High and low litter size trait and its relationship with serum and urine progesterone, serum zinc, and serum phosphorus in New Zealand white rabbits and improvement for the low litter size trait.

A number of does was classified according to their initial litter size to high (> 6 bunnies, group 1) and low (< 5 bunnies, group 2) in New Zealand White rabbits. Incidence of low litter size in the herd in the present study was 23%. The number of matings/conception, total mortality, corpora lutea/foetus, number and percentage of resorbed foeti were markedly higher in group 2 than in group 1. The litter weight, number of foetuses, implantation sites, and corpora lutea in group 2 showed a marked decrease over group 1. Serum and urine progesterone levels in pregnant rabbits of group 2 were significantly (P < 0.01) lower than in group 1, however, non-efficacious progesterone levels were significantly (P < 0.01) lower in group 2. The zinc content in serum, foetal dry weight and uterine horn dry weight, and serum inorganic phosphate in group 2 were significantly (P > 0.01) lower than in group 1. The litter size was significantly (P < 0.01) correlated with zinc and inorganic phosphate in group 2, while it was correlated with serum and urine progesterone in the two groups. The correlation coefficients were significant (P < 0.01) between urine progesterone and serum zinc and between serum progesterone and inorganic phosphate more frequently in group 2 during the gestation period than in group 1. The treatment of group 2 does with calcium carbonate, sodium phosphate dibasic, and zinc acetate in drinking water improved the serum progesterone, urine progesterone, and non-efficacious progesterone in addition to serum zinc and inorganic phosphate, which led to improvement of the number of matings/conception, litter size and litter weight, and lowered total mortality.