Table 2.
General physiology and reproductive data of different laboratory rabbit strains
| Common physiological data | NZW | NZR | Dutch belted | Californian | Polish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth weight (g) | 30-80 | ~55 | 35-40 | ~54 | 30-35 |
| Ideal mature weight (♂/♀) (kg) | 10/11 | 10/11 | 2.5/2.5 | 9/9.5 | 2.5/2.5 |
| Growth rate (g/day to 8 weeks) | 15-20 | 15-25 | 10-12 | 21-24 | 9-12 |
| Body temperature | 38-40°C | 38-40°C | 38-39°C | 38-39°C | 38-39°C |
| Water consumption (ml/day) | 100-600 | 100-500 | 50-100 | 85-90 | 50-80 |
| Food consumption | 100-300 g/day | 100-300 g/day | 0.8 ounces/day | 4.2 kg/kg gain | 20-25 g/day |
| Skeletal weight (of BW) | 7-8% | 7-8% | 7-8% | 7-8% | ~8% |
| Average litter size | 4-10 | 7-8 | 5-6 | 7-9 | 2-4 |
| Heart rate | 130-325 | 125-320 | 280-330 | 123-304 | 300-330 |
| Blood volume | 45-75 ml/kg BW | 45-75 ml/kg BW | 5.7-6.9 ml/100 g | 45-75 ml/kg BW | 5-7 ml/100 g |
| Age at estrous (months) | 5-6 | 5-7 | 4-5 | 6-7 | ~4 |
| Weight at estrous | 1.7-3 kg | 2-3 kg | 500-800 g | 1.5-2.5 kg | 500-700 g |
| Frequency of estrous cycle | Induced | ||||
| No. oocytes in ovulation | 9-14 | 9-12 | 7-10 | 9-12 | 3-7 |
| Time of ovulation (hrs after mating) | 10-12 | 9-13 | 10-12 | 9-13 | 10-12 |
| Menopause (years) | 5-7 | 5-7 | 3-5 | 5-7 | 3-4 |
| Parturition interval | ~79 d | ~70 d | ~60 d | ~65 d | ~60 d |
| Average semen volume (ml) | 0.3-0.6 | 0.5-1.0 | 0.3-0.6 | 0.5-1.0 | 0.3-0.6 |
| Sperm concentration (×106/ml) | 150 to 500 | 200-450 | 150-300 | 200-450 | 150-250 |
| Sperm motility (%) | ~ 60 | ~ 70 | ~ 60 | ~ 80 | ~ 60 |
| Serum testosterone (ng/ml) | 2.0-2.5 | 2.0-2.5 | 1.5-2.0 | 2.0-2.5 | 1.5-2.0 |
| Time of implantation (days of gestation) | 8-9 | 8-9 | ~8 | 7-8 | ~8 |
| Length of gestation (days) | 31-32 | 28-35 | 30-33 | 28-32 | 28-34 |