Original scientific paper
REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF HARES (Lepus europaeus) IN SELECTED FARMS IN CROATIA
K. Pintur
; Veleučilište u Karlovcu, Hrvatska
N. Popović
; Veleučilište u Karlovcu, Hrvatska
A. Alegro
; Veleučilište u Karlovcu, Hrvatska
K. Salajpal
; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Hrvatska
Z. Janicki
; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Hrvatska
Abstract
The research on indicators of reproduction efficiency of brown hares in cage breeding in Croatia was conducted from 2001 to 2004. There were 107 pairs included in the research during their first reproductive season. Breeding farms were located in two different climatic areas: breeding farm Volavje (continental Croatia) and Valtura-Vodnjan (Istria). On average there were 24.70 to 25.37% non-productive pairs per year. Considerably larger number of litters per pair was achieved in Valtura-Vodnjan breeding farms (5 litters compared to 4.6 in Volavje farm, p<0.05). The number of leverets per pair was 11.27 (Volavje) and 11.34 (Valtura-Vodnjan). The average litter size ranged from 2.41 (Volavje) to 2.59 leverets (Valtura-Vodnjan). Season had a significant influence on litter size in both breeding farms (p<0.01). There was no significant difference in the number of weaned hares per litter in both farms (1.61-1.68). Total leveret mortality on average ranged from 36.59 to 37.83% depending on the locality. Most deaths occurred before weaning.
Keywords
hare (Lepus europaeus); cage breeding; reproduction efficiency
Hrčak ID:
23841
URI
Publication date:
14.5.2008.
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