Characterization of Saudi native rabbit breeds: utilization, development and productive performance – a review

Commercial rabbit farming is considered a good business, with low investments and high outcomes in many countries. In general, rabbits are raised either to produce a delicious white meat or to utilize their fur in various manufacturing processes. However, rabbits are unable to sweat, as they do not have sweat glands. To regulate their body temperature, they use their ears and panting behaviour. Unfortunately, rabbit production deteriorates when the weather is hot. Breeders in many developing countries, especially those suffering from heat stress, are using crossbreeding between rabbit breeds and lines to produce genetic combinations (crossbreds) considering the advantage of heterosis. In 2005, a national project was funded by Abdel Aziz city for science and technology at Qassim University aimed at producing improved synthetic rabbit lines to distribute to stakeholders. A genetic improvement programme was adopted to synthesize new lines of rabbits adapted to heat stress resulting from crossing between Saudi breed (Jabali) and a Spanish line (V-line). Numerous studies conducted on different rabbit populations raised in hot weather have proved that the V-line and their crossbreds have formerly performed well compared to the Saudi native breed, but they lost this advantage of adaptation over time.