Reproductive and Nutritional Management on Ovarian Response and Embryo Quality on Rabbit Does

• Published in: Reproduction in domestic animals Vol. 49; no. s4; pp. 49 - 55
• Main Authors: Lorenzo, PL, García‐García, RM, Árias‐Álvarez, M, Rebollar, PG
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany P. Parey Scientific Publishers 01.10.2014; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: animal nutrition; animal ovaries; Animal reproduction; Animals; Body Composition; body condition; body fat; does (females); embryo (animal); Embryonic Development - physiology; Embryos; energy balance; Energy Metabolism; epigenetics; Female; Fertility - physiology; health status; lactation; Lactation - physiology; longevity; milk; Ovarian Follicle - physiology; physiological response; Pregnancy; Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - physiology; progeny; Rabbits; Reproduction - physiology; reproductive performance
• ISSN: 0936-6768; 1439-0531
• DOI: 10.1111/rda.12367

Rabbit does in modern rabbitries are under intensive reproductive rhythms. Females are high milk producers with high energetic expenses due to the extensive overlap between lactation and gestation. This situation leads to a negative energy balance with a mobilization of body fat especially in primiparous rabbit does. Poor body condition and poor health status severely affect the reproductive features (fertility rate and lifespan of the doe as well as ovarian physiology). This paper reviews some reproductive and nutritional approaches used in the last years to improve the reproductive performance of rabbit females, mainly focusing on the influence on ovarian response and embryo quality and with emphasis on epigenetic modifications in pre‐implantation embryos and offspring consequences.