Effect of Selection for Litter Size Variability on Growth, Carcass and Meat Quality in Rabbits
Simple Summary
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Animals and Management
2.2. Slaughtering and Dissection Procedure
2.3. Meat Quality
2.4. Minerals
2.5. Protein Analysis
2.6. Fat Analysis
2.7. Fatty Acid Profile Analysis
2.8. Degree of Fat Oxidation Analysis
2.9. Dry Weight Analysis
2.10. Ash Analysis
2.11. Energy Value Analysis
2.12. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Growth Performance and Carcass Traits
3.2. Meat Traits
4. Discussion
4.1. Growth Performance and Carcass Traits
4.2. Meat Traits
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Line | |||
---|---|---|---|
Trait | HO | HE | p-Value |
Live weight at 30 d | 787 a | 1124 b | 0.005 |
Live weight at 63 d | 1777 a | 1965 b | 0.01 |
Increment in weight from 30 to 63 d | 990 a | 841 b | 0.05 |
Growth rate from 30 to 63 d | 30.9 a | 26.3 b | 0.05 |
Chilled carcass weight at 45 min p.m. (g) | 1080 | 1166 | ns |
Chilled carcass weight at 24 h p.m. (g) | 1056 | 1147 | ns |
Reference carcass weight (g) | 877 | 943 | ns |
Dressing percentage (%) | 59 | 58 | ns |
Meat part proportion (%) | |||
Liver percentage (%) | 4.38 | 4.61 | ns |
Kidneys percentage (%) | 1.15 | 1.10 | ns |
Fore legs percentage (%) | 13.3 | 13.2 | ns |
Thoracic cage percentage (%) | 12.0 | 11.1 | ns |
Loin percentage (%) | 26.9 | 28.1 | ns |
Hind legs percentage (%) | 29.2 | 28.5 | ns |
Fat proportion (%) | |||
Interscapular fat weight (%) | 0.13 | 0.12 | ns |
Perirenal fat weigh (%) | 0.49 | 0.61 | ns |
Inguinal fat weight (%) | 0.04 | 0.07 | ns |
Line | Part | p-Value | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trait | HO | HE | Hind Leg | Loin | Line | Part |
pH45 min p.m. | 6.72 | 6.65 | 6.45 a | 6.83 b | ns | 0.001 |
pH24 h p.m. | 5.74 | 5.73 | 5.85 a | 5.66 b | ns | 0.001 |
L*45 min p.m. | 58.8 a | 55.3 b | 55.1 | 54.3 | 0.01 | ns |
L*24 h p.m. | 43.2 | 43.6 | 42.1 a | 44.4 b | ns | 0.001 |
a*45 min p.m. | 5.17 | 4.57 | 6.25 a | 2.73 b | ns | 0.005 |
a*24 h p.m. | 2.53 | 2.42 | 2.77 a | 2.21 b | ns | 0.05 |
b*45 min p.m. | 8.93 | 8.97 | 10.51 a | 3.91 b | ns | 0.03 |
b*24 h p.m. | 1.74 | 1.51 | 1.68 | 1.55 | ns | ns |
Line | Part | p-Value | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HO | HE | Hind Leg | Loin | Line | Part | |
K | 292.75 | 285.34 | 301.24 a | 281.05 b | ns | 0.04 |
Na | 44.25 | 35.55 | 42.15 a | 33.74 b | ns | 0.04 |
Mg | 30.39 | 28.01 | 31.51 a | 28.95 b | ns | 0.04 |
Ca | 17.50 a | 10.48 b | 15.89 | 14.57 | 0.05 | ns |
Zn | 11.63 | 8.08 | 11.12 | 9.54 | ns | ns |
Fe | 10.44 | 7.66 | 10.92 | 6.98 | ns | ns |
Cu | 1.09 | 0.42 | 0.77 | 0.66 | ns | ns |
Mn | 0.22 | 0.12 | 0.19 | 0.16 | ns | ns |
Line | Part | p-Value | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trait | HO | HE | Hind Leg | Foreleg | Loin | Line | Part |
Dry weight (%) | 30.25 a | 33.12 b | 29.70 a | 37.04 b | 30.92 a | 0.01 | 0.01 |
Energy value (kcal/100 g) | 162.29 | 176.26 | 168.38 a | 194.70 b | 152.02 c | ns | 0.01 |
Protein content (g/100 g) | 21.57 a | 20.75 b | 21.49 a | 19.11 b | 21.52 a | 0.01 | 0.01 |
Fat content (g/100 g) | 2.52 | 2.27 | 1.56 a | 5.27 b | 2.52 c | ns | 0.01 |
Ash (g/100 g) | 1.02 | 1.01 | 1.10 a | 0.94 b | 1.04 a | ns | 0.01 |
Trait | Line | Part | p-Value | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HO | HE | Hind Leg | Foreleg | Loin | Line | Part | |
SFA | 28.110 a | 36.220 b | 29.840 a | 40.820 b | 31.505 a | 0.01 | 0.01 |
MUFA | 23.850 | 24.835 | 23.495 | 24.790 | 24.155 | ns | ns |
PUFA | 25.680 | 26.425 | 25.795 | 26.300 | 25.905 | ns | ns |
n-3 | 1.890 | 1.825 | 1.685 | 2.010 | 1.915 | ns | ns |
n-6 | 22.780 | 24.535 | 22.145 | 23.290 | 24.260 | ns | ns |
n-6/n-3 | 12.050 | 13.220 | 13.663 | 11.810 | 12.052 | ns | ns |
Trait | Line | Part | p-Value | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HO | HE | Hind Leg | Foreleg | Loin | Line | Part | |
TBA (mg malondialdehyde/kg of sample) | 0.006 | 0.005 | 0.005 a | 0.025 b | 0.003 c | ns | 0.01 |
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Zawiślak, I.; Argente, M.-J.; Leicht, K.; Agea, I.; García, M.d.l.L.; Belabbas, R.; Korzeniowska, M. Effect of Selection for Litter Size Variability on Growth, Carcass and Meat Quality in Rabbits. Vet. Sci. 2025, 12, 160. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12020160
Zawiślak I, Argente M-J, Leicht K, Agea I, García MdlL, Belabbas R, Korzeniowska M. Effect of Selection for Litter Size Variability on Growth, Carcass and Meat Quality in Rabbits. Veterinary Sciences. 2025; 12(2):160. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12020160
Chicago/Turabian StyleZawiślak, Ireneusz, Maria-Jose Argente, Katarzyna Leicht, Iván Agea, Maria de la Luz García, Rafik Belabbas, and Małgorzata Korzeniowska. 2025. "Effect of Selection for Litter Size Variability on Growth, Carcass and Meat Quality in Rabbits" Veterinary Sciences 12, no. 2: 160. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12020160
APA StyleZawiślak, I., Argente, M.-J., Leicht, K., Agea, I., García, M. d. l. L., Belabbas, R., & Korzeniowska, M. (2025). Effect of Selection for Litter Size Variability on Growth, Carcass and Meat Quality in Rabbits. Veterinary Sciences, 12(2), 160. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12020160