EFFECT OF VITAMIN E ON OVARIAN ACTIVITY, EMBRYONIC MORTALITY AND PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF NZW RABBITS DURING SUMMER SEASON | ||||
| Journal of Animal and Poultry Production | ||||
| Article 15, Volume 25, Issue 8, August 2000, Page 5579-5589 PDF (600.73 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jappmu.2000.259621 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
| Nagwa A. Ahmed,1; A. H. Barkawi1; A. Ismail2; E. M. Abd El-Kafy2 | ||||
| 1Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| 2Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Twenty-four New Zealand White does were used in this study that was executed during summer season. Rabbits were housed individually in wire cages and fed commercial pellet diet. Ambient temperature and relative humidity indoors through the experiment averaged 23.4°C and 57.7% at minimum and 32.1°C and 83.5% at maximum, respectively. Does were divided into two equal groups, control (G1) and treated (G2) which was injected intramuscularly with 56 mg vitamin E once a week. Gestation period, litter size at birth and weaning, pre-weaning mortality % were weekly recorded. Progesterone (P4) and vitamin E concentration were determined in plasma of does through pregnancy. In each parity, three does from each group were sacrificed at 48h post-coitum to study some measurements on does and embryos. In sacrificed does, the weight of ovaries, oviducts and uterine horn weights were recorded. Ovulation rate, number of collected embryos, stage of cleavage, quality of embryos were recorded at 48h post- coitum. In Vitro development of embryos through 96h after collection) was also studied. Vitamin E concentration in plasma of G2 was 2.4 times that of G1 during the 1st three weeks of pregnancy stage, increased to 3.2 at the end of pregnancy term (28 days). P4 concentration increased gradually during pregnancy reaching its peak at mid-gestation. Ovulation rate was not statistically affected by vitamin E treatment or by parity. Total number of collected embryos at 48h post-coitum from G2 was almost double that of G1. The quality of embryo (48h after coitum and 96h after collection) and productive performance (litter size at birth and weaning) were better in G2 than in G1. Vitamin E treatment reduced pre-weaning mortality rate and improved daily gain during suckling period. Body weight gain significantly increased in the 2nd parity at 3rd week during suckling period. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Rabbits; hot conditions; vitamin E; ovulation rate; embryonic cleavage and mortality; reproductive performance | ||||
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