 d, n
Linear -.7558
Quadratic .1638
Cubic -.0297*
Estimated milk yield, kg
Linear 2.8407
Quadratic - - - - -2.9063**
Residual df 2,083 2,081 2,085 2,082 2,077
Residual R2,% 4.06 4.45 3.84 4.42 6.30
Total R2, %b 48.66 49.05 45.31 45.89 47.77
aRefer to text for full description of models.
bMultiple coefficient of determination (R2) values represent the sum of partial contributions of model fixed effects only from a generalized
least squares analysis after absorbing variation accountable to random among-litter effects. The difference between total and residual R2
values is due to the litter effect.
*P < .05.
**P< .01.
 GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF RABBIT BREEDS
37 J
14.80 15.00 15.20 15.40 15.60 15.80
DAYLENGTH, h
Figure 4. Postweaning rate of gain [GAIN) of New
Zealand White fryers for the Models 4a and 4b as
described in the text.
thereafter, with a slight increase in growth rate from
15.9 to 16.0 h (Figure 4). A similar pattern was seen
when temperature was included (Model 4b), although
predicted GAIN was at a higher level, reaching a peak
at approximately 15.1 h. The marginal contribution of
temperature was only 5 8 % (Table 4). The similarity
in the patterns between models with and without
temperature could also be explained on the basis of
natural confounding among temperature, daylength,
and month variables. The difference between the
“month” models (3a and 3b) that excluded or included
temperature and the “light” models (4a and 4b) was
only .22 and .03% of total variation in GAIN,
respectively. Either would seem appropriate, there-
fore, depending on whether a month- or light-constant
reference is preferred.
The unusual annual variation in daylength that
arose from not controlling the morning light adds to
the difficulty of drawing precise conclusions regarding
the effect of daylength on fryer performance in the
commercial situation. Changes in daylength of as little
as 1 h are sufficient to induce marked alterations in
reproductive behavior of does (Hudson and Distel,
1990). Although the effect is probably not as obvious
in growing rabbits, such changes may nonetheless
affect growth performance. From our investigations, it
seems that there are real effects of daylength on fryer
growth rate that need to be investigated in much more
detail under more controlled conditions.
Postweaning Weight Gain Response Surfaces. From
Model 5, response surfaces with GAIN as the depen-
dent variable and daylength, temperature, litter size
at weaning, and estimated milk yield as independent
continuous variables were studied (Figure 5). The
cubic response in GAIN associated with temperature
was much more pronounced than that due to day-
length (Figure 5a). More feed energy is expended t o
maintain body temperature at colder ambient temper-
atures, whereas higher ambient temperatures de-
2003
crease feed intake in rabbits (Cheeke et al., 1987;
Papp et al., 1987; Simplicio et al., 1988; Jin et al.,
1990). Further, the partial linear, quadratic, and
cubic regression coefficients for temperature and
daylength were similar in both Models 4b and 5
(Table 41, even with the additional covariates of litter
size at weaning and estimated milk yield. Statisti-
cally, this finding might imply that milk production
and litter size at weaning tended to be independent of
environmental effects of temperature and daylength.
4 GAIN was clearly maximized when litter size at
16.00 weaning was at a minimum (one fryer), whereas
temperature had a more consistent cubic response
over the litter size range (Figure 5b). Interestingly, a t
intermediate temperatures, the competition-related
stress of a large litter size on GAIN seemed to be less
marked. Estimated milk production of does had a
quadratic tendency on their own fryer GAIN, but in
association with a cubic effect of temperature (Figure
5c). This implies that fryers that suckled does with
lower milk production may have been more sensitive
to cold and heat stresses. GAIN was maximized at the
milk production level of approximately 3.2 kg.
Daylength imparted only a small effect on GAIN,
but, as litter size at weaning increased, GAIN sharply
decreased in a quadratic manner (Figure 5d). Milk
production influenced GAIN to a greater extent than
daylength (Figure 5e); the higher milk production
level gave a favorable quadratic response in GAIN. As
expected, fryers from the largest litters and nursing
from the poorest-lactating does achieved the slowest
GAIN (Figure 5 0 . GAIN declined substantially as
litter size at weaning increased from one to four
fryers, and thereafter showed a steady negative linear
trend to a litter size of 11 fryers. Hardman et al.
(1970) and McNitt and Moody (1988) demonstrated
that kits responded positively to an increased milk
supply (i.e., double-suckling). Lukefahr et al. (1990)
recommended that, to avoid poor gains, litter size at
birth should be adjusted by fostering so as not to
exceed nine kits.
In Table 4, the joint marginal contribution due to
litter size at weaning and estimated milk production
in addition to the variation accounted for by the
random litter effect (47.77 - 6.30% = 41.47%) is
small. This finding is despite the marked response
surfaces portrayed for GAIN involving these two
independent variables. The litter source may reflect
certain proportions of direct genetic variance (addi-
tive, dominance, and epistasis), plus maternal genetic
and(or) environmental variance, direct by maternal
genetic covariance, and environmental effects (e.g.,
competition, litter size, pen effects) apart from mater-
nal environmental effects being shared in common
among littermates. Further research is also warranted
to determine the relative importance of these compo-
nents of variance in meat rabbit production.
2004 McNITT AND LUKEFAHR
Figure 5. Response surfaces for postweaning rate of gain [GAIN) in relation to daylength, temperature, litter size
at weaning, and estimated milk production.
Implications
. This study demonstrates important breed responses
t o the hot, humid climate of southern Louisiana. Of
the four breeds studied' the New White had
the best postweaning growth performance under these
conditions. Therefore, the New Zealand White is
recommended when a purebred fryer production sys-
tem is preferred. Month, temperature, and(or) day-
length clearly have pronounced effects on fryer
growth, although these climatic variables are as-
sociated with the time of year and are naturally
confounded to some extent. Further work is needed to
examine more closely the effects of these factors on
fryer production.
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