Role of Omega-3 in the improvement of productive and reproductive performance of New Zealand White female rabbits

ABSTRACT

Thirty New Zealand White (NZW) female rabbits in first parity were used in the present study. The animals were divided into three equal groups with 10 replicates in each group. In the first group, each animal treated orally with distal water in a mouse by stomach tube and served as control group. In two treated groups, each rabbit treated orally with 100 µl and 200 µl of omega-3 in a mouse by stomach tube in second and third groups, respectively. The treatment of female rabbits was carried out day after day during the experimental period. The experiment lasted 75 days, 15 days as the adjusted period before mating with ducks, followed by 30 days as pregnancy period, followed by 30 days as the suckling period. Omega-3 improved significantly weight of does during pregnancy and increased significantly milk yield of does, litter size and litter weight of does at birthing. Omega-3 increased significantly total protein, albumin, globulin, uric acid and creatinine concentrations as well as T₃ and progesterone levels. Omega-3 decreased significantly total lipids, triglycerides and total cholesterol concentrations compared with their concentrations in control rabbits. Omega-3 increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity in does during pregnancy and suckling periods while omega-3 increased alkaline phosphatase activity only during the suckling period.

KEYWORDS:

• Rabbits
• omega-3
• blood components
• litter size
• milk yield

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.