Impact of hormonal and non-hormonal treatments on milk production and reproductive performance of lactating New Zeland White rabbits

The present study aimed to determine the influence of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), L-Carnitine (LC) and Royal jelly (RJ) treatments on milk production and subsequent reproductive performance of lactating NZW rabbits. A total 28 primiparous lactating New Zeland white (NZW) rabbits divided randomly into four groups (7 animals/ group): Group 1 (eCG group) on day 9 postpartum the females were treated with 50 IU eCG IM/ animal at 48hrs before mating. Group 2 (LC group): the rabbits were given 50 mg LC /kg. BW/ day for 21 days orally starting at 24hrs of parturition. Group 3 (RJ group) before mating the rabbits were given 100 mg RJ/ kg. BW/ day for 21 days orally starting at 24hrs of parturition. Group 4 was Control group (without any treatment). The reproductive parameters including receptivity, conception and kindling rate as well as litter size and weight at weaning (LSW & LWW) and pre-weaning mortality (PWM) were recorded. The results revealed that there were no significant differences in the number of services per conception, conception and kindling rate among eCG, LC, RJ and control groups, receptivity. Milk production, LSW and PWM were significantly improved after LC or RJ compared to eCG and control. In conclusion, the non-hormonal treatment (LC or RJ) supplementation can improve milk production and this positively reflected on LSW, LWW and PWM.