A simple crossbreeding experiment between Gabali (G) bucks and Hyplus (H) does was performed
to estimate crossbreeding effects for post-weaning growth traits (body weight at 5
(BW5), 7 (BW7), 9 (BW9), 11 (BW11), and 13 (BW13) weeks of age and daily weight gains
(DG) during (DG5-7), (DG7-9), (DG9-11), (DG11-13) and (DG5-13), weeks of age). Estimates of
heritability were mostly low or moderate for growth traits and ranged from 0.12 to 0.35 for
body weights and 0.05 to 0.66 for daily weight gains. The percentages of direct additive
genetic effects on body weights favored (p
0.01) the Gabali breed by 22.1, 31.2, 32.8, 31.1,
and 25.2% at 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 weeks and by 35.4, 38.1, 21.9, 3.7, and 27% for DG5-7, DG7-
9, DG9-11, DG11-13, and DG5-13, respectively. The percentages of maternal effects ranged
from 22 to 34.8% for body weights and ranged from 4.7 to 43.4% for daily weight gains.
The percentages of direct heterosis were significantly positive by 11, 19.1, 20.3, 19.7, and
16.5% for body weights at 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 weeks and by 25.6, 27.2, 17.3, 3.5, and 17.9%
for DG5-7, DG7-9, DG9-11, DG11-13, and DG5-13, respectively. These results suggest that
the Gabali breed could be used as a sire-group and the Hyplus line could be used as a
dam-group to create new high growth rabbit lines in Egypt.