J. Anim Sci.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by McNitt, J. I.
Right arrow Articles by Lukefahr, S. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by McNitt, J. I.
Right arrow Articles by Lukefahr, S. D.

Journal of Animal Science, Vol 68, Issue 6 1505-1512, Copyright © 1990 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Effects of breed, parity, day of lactation and number of kits on milk production of rabbits

J. I. McNitt and S. D. Lukefahr
Center for Small Farm Res., Southern Univ., Baton Rouge, LA.

Lactation records (n = 86) from 60 does of four breeds (Californian, New Zealand White, Palomino and White Satin) were analyzed to assess the effects of breed, parity, day of lactation and number of kits on milk production. Breed of doe tended (P less than .07) to be important for mean milk yield according to ANOVA results. Californian does had numerically higher production than did does of the other breeds. Doe body weight, litter size born alive and weaned and litter weaning weight, likewise, were not influenced (P greater than .05) by breed of doe. Significant linear and quadratic relationships were found between milk production vs day of lactation, and milk production vs number of kits. However, breed x days and breed x number of kits interactions (P less than .05) indicated that the individual breeds responded differently to two of these effects. Peak lactation occurred at approximately 20 d after kindling. As kit number increased, milk yield also increased to a predicted maximum when 12 kits were suckling. Parity tended (P less than .10) to influence lactation yield in a curvilinear manner, increasing steadily through the seventh parity and declining thereafter. A nonsignificant residual correlation (.34) between milk production and doe body weight was observed. Corresponding correlations between milk production were high for litter size born alive and weaned (r = .62 and .87, respectively) and litter weaning weight (r = .86). Although lactation curves are unique to each particular breed, milk yield is influenced by several factors.




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1990 by the American Society of Animal Science.