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Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

Effect of Combined eCG and Testosterone Enanthate (TE) Hormonal Treatments on Litter Size and Kit Weight in Rabbits

Rebaz Ramadhan Abdulrahman, Zhala Shabandar Qadir, Mahir Essa Alsalihi, Darya Shorsh Hamad, Imad Majeed Noori

Asian Journal of Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · pp. 44–56 · Published 10 Jan 2026

10.9734/ajbgmb/2026/v18i1517

Abstract

Hormonal interventions significantly influence pre-weaning litter characteristics in rabbits. This study looked at how different amounts of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG: 10-20 IU) and testosterone enanthate (TE: 4-8 IU) affected the number of kits (KN) and their weight (KW) in local breed rabbits that were mixed-mated. 96 ninety-six rabbits (48 bucks, 48 does) were allocated to control (untreated/PBS), low-dose (10 IU eCG, 4 IU TE), and high-dose (20 IU eCG, 8 IU TE) groups. Treatments were administered 48 h pre-mating, with reproductive performance evaluated over two parities. The 20 IU eCG + TE groups significantly increased KN (8.89±0.00 vs. 2.44 ± 0.50 controls, p ≤ 0.05) and KW (478.58 g at 7 days). Second-parity improvements suggest uterine adaptation. Optimal outcomes occurred at intermediate doses (20 IU eCG + 4-8 IU TE), avoiding high-dose negative effects observed in prior studies. These protocols enhance commercial rabbit productivity while maintaining kit weight. 

Rabbit reproduction ECG testosterone litter size kit weight hormonal

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