artificial insemination of rabbits - i. dimitrova , g. angelov , a. teneva, p. uzev

Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry 25 (5-6), p 1249-1253, 2009 ISSN 1450-9156 Publisher: Institute for Animal Husbandry, Belgrade-Zemun UDC 636.92

ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION OF RABBITS I. Dimitrova 1, G. Angelov 2, A. Teneva1, P. Uzev2 1Faculty of Agronomy, University of Forestry, Sofia, Bulgaria 2Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Forestry, Sofia, Bulgaria Corresponding author: [email protected] Original scientific paper

Abstract: The success of artificial insemination technique in rabbits depends

on various factors, but some of them as scheme of hormonal stimulation, breed and parity of does are very important. The experiment was carried out at the rabbit farm of the University of Forestry (Bulgaria) in August and September 2008 using does from two breeds - White New Zealand and Californian. It compared two schemes of hormonal stimulation. First scheme included application of PMSG and GnRH. In the second it was applied only GnRH. As a result in first case we obtain 28.57% fertility rate and in second 62.50% fertility rate. White New Zealand does showed higher level of fertility then Californian does.

Key words: rabbit doe, reproduction, artificial insemination, fertility,

prolificacy Introduction

Artificial insemination (AI) is a powerful tool for genetic improvement of animals, which also offers better sanitary quarantee. It allows better work organization as well as decreased manpower costs. AI of rabbit does appeared on European farms in the late 1980s. (Theau-Clement, 2007). Many factors affect the reproductive performances of the female. The success of artificial insemination technique in rabbits depends mainly of the parity number, the physiological status and the sexual receptivity at the moment of insemination (Castellini, 1996). In European commercial farms, the most common reproductive rhythm is based on AI of the does around 11 days after kindling and on weaning of the young rabbits at 2830 days of age (Castelliin et al., 2006).

In the rabbit doe, ovulation does not occur spontaneously, but it has to be induced through a neurohormonal reflex, which is initiated during mating. When using AI, in the absence of a male, ovulation has to be induced by artificial hormonal stimulation. The ovulation inducing method most frequently used is an intramuscular application of GnRH (Quintela et al., 2004).

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The aim of this study was to compare two schemes of hormonal stimulation of rabbit does.

Materials and Methods

The trial was carried out at the experimental rabbit farm of the University of Forestry (Bulgaria) in August and September 2008., using does from two breeds - White New Zealand and Californian. First scheme of hormonal stimulation included one application of PMSG (Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotrophin) 40 IU intramuscularly (Folligon, Intervet, Holland) 48 hours before sperm insemination and GnRH (Gonadotropin-releasing hormone) (Fertagil, Intervet, Holland) 0.2 ml intramuscularly administered at the moment of insemination. The second scheme of hormonal stimulation included only GnRH (Fertagil, Intervet, Holland) application 0.2 ml intramuscularly at the moment of insemination. Multiparous does were inseminated two days after weaning. In both cases the does were inseminated with fresh semen diluted of a commercial diluent (Magapor, Spain).

Results and Discussion

In Table 1 is shown that in the first experimental scheme of hormonal stimulation it was obtained 28.57% fertility rate total for the two breeds. The average prolificacy for both breeds was 7.5 and pregnancy duration was 33 days. But, in this case we obtained pregnancies only in White New Zealand animals. Fertility rate in White New Zealand females was 55.55 % - equal for nulliparous and multiparous does. Californian ones did not reply on this scheme of hormonal stimulation no one pregnancy was occurred. Table 1. Fertility rate in the first scheme of hormonal stimulation (PMSG + GnRH)

White New Zealand breed Group n Group n %

Nulliparous rabbit does

18 Nulliparous rabbit does

10 55.55

Multiparous rabbit does

18 Multiparous rabbit does

10 55.55

Inseminated females

Total 36

Pregnant females

Total 20 55.55 Californian breed

Group n Group n % Nulliparous rabbit does


0 0



0 0

Inseminated females

Total 34

Pregnant females

Total 0 0 Total for two breeds

Inseminated females

70 Pregnant females

20 28.57

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In the second experiment (Table 2), which included hormonal stimulation only with GnRH at the moment of insemination, it was obtained 62.50% fertility rate total for the two breeds. White New Zealand does again exceeded Californian ones in studied trait they reached 80% fertility rate while Californian does showed 33.33%. In both case multiparous does had higher fertility rate than nulliparous ones. In White New Zealand breed multiparous females reached 84.61%, while nulliparous showed lower fertility rate -75.0%. In Californian breed the difference is much significant - 40.0% for multiparous against 20% for nulliparous does. The average prolificacy for both breeds was 7.6 and pregnancy duration was 31.6 days. Table 2. Fertility rate in the second scheme of hormonal stimulation (single GnRH)

White New Zealand breed Group n Group n %



9 75.00



11 84.61

Inseminated females

Total 25

Pregnant females

Total 20 80.00

Californian breed Group n Group n %



1 20.00



4 40.00

Inseminated females

Total 15

Pregnant females

Total 5 33.33 Total for two breeds

Inseminated females

40 Pregnant females

25 62.50

The obtained results showed that the second scheme of hormonal

stimulation, using only GnRH application was more effective. Similar results reported Rodriguez De Lara et al. (2000). Some authors have reported efficiency by stimulation with PMSG in follicular growth (Bonano et al., 1990) and consequently increase prolificacy (Martens, 1995), but followed by higher stillborn birth mortality. The results obtained in our experiment did not show difference in both prolificacy between two compared schemes of hormonal stimulation 7.5 vs. 7.6 average numbers of litter size and in birth mortality rate.

Nulliparous does generally exhibit high fertility rate, whereas the reproductive performance of multiparous does is lower, because of the intensive reproductive rhythms (Castellini et al., 2005). In our case we used extensive reproductive system (insemination two days after wining) and this is why in this experiment we obtained higher or equal fertility rate for multiparous does and

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nulliparous does. Maertens and Bousselmi (1999) reported fertility rate of nulliparous does 78.7%. Lower fertility rate of Californian does in comparison with White New Zealand ones was observed from other authors too (Rodriguez De Lara et al., 2000; Gomes et al., 2004). The reproductive performance of rabbit does are affected not only by parity, but also by other factors as body condition, rhythm of insemination, lacting status, sexual receptivity and season (El-Gaafary and Marai, 1994; Brecchia et al., 2008). It was shown that season affected both natural mating and artificial insemination. Our experiments was carried out in August and September, the part of the year which was reported as a period with lowest conception rate (Szendro el al., 1992) and it is possible reason for very low results of animals of Californian breed. Conclusion

The obtained results showed that the scheme of hormonal stimulation using only GnRH application 0.2 ml intramuscularly at the moment of insemination was more effective for insemination of both nulliparous and multiparous rabbit does. Vetako osemenjavanje zeeva I. Dimitrova, G. Angelov, A. Teneva, P. Uzev Rezime Uspeh tehnike vetakog osemenjavanja zeeva zavisi od razliitih faktora, ali neki od njih, kao npr. shema hormonalne stimulacije, rasa i paritet zeica, su veoma vani. Ogled je izveden na farmi zeeva Univerziteta za umarstvo (Bugarska) u avgustu i septembru 2008. godine, na dve rase zeeva, bela novozelandska i kalifornijska rasa. Uporeene su dve sheme hormonalne stimulacije. Prva shema je ukljuivala aplikaciju PMSG i GnRH. U drugoj je primenjen samo GnRH. Kao rezultat, u prvom sluaju, ostvaren je procenat plodnosti od 28.57% a u drugom 62.50%. Bele novozelandske zeice su pokazale vei nivo plodnosti nego zeice kalifornijske rase.

References BONNANO A., BUDETTA G., ALABISO M., ALICATA M. (1990): Effect of PGSG and GnRH treatement on the ovulatory effiefficiency of rabbits. Acta Medica Veterinaria, 36, 4, 441-451.

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BRECCHIA G., CARDINALI R., DAL BOSCO A., BOITI C., CASTELLINI C. (2008): Effect of reproductive rhythm based on rabbit doe body condition on fertility and hormones. 9th World Rabbit Congress, 309-313. CASTELLINI C. (1996): Recent advances in rabbit artificial insemination. 6th World Rabbit Congress, Toulouse, 2, 13-26 CASTELLINI C., CARDINALI R., BRECCHIA G., DEL BOSCO A. (2005): Effect of LPS-induced inflammatory state on some aspects of reproductive function of rabbit does. Ital J Anim Sci, 4, suppl. 2, 532-534. CASTELLINI C., DEL BOSCO A., CARDINALI R. (2006): Long term effect of post-weaning hythm on the body fat and performance of rabbit doe. Reprod. Nutr. Dev., 46, 195204. EL-GAAFARY M., MARAI I. (1994): Artificial Insemination in rabbits. In Baselga M. (ed.), Marai I.F.M. (ed.). Rabbit production in hot climates. Zaragoza: Ciheam-Iamz, p. 95-107, International Conference of rabbit production in hot climates, 1994/09/06-08, Cairo (Egypt). GOMES R., BECERRIL P., TORRES H., PRO M., RODRIGUEZ DE LARA R. (2004): Relationship among feeding level, change of cage and fasting with vulva colour and sexual receptivity in New Zealand White and Californian nulliparous does. Proc. 8th WRCongress, 270-275. MAERTENS L., BOUSSELMI H. (1999): The fertility rate of artificial inseminated rabbit does: the impact of some doe related factors. In Testik A. (ed.), Baselga M. (ed.). 2nd International Conference on rabbit production in hot climates. Zaragoza: CIHEAM-IAMZ, p. 127-132, International Conference on Rabbit Production in Hot Climates, 1998/09/07-09, Adana (Turkey). MAERTENS L., LUZI F. (1995): Effect of dilutent and storage time of rabbit semen on the fertility of does reared under two different lightingschedules. World Rabbit Science, 3, 57-61. QUINTELA L.A., PENA A.I., VEGA M.D., GULLN J., PRIETO M.C., BARRIO M., BECERRA J.J., MASEDA F., HERRADN P.G. (2004): Ovulation induction in rabbit does submitted to artificial insemination by adding buserelin to the seminal dose. Reprod. Nutr. Dev., 44 , 79-88. RODRIGUEZ DE LARA R., FALLAS L., RANGEL S. (2000): Influence of body live weight and relocation on kindling rate and prolificacy in Aied multiparous rabbit does. Proc. 7th WRCongress, 251-257. SZENDRO Z.S., BIRO-NEMETH E., RADNAI I. (1999): Investigations on the results of artificial insemination. Journal of Applied Rabbit Research, 15, 545-552. THEAU-CLEMENT M. (2007): Preparation of rabbit doe to insemination: a review. World Rabbit Science, 15, 61-80 Received 31 May 2009; accepted for publication 15 August 2009

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artificial insemination of rabbits - i. dimitrova , g. angelov , a. teneva, p. uzev

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