TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page – – – – – – – i
Certification – – – – – – – – – ii
Dedication – – – – – – – – – iii
Acknowledgements – – – – – – – iv
Table of contents – – – – – – – – v
List of tables – – – – – – – viii
Abstract – – – – – – – – – ix
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION – – – – – 1
1.1 Background Information – – – – 1
1.2 Objectives of the Study – – – – – 3
1.3 Justification of the Study – – – – 3
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW – – – – 4
2.1. Rabbits (Oryctolagues cunniculus) – – – – 4
2.2 Common Breeds of Rabbits – – – – 4
2.2.1 Feeding and Nutrition in Rabbit – – – 5
2.3 Reproduction in Rabbit – – – – 6
2.3.1 Anatomy of the Doe – – – – – – – 6
2.3.2 Reproductive Activities – – – – – 6
2.3.3 Mating and Rebreeding of Rabbits – – – 7
2.3.4 Weaning and Post-Partum Management of Kits – 8
2.3.5 Factor Affecting Reproductive Performance of rabbit does – 8
2.3.6 Heat Stress – – – – – – – – 9
2.4 Residual Oxygen Species (ROS) – – – 10
2.5 Oxidation Stress – – – – – 10
2.6 Oxidative Stress in Female Reproductive – – 11
2.6.1 Follicles and Oxidative Stress – – – – 12
2.6.2 Endometrium and Oxidative Stress – – 12
2.6.3 Anti-Oxidants – – – – – 12
2.7 Vitamin E – – – – – 14
2.8 Biological Roles and Functions of Vitamin E – 15
2.8.1 Gene Expression – – – – – 15
2.8.2 Enzymatic Activity – – – – – – 15
2.8.3 Vitamin E as an Antioxidant – – – – 16
2.8.4 Vitamin E and reproduction – – – – 16
2.9 Selenium – – – – – – 17
2.9.1 Selenium in Reproduction – – – – 17
2.9.2 Vitamin E and Selenium – – – – – – 19
CHAPTER THREE: MATERIALS AND METHODS – – – 21
3.1. Location and duration of the study – – – – 21
3.2. Experimental animals – – – – – 21
3.3. Experimental design – – – – – – – 22
3.4. Blood sample collection and analysis for
oxidative enzymes and
gonadotropins – – – – – – – 23
3.5. Statistical analysis – – – – – 24
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS – – – – – – 25
4.0 Effect of Dietary Selenium and Vitamin E
Supplementation on
the Reproductive
Performance of Rabbit Does and Post-Partum
Growth of Kits – – – – – 25
4.1 Conception rate (%) – – – – – 26
- Doe body weight at Mating – – – – 26
4. 3. Gestation Length (Days) – – – – 26
4.4 Doe Weight body weight Gain of Doe during Gestation – 26
4.5. Body Weight of Doe at Kindling (DBWK) (KG) – 26
4.6. Litter Size at Birth (LSB) – – – – 26
4.7. Number of Still Birth (NSB) – – – – 26
4.8. Body weight of Litter at Birth – – – – 27
4.9. Total Body Weight of Liter of Birth (g) – – 27
4.10. Litter Size at Weaning (LSW) – – – 27
4.11. Body Weight of litter at Weaning (g/wt) – – 27
4.12. Litter Total body weight at Weaning – – – – 27
4.13. Pre – weaning weight Gain of Kit/Litter (g/kit) – 28
4.2 Effect of Dietary Selenium and Vitamin E Supplementation on the Heamatological, Oxidative and Gonadotropin Characteristics of Rabbit Does – – – – – – – 28
4.2.1: The effect of selenium and vitamin E supplement on the haemoglobin of rabbit does. – – – – – – 29
4.2.2:
Effect of dietary selenium and vitamin E
supplementation on packed
cell volume
(pcv) of rabbit does. – – – – – 29
4.2.3:
Effect of dietary selenium and vitamin E
supplementation, on the
Red Blood cell
of Rabbit does – – – – – 29
4.2.4:
The effect of dietary selenium and
vitamin E supplementation on
Neutrophil of Rabbit does. – – – – – – 29
4.2.5: Effect of dietary and Vitamin E supplementation on Eosinophils
of Rabbits does – – – – – – – 29
4.2.6: Effect of dietary selenium and vitamin E supplementation on L of
Rabbit does. – – – – – – – – 30
4.2.7:
The Effect of dietary selenium and
Vitamin E supplementation on
follicle
stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion of rabbit does. – – 30
4.2.8:
Effect of Dietary selenium and Vitamin E
supplementation on
Luteinizing
Hormone Secretion of Rabbit does. – – – 30
4.3: Effect of vitamin E and selenium supplementation in diet of rabbit does on oxidative enzymes characteristics. – – – 31
4.3.1: Effect of selenium and vitamin E supplementation in diet of
rabbit does on selenium (mg/dl) – – – – – 31
4.3.2: Effect of
selenium and vitamin E supplementation in diet of rabbit
does on MDA
(mg/dl) concentration in blood – – – 31
4.3.3: Effect of selenium and vitamin E supplementation in diet
of rabbit does
on Catalase (u/l) concentration – – – 32
4.3.4: Effect of Selenium and Vitamin E Supplementation in diet of
rabbit does on
SOD – – – – – – – 32
4.3.4: Effect of Se and Vit E
supplementation in diet of rabbit does
on Glutathione Transferase
(Hi) – – – – – 32
4.3.5: Effect of Selenium and
Vitamin E Supplementation in diet
of rabbit does
on Glutathione Peroxidase (UI) Concentration. – 32
4.3.6: Effect of Selenium of Vitamin E Supplementation in diet of
rabbits does on
Glutathione (Hg/ml) concentration. – – – 33
4.3.7: Effect of Selenium and vitamin E supplementation in diet of
rabbit does on reduced glutathione – – – – – – 33
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION – – – – – – 34
5.1:
Effect of Dietary Selenium and
Vitamin E Supplementation on
the Reproductive
performance of Rabbits does and the pre-partum
growth of their
Kits. – – – – – – – 34
5.2:
Effect of dietary selenium and
vitamin E supplementation on
haematological indices and gonadotropin (FSH
and LH) secretion
in Rabbits doe – – – – – – – – 35
5.3:
Effect of dietary selenium and
vitamin E supplementation on oxidative
enzyme status of
rabbit does – – – – – – 36
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION – – – – 37
REFERENCES – – – – – – – – 38
APPENDIX 1 – – – – – – – 48
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 Nutritional value of meat products from different animals – – – – – – 4
Table 2: Effect of vulva colour on reproductive performance of does
using
natural mating. – – – – – – – 8
Table 3: Effect of
receptivity on conception rate and litter size of does
inseminated
11days after parturition. – – – – – 9
Table 4: Effect of mating method on reproductive performance of does – – – – – 9
Table 5: Effect of dietary Se inclusion on the reproductive performance of Rabbit Does – – – – – 19
Table 6: Effect of combined dietary inclusion of Selenium and Vitamin E on reproductive performance of Rabbit Does – – 20
Table 7: Proximate analysis of the experimental
diet (Vita Grower feed) – 22
Table 8: Reproductive performance of rabbits
does fed with selenium and vitamin E. – – – – – – – – 25
Table 9: Effect of
Selenium and Vitamin E supplementation in diet of Rabbit does on
haematology characteristic and gonadotropin (FSH and LH)
secretion. – – – – – – 28
Table 10: Effect of
Vitamin E and Selenium supplementation in diet of rabbit does on
oxidative enzymes characteristics. – – – 31
ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to
evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of Vitamin E and Selenium on the
reproductive performance of rabbit Does and Kits. Four groups of mixed breeds
of rabbits (Newzealand white, Dutch black, and Chinchilla) 8-9 months old with
an average body weight of 1.98±0.6kg were considered in the experiment. Each
group was made up of 3does and a buck to serve them. All the bucks were fed the
basal diet during the study alongside group 1 Does which served as the control.
Does in groups 2, 3 and 4 Does were fed the basal diet supplemented with 40mg
vitamin E (VE); 0.3mg Selenium (Se); and 40mg Vitamin E plus 0.3 Selenium (VE +
Se) for 4 weeks respectively. From the study, there were no significant (P>0.05) differences in the reproductive performances
of Does except for body weight of litter at birth which was significantly
(P>0.05) increased by Se and significantly decreased by VE + Se
supplementation; and weight at weaning which was increased in the Se group.
Blood Haemoglobin, PCV, RBC, and LH did not differ (P>0.05)
from the control. Se and VE groups increased blood Neutrophils. In the
VE+ Se group, Eosinophil and FSH were significantly (P>0.05) increased,
while lymphocyte was significantly (P>0.05) reduced. However, Eosinophil and
Lymphocyte were significantly (P>0.05) decreased in the VE group. For the
oxidative enzymes, the Se, SOD, and Glutathione peroxidase were not influenced
by the treatments (P>0.05). The Se group
had a significantly (P>0.05) increased MDA and Reduced glutathione values.
Glutathione level was significantly lowered in the VE and Se group. For the VE
+ Se group, MDA was significantly increased while Catalase was significantly
(P>0.05) reduced. Other oxidative enzymes were not however influenced (P>0.05) by the treatments. In conclusion, in
addition to improvement in the FSH and oxidative enzymes status of Does, there
was also better reproductive performance when Se is supplemented at 0.3mg/kg
diet.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Information
The
shortage of animal protein in the developing countries in the tropics has been
long recognized and has remained one of the major limiting factors to the
attainment of food security in Nigeria. The minimum protein requirement is
estimated at about 75g/person/day out of which 40grams should come from animal
protein (Akinwumi, 2011). Presently, animal protein consumption has been given
as 7g/person/day by FAO (2014), which suggests a less than 16% contribution of
the animal products to protein consumption. The situation is degenerating with
time as the population growth is not equated with the corresponding increase in
animal per capital production (Akunwumi, 2011). The demand and supply of meat
have not been able to agree. The problem lingers due to the fact that 85% of
the country’s meat supply comes from the cattle whose nomadic system of
production does not encourage rapid production (Dung, 1992).
The
federal government through its Agricultural Transformation agenda of 2011 has devised
means of increasing domestic production of livestock, utilizing improved
technologies and management practices towards this end but the impact of these
projects are yet to be seen. The utilization of the advantages of short
gestation period, high reproductive potential, rapid growth rate and ability to
utilize forage which rabbit (Mailafia et
al., 2010) and other micro-livestock animals have over cattle to bridge gap
between meat demand and supply still leaves the country with a short fall in
supply due to myriad of problems facing it (Nworgu, 2007). To maximize food
production and bridge this meat demand supply gap in Nigeria, it is pertinent
to assess and weigh viable options (Owen et
al. 2008) which involves using fast growing livestock species like rabbits
which posses advantageous features in the small holder subsistence type
integrated farming in developing countries (Mailafia et al., 2010). The set-backs in animal meat production in Nigeria
have been attributed partly to diseases, availability of affordable feeds and
also the competition between these food animals and humans for available grains.
Therefore need to increase the awareness of the high potentials of the rabbit
meat production and advocating its use in the developing countries as a veritable
means of alleviating animal food
shortage (Ajala and Balogun, 2014) both in Nigeria and other tropical African
countries.
The
rabbit is a pseudo-ruminant that has a fast growing and bree
