Sex effects and phenotypic correlation among growth traits in America standard Chinchilla rabbits in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

Data on body weight and linear body measurements collected from 101 America Standard Chinchilla rabbits comprised of 62 females and 39 males  at eight weeks were used to determine the effect of sex and phenotypic correlations among the growth traits. The estimates were statistically (p<0.05) higher in the female compared with male in virtually all the traits considered except in the fore arm length. The values for body weight,  body length, ear length, tail length, fore arm length, heart girth and abdominal circumference for females were 1.19 kg, 31.97 cm, 10.67 cm, 9.89 cm, 15.61 cm, 21.61 cm and 23.75 cm, respectively while the corresponding values for males were 0.88 kg, 28.00 cm, 10.44 cm, 8.95 cm, 14.74 cm, 19.62 cm and 21.67 cm. The correlation between body weight and the linear body measurements was positively significant (p<0.05 and p<0.001) and  ranged between 0.301 and 0.951 in males while in females positive and significant correlations were found between body weight and body length (0.831), tail length (0.184), heart girth (0.788) and abdominal circumference (0.719). The correlations among the linear body measurements in the  males ranged between 0.108 and 0.951 while in females it ranged between -0.235 and 0.681. The positive relationships between body weight and linear body measurements can be used as basis for body weight selection in both male and female rabbits

Keywords: Rabbits, sex, growth traits, phenotypic correlation