الفهرس 
Material and methodsOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
An expex!m6Dt was ccxxied out at the Experimental
Farm of the Faoulty of Agricultural Sciences at Moshtohor,
Qalyoubin Governorate, to study the effect of feeding urea
and some other environme.:” al factors all. individua.l weight”
daily gain, livability and litter traits in Bauacat and
Giza White rabbits”
Animals used comprised 62 Bauscat and 57 Giza White
rabbits, ranging from 11 to 24 weeks of age at the beginning
of the expeximent.
Results could be summarised as follows:
1- Daily gain a?d= body weight of rabbi t~:
A- Rabbits fed th3 diet containing urea showed lower
daily gain and body weights than those fed a diet
without urea. For the average daily gain, the differences
were significant (p .0.05) during the periods
from 11-16 to 20 weeks and from 20 to 24 weeks only.
But for body weight, the differences were gene~ally
significant except at 28 weeks of age.
B- B.eed group differences did not contribute significantly
to the total variance of either dailY gain or
body weight at the different stages and ages stUdied.
Also, no consistent trend for b~eed effects were detected.
C- Daily gain in.weight during the four stages of the
study as well as body weight varied with age at the
start of the experiment. The differences among age
groups were not significant for the average daily gain
while were signifioant for body weight at 24 and 28
weeks of age only. ”
D- Rabbits born during January and February surpassed
those born during March and April in the average
daily gain during the different stag~s, while the reverse
was true for body weight at the different ages
studied. Differences due to time of birth 10 average
daily gain. did not attain sign.i:ficance at any of the
studied stages, but they proved to be significant for
body weight at 24 weeks only.
B- The average daily gain i.a females was always higher
than that in males, the differences were not statistically
significant. Also, females were found to be
heaVier than males at all ages stUdied, but the
differenoes between the two sexes were significant at
20 and 24 weeks of age.
F- Average daily gain during the different stages of the
study as well as body weight of the rabb1ts was foun.d
to be genexa11y positively associated with their initial
weight. Initial weig~t was found to be a negligible
source of variation in the average daily gain
while being e.signifioant source of variation in.
body weight of rabbits at 20, 24 and 28 weeks of age.
2- Livability of individual .rabbits:
A- Using diet with urea caused an inoxease in the livability
of rabbits during the experimental period tillthey
reaohed either 28 or 32 weeks of age. Differences
between livability of rabbits fed diet with urea and
that of rabbits fed diet without urea were not significant.
B- Giza Whit€ rabbits showed more livability than Bausc~t
rabbits up till either 28 or 32 weeks of age, but the
differences were not significa.nt (P·O.5).
c- Livability of rabbits deozeased significantly during
the experimental period with the increase of age of
rabbit at starting the erperimant.
D- Rabbits born du.rillg Jaunary and Feb.ruary survived more
than those born duxing MarCh and Apr11. The differences
were significant (P .0.01) at 28 weeks of age While
being non-significant at )2 weeks o-f age.
E- Sex was not found to be a sginficant source of variation
in livability of zabbits.
F- Livability of the J.-abbitswas found to be positively
assooiated with initial body weight. Initial weight
affects were signifioant at 28 weeks of age While
being non-significant at 32 weeks of age.
3- Litter size ~d litter weight:
A- Litters born by dams fad urea in the diet was larger
and heaVier than those born by dams fed the o611trol
diet (basal diet without urea) at birth and at
wean1.ng at 5 weeks of age. Feeding type was not found
to be a considerable SOQliOS of variation in. these
traits.
B- Giza White litters .recorded larger size and weights
than Bau8cat litters and in gene.ral continued to show
. -
the same trend up to weaning. Breed group differences
did not contribute signific8.l1tly 1.n the total variance
of litter size and litter weight at birth and up
to weaning.
C- Fffect of age of dam at the start of the experiment
dis not significantly influence the size of th81r
1i tters at all the ages stUdied. The same t.rend was
also observed for litter we1ght at 2 weeks of age and
a t we an.1Llg only.