EFFECT OF GENOTYPE, AGE, BODY WEIGHT AND SEX ON THE BODY COMPOSITION OF GROWING RABBITS

Abstract

[EN] Body composition of 503 growing rabbits of both sexes was examined at the age of 6, 8, 1 O, 12, 14 and 16 weeks. The animals were of four genotypes: purebred Pannon White (PP) and Danish White (DD) and their reciproca! crossings: DP and PD. Between the ages of 6 and 16 weeks, dry matter of the empty body increased from 27.6% to 34.2%, fat from 5.4% to 10.1 % and protein from 18.4% to 20.9%, whereas ash content decreased from 3.5% to 3.0%. The effect of body weight was greater than that of the age. The two groups containing the highest numbers of animals (PP and DP) had similar protein and ash content, but the DP genotype had a higher fa! content than PP. Sex affected fa! content only: the female rabbits contained significantly (P < 0.01) more body fa! than !he male rabbits but only a! 12weeks.

[FR] La composition corporelle de 503 lapins en croissance, des deux sexes, a été étudié a 6, 8, 1 O, 12, 14 et 16 semaines d'íige. Les animaux appartenaient a 4 génotypes : Pannon White pur (PP), Danish White (DD) et leurs croisements réciproques : DP et PD. Entre l'íige de 6 semaines et celui de 16 semaines, la matiére séche du corps entier augmente de 27,6 a 34,2%, le matiére grasse de 5,4 a 10,1% et les protéines de 18,4 a 20,9%, tandis que les matiéres minérales diminuent de 3,5 a 3,0%. L'effet du poids vif est plus important que celui de l'íige. Les deux groupes comprenant le plus grands nombres d'animaux (PP et DP) ont des taux de protéines et de maniéres minérales comparables, mais le génotype DP a un taux de matiére grasse supérieur a celui du génotype PP. Le sexe n'affecte que le taux de matiéres grasses : les femelles sont significativement plus grasses que les males mais seulement a 12 semaines d'íige (P<0,01 ).