الفهرس 
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Abstract
The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of marine algae (Nannochloropsisoculata) in comparison with traditional reproductive hormones (eCG) on inducing multiple ovulations. Forty-five multiparous, Hy- plus female rabbits, aged from 6 – 15 months and weighed in average of 3.3 kg, were used. Animals were divided randomly into three equal experimental groups (15 does each). The 1st group was served as a control group. The 2nd, eCG hormonal group, was intramuscularly injected with 25 IU/doe of eCG 48 hours pre-mating. The 3rd group was algae group (2 kg/100 kg of diet). The results clearly showed that injection of eCG hormone and feeding on algae had significant (P≤0.05) effects on most of the studied traits compared to control animals. Conception rate had increased by 11.1 and 17.6% in animals treated with eCG hormone and algae, respectively, compared to control animals. Also, overall mean of milk yield during the lactating period decreased by 2.5% in hormonal group but increased by 39% in algae group compared to control group. Average total litter weight at weaning had increased by 12.4 and 42.5 % in animals treated with eCG hormone and algae, respectively, compared to control group. Also, litter size of does at weaning were significantly improved in eCG and algae groups by 11.3 and 24.3 %, respectively, compared with control groups. Thickness of mucin layer was thicker in embryos of eCG hormone and marine algae groups by 13.3 and 39.9 %, respectively, than control group. Number of collected embryos had increased in algae group compared with hormonal and control groups (9, 5.5 and 1.4, respectively). Results of this study clearly showed that feeding on marine algae (Nannochloropsisoculata) at a concentration of 2 kg/100 kg diet had significantly improved some productive and reproductive performance traits of Hy-plus rabbits. In order to serve as a useful technique, the reproductive performance of using marine algae in feeding of other farm animals need to be addressed.
Keywords: Rabbits, marine algae, eCG hormone, multiple ovulations, embryos, productive and reproductive performance