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Relationships between ovulation rate, embryo survival and litter size in rabbits

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

M. A. Santacreu ,
P. Gou  and
A. Blasco
M. A. Santacreu
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera 14, Valencia 46022, Spain
P. Gou
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera 14, Valencia 46022, Spain
A. Blasco
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera 14, Valencia 46022, Spain
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Abstract

A total of 233 does were subjected to laparoscopy in order to study the relationships between litter size (LS) and its components, using linear and quadratic models. The relationships were essentially linear, but there was a quadratic relationship between ovulation rate (OR) and the number of live embryos at 12 days of gestation. OR explained a small proportion only, but prenatal survival a greater proportion of the variation in LS. Both embryo survival and foetal survival were of similar importance and appeared to operate independently.

Keywords

embryo mortalitylitter sizeovulation raterabbits
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 55 , Issue 2 , October 1992 , pp. 271 - 276
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1992

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