HERITABILITY AND REPEATABILITY ESTIMATES OF DOE AND LITTER TRAITS IN NIGERIA; DOMESTIC RABBIT
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Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wyamaba University of Sri lanka
Abstract
This study was conducted to estimate
genetic parameter of Doe and litter traits in a
sub-population of Nigeria domestic rabbit. A
total number 30 (thirty) rabbit (24 Does and
6 Bucks) were selected from a population of
rabbits maintained at the rabbitry unit of the
Teaching and Research Farm, Kogi State
University, Anyigba. All the rabbits were
housed in cages separately and fed ad
libitum with pelleted rations.
In the mating plan, four Does were selected
at random and assigned to one Buck each;
mating were mostly carried out in the
morning and evening. The Doe to be mated
were first weighed with a top loader
weighing balance in order to know the initial
weight of each doe before being carried for
mating, the mating was observed and
number of time mating took place. A total
number of 75 kits were produced from the
study. Data were taken on sire effects on
litter size (LS), Number of Time Mated
(NTM), Doe Weight (DW), Total mortality
(TM) and Litter weight (1-4 weeks) and
were statistically analyzed using Analysis of
Variance (ANOVA) appropriate for
Completely Randomize Design. LS, NTM,
TM were significant (P<0.05).DW was not
significant (P<0.05), in terms of litter
weight, LW1, LW2, LW4 showed
significant (P<0.05) but LW3 was not
significant. Repeatability and Heritability
were estimated from the variance
components, the Heritability estimates (±
SE) for LS, NTM, DW TW, LW1, LW2,
LW3 and LW4 varied generally from
medium to high (0.04 to 0.60) and the
Repeatability estimates (±SE) rangedfrom
low to high (0.3 to 0.90). Individual
selection of sire may lead to fast genetic progress in traits that shows high heritability
and or repeatability such as litter weaning
weight.