Use of different fat sources in the diet of male rabbits on reproductive parameters

Abstract

The lipid source in animal feed can influence their reproduction, because the hormones involved in this process are steroids, which have cholesterol as their chemical base, therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of including different sources of fat in the diet of rabbit studs, in order to improve reproductive parameters. 12 males of New Zealand (n = 5) and California (n = 7) breeds with an age of 1 year and 6 months with a weight range of 3,600-4,900kg were used, which were randomly assigned to 4 different treatments containing different types of fats (GV = vegetable fat, GB = bovine fat, GO = sheep fat and GP = porcine fat). Feed was offered for three days prior to mating, and daily feed intake and weekly weight were measured. Stallion behavior, gestation time in females, and litter size and weight were also measured. Data were analyzed using MINITAB 20, which showed that treatment with sheep fat increased (P<0.05) feed intake (4.1 kgd-1) and gestation days with bovine fat (34 days) in the California breed and vegetable fat (31 days) in the New Zealand breed. Therefore, it can be concluded that including vegetable and bovine fat in the diet prolongs gestation without affecting litter size and weight.