THE ACTION OF CHROMIUM, INSULIN OR THEIR COMBINATION ON PRODUCTIVE AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF RABBIT DOES AND THEIR OFFSPRING.

Abdel-Khalek, A. E.; El-Harairy, M. A.; El-Ayek, M. Y.; Ghodaia, A. E. B.

doi:10.21608/jappmu.2010.86240

THE ACTION OF CHROMIUM, INSULIN OR THEIR COMBINATION ON PRODUCTIVE AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF RABBIT DOES AND THEIR OFFSPRING.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Anim. Prod. Dept., Fac. Agric., Mansoura University.

10.21608/jappmu.2010.86240

Abstract

To determine the effect of supplemental chromium picolinate (CrP) and insulin or their combination on reproductive performance of NZW rabbit does and growth performance of their offspring, 25 mature does and 5 bucks were used in this study. Does were divided into 4 groups, G1 (N=5, control), G2 (n=7, daily oral dose from CrP (18 μg CrP/kg LBW for two weeks), G3 (n=6, i.m. injected with 8 U insulin/doe/injection, twice at 7 day-interval), and G4 (n=7, 9 μg CrP/kg + 4 U insulin/doe/injection). All treatments were two weeks pre-insemination, while the experimental period lasted up to 3 wk post-partum of the 1^st litter. Rabbits were fed ad. libitum, on commercially pelleted diet (17%CP and 12.3 MJ ME/kg). Does in each group were naturally mated with untreated sexually mature bucks. Live body weight (LBW), feed intake (FI), milk produced (MP) of each doe was recorded during three successive weeks post-partum. Blood samples were collected at the end of the experimental period. Results revealed that during the treatment period (2 weeks), FI decreased (P<0.05) in G2 and was not affected in G3 and G4 compared with the control group. During post-partum (1-2 or 2-3 wk), FI decreased (P<0.05) in G2 compared with G3 and G4, but did not differ significantly from the control group. There was insignificant effect of treatment on LBW of does during treatment weeks or at 3 wk post-partum. In blood serum, concentration of Cr increased (P<0.05) by 16% in G2 (1.311 ppm), modest in G4 (1.144 ppm), and the lowest in G3 (0.889 ppm), which did not differ significantly from that in the control group (0.811 ppm). Concentration of glucose decreased (P<0.05) in G2, G3 and G4 as compared to the control group by about 20.6, 14.8 and 20.8%, respectively. The effect of treatment on concentration of creatinine or T3 and T4 in blood serum was not significant. Activity of AST and ALT was higher (P<0.05) in all treatment groups than in the control group. Milk produced from rabbit does was higher (P<0.05) in G3 (213.6 g/doe) than in other groups (186.2-199.5 g/doe). Conception rate was higher (P<0.05) in G3 and G4 (100%) than in G2 and control groups (85.7 and 60%) after the 1^st service and was 85.7 and 80% as cumulative rate after the 2^nd service. Number of services per conception (NS/C) was lesser (P<0.05) in G3 and G4 than in the control group (1 service in each vs. 1.40 in control). Does in G2 showed lesser NS/C (1.14 services/conception) than the control group and greater than G3 and G4, but the differences were not significant. Litter size at birth was 8.5, 7.5, 7.0 and 4.5/litter in G3, G4, G2 and control group. Average total litter weight per doe was the highest (P<0.05) for does in G3, followed by G4 and the lowest in G2 and control groups.
In conclusion, treatment of doe rabbits with two injections of insulin (8 U/doe) or 9 μg CrP/kg + 4 U insulin/doe/injection), 7 days apart had beneficial effects on reproductive performance of NZW does in term of increasing litter size and growth performance of their offspring in term of increasing litter weight.

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