Breeding and Productivity Traits in a Diallel Crossed Rabbits Fed Dried Cocoyam Peel Meal in a Humid Environment

The study was conducted onproductivity traits using four rabbit strains; the New Zealand White (NZW), the Chinchilla (CHL), New Zealand Red (NZR) and the Beveren (BVR) through di-allele crossbreeding experiment that generated 16 genotypes involving 4 straight bred and 12 crossbreds respectively. The reproductivity performance of these rabbit strains was monitored to evaluate sire’s sexual maturity traits on litter size (LZ) at birth and at weaning. The results indicated that reproductivity traits varied among the rabbit genetic groupsdue to variation in their genetic makeup. The variation in the graph of Vr-Wr, the diallel cross relationships in terms of Vr, the variance of all the offspring of the rth parent, and Wr the covariance between the offspring and their non-recurrent parents for litter productivity at weaning and post-weaning ages across the purebred lines (parents) reflected their degree of superiority or order of dominance among the pure breed studied. Recommendations were therefore made among others that Variations that existed in this rabbit population should be thoroughly exploited through crossbreeding and selection programmes. This is desirable in order to take advantage of heterosis in enhancing numerical doe’s reproductive efficiency. The study therefore underscored the importance of diallel crossing on reproductive potentials in rabbits, which is a better tool of enhancing the genetic potentials of rabbitsas a sustainable path to economic recovery and food security in Nigeria.