A note on the influence of routine induction of parturition by administration of a synthetic prostaglandin analogue on productivity in the rabbit

Abstract

The effect of routine induction of parturition on some reproductive and productive parameters during a year-long trial in 50 California doe rabbits allocated in two groups of 25 animals (treated and control), was studied. Intramuscular injections of 50 ug of the synthetic analogue of prostaglandin F2ct (Etiproston), were given at 10.00 h on day 29 of pregnancy. Control animals were untreated. When compared with the controls, treated does showed a significant reduction in the individual weight of pups at birth (49·7 (s.e. 0·41) and 52·2 (s.e. 0·53) g), number born dead per litter (0·42 (s.e. 0·11) and 0·81 (s.e. 0·16)), and parturition interval (42·9 (s.e. 1·5) and 53·5 (s.e. 1·7) days), and an increase in both sexual receptivity on days 6 to 9 post partum (70·4% and 43·0%), and in the conception rate to remating on days 6 to 7 post partum (82·2% and 66·6%), respectively. Litter size at birth, overall conception rate, mortality from birth to weaning, litter weight at 21 days, litter size at weaning, milk production, and mortality of does were not affected by the prostaglandin treatment.