Efficiency of using industrial crossbreeding to increase rabbits meat productivity
Authors: Bojko O. V. , Perih D. P. , Honchar O. F. , Luchyn I. S. 
Published: December 2022

Rabbit farming is a powerful source of dietary meat, rabbit fluff, and rabbit skins. The research was conducted at the rabbit farm of the Precarpathian State Agricultural Research Station of the Institute of Agriculture of the Carpathian Region of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences. The article describes the creation of new highly productive genetic populations of rabbits identified as the best options for crossing maternal and paternal forms. Three breeds of rabbits and their hybrids were used for industrial crossbreeding, which are maximally suitable for industrial conditions of intensive production of rabbit meat: rabbit breed Poltava silver, Soviet chinchilla, and New Zealand white rabbit. After the result of the conducted research was found that the combination of crossbred females of the rabbit breed Poltava silver, Soviet chinchilla, and New Zealand white rabbit with purebred males of the Soviet chinchilla and New Zealand white rabbit has a positive effect on the reproductive qualities of female rabbits. Due to combinatorial heredity and compliance with the conditions of keeping in the farm of the Cherkasy Research Station, the best genetic combinations of rabbits, such as 1/2 rabbit breed Poltava silver 1/2 New Zealand white rabbit x New Zealand white rabbit, and 1/2 rabbit breed Poltava silver, 1/2 Soviet chinchilla x New Zealand white rabbit prevails the control group (rabbit breed Poltava silver x rabbit breed Poltava silver) by multiple fertility on 9.2 %, by high fertility on 5.1 %, milk production probably on 8.5 % and the number of weaned rabbits on 14.0 % (P < 0.05), the weight of the nest that was weaned at 28 days of age on 41.2 % (P < 0.01; P < 0.001). The local young rabbits of the third and fourth research groups (1/4 rabbit breed Poltava silver 1/4 New Zealand white rabbit, 2/4 Soviet chinchilla, and 1/4 rabbit breed Poltava silver 3/4 New Zealand white rabbit) at 28 days of age probably prevailed (P < 0.001; P < 0.01)) analogs of the first control group by the indicator of live weights accordingly of 107 and 83 grams, The highest intensity of development up to 28 days of age (P < 0.001) had the young hybrid rabbits of origin 1/4 rabbit breed Poltava silver 1/4 Soviet chinchilla 2/4 New Zealand white rabbit (609 ± 28.26 g), which has more control on 116 gram. By the indicator of live weight at 90 days of age, the local young rabbits of the second research group (1/4 rabbit breed Poltava silver 3/4 Soviet chinchilla) probably (P < 0.05) prevailed over the young rabbits of the first control group (rabbit breed Poltava silver) on 117 and the third research group (1/4 rabbit breed Poltava silver 1/4 New Zealand white rabbit 2/4 Soviet chinchilla) – on 156, and the fourth (1/4 rabbit breed Poltava silver 3/4 New Zealand white rabbit) – on 80 and the fifth (1/4 rabbit breed Poltava silver 1/4 Soviet chinchilla 2/4 New Zealand white rabbit) – on 207 grams. Better tendency to high lifetime fattening, meat, and constitutional indicators had young hybrid rabbits of origin: 1/4 rabbit breed Poltava silver 3/4 New Zealand white rabbit, 1/4 rabbit breed Poltava silver 1/4 Soviet chinchilla 2/4 New Zealand white rabbit.