Influence of supplemental dietary sprouted wheat on reproduction in artificially inseminated doe rabbits.

The sprouted wheat contains great amounts of 6-methoxybenzoxazolinone (6-MBOA) a phenol compound that stimulates reproduction in certain small wild herbivorous mammals. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of dietary sprouted wheat as supplement on reproduction in artificially inseminated doe rabbits. Two-month-old New Zealand White doe rabbits (n = 48) were randomly allocated to one of two treatments: (1) pelleted diet plus sprouted wheat for 6 consecutive days prior to service, (2) pelleted diet only (control). First insemination occurred when does reach 3200g body weight and bred 6 days after parturition across 6 months period during summer and autumn. Records from 41 does completing the experiment accounted for 192 inseminations and 142 kindlings equivalent to 4.6 +/- 0.15 and 3.5 +/- 0.15 litters per doe, respectively. Mean daily intake of sprouted wheat on wet and dry matter bases were 196.1 +/- 7.5 and 75.4 +/- 2.9g, respectively. The number of young born produced per doe during the trail was significantly (P = 0.02) greater in does fed sprouted wheat (28.1 +/- 1.2 versus 23.6 +/ -1.3 control). Does fed sprouted wheat had 0.65 +/- 0.06 receptivity rate at AI over 28 per cent greater (P = 0.001) than does in the control treatment. Sexual receptivity was not influenced by physiological status of does and season (P > 0.05). Diet and season had no effect (P>0.05) on kindling rate. However, physiological status had an effect (P = 0.002) on this variable. Kindling rates for nulliparous, lactating and non-lactating does were 0.95 +/- 0.08, 0.63 +/- 0.04 and 0.78 +/ -0.11, respectively. Sexually receptive does had a greater (P = 0.0001) kindling rate (0.95 +/- 0.05) than non-receptive females (0.63 +/-0.05). Does fed sprouted wheat produced larger (P = 0.02) litters than those in the control group: 7.7 +/- 0.30 and 6.8 +/- 0.32, respectively. There was an effect of season (P = 0.04) on the size of the litter at birth. Largest litters were born during autumn (7.9 +/- 0.37) than during summer (6.6 +/- 0.41). Receptive does had more (P = 0.002) young in the litter (7.9 +/- 0.28) than non-receptive (6.6 +/- 0.35). Feeding sprouted wheat as a source of biological 6-MBOA enhanced sexual receptivity and prolificacy in artificially inseminated doe rabbits bred in summer and autumn.

Influence of short-term relocation and male exposure on sexual receptivity and reproduction in artificially inseminated lactating doe rabbits.

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of short-term relocation and male exposure on receptivity rate, kindling rate and total born per litter in lactating does under an artificial insemination (AI) programme. Thirty-two, 2-month-old New Zealand White rabbits were randomly allocated to one of four treatments: (1) relocation and male exposure; (2) relocation without male exposure; (3) no relocation with male exposure; (4) no relocation without male exposure (control). Relocation and male exposure were done 8-10 h before the time of service. First insemination was when does reached 3200 g body weight and does were bred 4-13 days after parturition across parities during a 6 month reproduction period. Of all breeding records, 125 inseminations and 91 kindlings were from nursing does. The mean interval from parturition to insemination for nursing does was 10.3 days. Relocation of lactating does resulted in greater (P<0.01) receptivity rate at service (74.8%) as compared with no relocation (55%). Receptivity rate was not influenced by male exposure. However, the interaction of relocationxmale exposure tended to be significant (P=0.07). Receptivity rate in relocated does exposed to males was 62.8 and 86.7% without exposure while in non-relocated does male exposure showed no effect. Kindling rate was not influenced by relocation or male exposure. The mean total born per litter in relocated and non-relocated does was 8.05 +/- 0.33 and 7.39 +/- 0.36, respectively, but no significant difference was observed. There was no effect of male exposure on total born per litter (7.85 +/- 0.34 versus 7.59 +/- 0.34 without male exposure). However, interaction of relocationxmale exposure on this variable was significant (P=0.009). Male exposure in relocated does decreased the size of the litter (7.52 +/- 0.46 versus 8.58 +/- 0.47 without male exposure) whereas mean values in non-relocated does increased when they were exposed to males (8.18 +/- 0.52 versus 6.60 +/- 0.49). Short-term relocation improved receptivity rate and reproduction in lactating does under an artificial insemination programme. Preliminary results indicated that male exposure in non-relocated does improves the total born per litter at a similar level than relocated does without male exposure. Relocation combined with male exposure decreased receptivity rate and total born per litter as compared with relocated does without male exposure, but the reproductive performance in the former was greater as compared with those does where no relocation occurred without male exposure.