POPULATION STRUCTURE, GROWTH AND CARCASS CHARACTERIZATION OF DOMESTICATED RABBITS (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.) IN NORTH RIFT AND WESTERN KENYA

Abstract

Rabbit farming has the ability to enhance nutrition and reduce poverty through the production of meat, fur, and manure. The goal of the current study was to examine the population structure, growth, and carcass characterisation of domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in North-Rift and Western Kenya. The goals of the study were to assess domesticated rabbit farming practices and issues that came up, as well as the animals' morphometric and growth qualities, genetic diversity, and carcass traits of crosses made in North-Rift and Western Kenya. The rabbit breeds with the required standards had enough space. The exploratory study approach was used and sampling was done using both stratified and systematic sampling with a sample size of 112 respondents. A computerized weighing scale was used to evaluate morphometric parameters, and a measuring tape was used to take body measures at known anatomical sites. Cross-tabulation chi square analysis was used to investigate the distribution of rabbit breeds. To obtain the least square means for measurements of body weight and body dimensions, the generalized linear modeling method was utilized. Statistically significant differences between the populations were established using the Duncan test. Seven microsatellite markers were utilized, which were consistently distributed throughout the rabbit genome and linked to traits related to growth and meat yield. Genomic DNA was taken from rabbit blood samples. It was determined how many alleles (No and Ne) had been observed and how many had been expected (Ho and He). Individual breeds were divided using factor analysis, and the grouping of rabbit ecotypes was displayed using a dendrogram population diagram. Using cross tabulation chi squares (2), the breed distribution of rabbits was examined. The GLM was used to estimate the least square means for body weight and dimension measurements. Males made up the majority of responders (56.3%. Main rabbit feed was vegetables from farms 68 (60.7%) rarely supplemented with pellets 23 (76.7%). Rabbits farming encountered various problems such as diarrhoea, predators, thieves, sudden deaths, and high costs of building materials (χ2 = 121.81, d.f.=4, p = 0.0001). Different challenges and raising methods were used. The two most common meat breeds were New Zealand White 48 (43.6%) and Flemish giant 22 (20.0%) (p=0.0001). The majority of rabbits were kept in cages that were 1.5 meters by 1.5 meters in size (68.3%) and were around a meter tall. Ho and He's respective mean values were 0.903 and 0.89 in the study. The analyzed local populations showed different sub-structuring, which suggests that they had adapted to their separate AEZs, according to microsatellites. Each cross had an average litter size of 7.10±1.44 kits. In NZW*SF (2319±164), live weights (g) before fasting were not substantially high The live weight (g) at slaughter exhibited the same pattern. There were no discernible differences in fasting loss between the crosses. NZW*SF (2203±206) has the highest non-significant weight (p>0.05) that was ever recorded. The NZW*R (1083±96.0) cross, which had a hot carcass weight, had a non-significantly greater weight compared to other crosses. Giblets did not weigh differently between crossings (p>0.05). Total edible parts, dressing yield, carcass percentage, carcass with giblets and dressed head percentage, inedible parts percentage, spleen, lungs, and trachea percentage, and the ratio of inedible to edible parts were all the same among the crosses. The results suggested that farmers may use the superior New Zealand White rabbit breed, which was discovered, to enhance their native varieties.