MEAT PRODUCTIVITY OF YOUNG RABBITS DURING FATTENING
Keywords:
rabbits, meat productivity, live weight, average daily weight gain, slaughter yield, meatiness coefficient, crossbreeding.Abstract
The article presents the results of a study on the productive and meat traits of young Poltava Silver and Californian rabbits raised through purebred breeding and industrial crossbreeding. Key breeding and economic indicators were evaluated, specifically live weight, absolute, average daily, and relative weight gains, slaughter weight, dressing percentage, and the meatiness coefficient. It was established that the most intensive growth of young rabbits across all experimental groups occurred between the ages of 60 and 75 days. The highest absolute weight gain was recorded in the crossbred young rabbits of experimental group III, amounting to 895 g during this period. Peak average daily weight gains were also observed at 75 days of age. The best performance indicators were demonstrated by the crossbred rabbits of group III and the purebred Californian young rabbits, both of which achieved an average daily weight gain exceeding 57 g.
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