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Growth and body measurements of grasscutter 179 Table 3: Records obtained from female grasscutters during their 3 rd Parity at Akpaka Forest Reserve Onitsha Dams Litter Rats Sex Body measurements at Birth Body measurements at 60 days Daily s/no. size s/no BW (kg) BL (cm) HG (cm) H (cm) BW (kg) BL (cm) HG (cm) H (cm) weight gain for1 st 60 days (kg/day) 1 1 34 M 0.138 16.98 12.42 7.29 0.605 22.54 17.78 10.40 2 2 35 M 0.142 17.00 12.46 7.31 0.545 21.82 17.09 10.00 36 F 0.131 16.89 12.34 7.25 0.421 20.35 15.67 9.17 3 3 37 M 0.140 17.00 12.45 7.30 0.517 21.49 16.77 9.82 38 M 0.138 16.98 12.42 7.28 0.525 21.56 16.86 9.87 39 F 0.130 16.88 12.32 7.23 0.416 20.29 15.61 9.14 4 3 40 F 0.135 16.94 12.38 7.27 0.407 20.18 15.51 9.08 41 F 0.126 16.83 12.28 7.20 0.426 20.41 15.73 9.21 5 6 1 2 7 3 42 F 0.120 16.76 12.21 7.17 0.422 20.36 15.68 9.18 43 M 0.188 17.54 13.00 7.62 0.647 23.04 18.27 10.68 44 M 0.138 16.98 12.41 7.28 0.561 22.01 17.28 10.10 45 F 0.133 16.92 12.38 7.25 0.433 20.49 15.81 9.25 46 F 0.125 16.82 12.27 7.20 0.411 20.23 15.55 9.10 47 F 0.115 16.70 12.15 7.14 0.400 20.10 15.43 9.00 48 F 0.122 16.80 12.23 7.18 0.424 20.38 15.70 9.20 Average 0.134 16.93 12.38 7.26 0.477 21.01 16.31 9.54 0.00778 0.00671 0.00480 0.00628 0.00645 0.00476 0.00453 0.00500 0.00503 0.00765 0.00705 0.00500 0.00496 0.00475 0.00503 0.00570 Average litter size was 2.4 with a sex ratio of 6 males t o 9 females (1:1.5). Though the average birth weight was 0.134 kg, but males were generally heavier than females at birth and at 60 days old. Table 4: Factors that affect birth weight, post-weaning weight, and average daily weight gain of grasscutters at Akpaka Forest Reserve Onitsha. Factors No. of rats Birth wt. (kg) Wt. at 60 days (kg) DWG for 1 st 60 days (kg/day) Litter size 1 2 3 Sex Male Female Parity 1 st 2 nd 3 rd Overall mean 48 48 48 48 4 14 30 16 32 17 16 15 0.173±0.02 a 0.135±0.08 b 0.135±0.09 b 0.148±0.01 a 0.128±0.02 b 0.147±0.01 0.132±0.01 0.134±0.01 0.138±0.06 0.621±0.02 a 0.503±0.05 b 0.492±0.05 b 0.575±0.03 a 0.472±0.04 b 0.542±0.02 0.496±0.06 0.477±0.07 0.513±0.03 a, b Means in the same column under the same factor with different superscripts differ significantly (P
IKPEZE, Obiora Osegboka and EBENEBE, Cordelia Ifeyinwa 180 REFERENCES ADU, J. A. (1995). Manual of grasscutter husbandry. Adagrow Farms. Lagos. pp. 25 – 30. AFOLAYAN, T. A. and ANADU, P. A. (1981). Preliminary observation on the ecology and domestication of the grasscutter. Journal of Institute of Animal Technologist, 31(1): 31 – 38. AJAYI, S. S. (1983). Domestication of mammals in Africa. Nigerian Field, 47: 145 – 155. ASIBEY, E. O. A. (1974). The grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus T) in Ghana. Symposium o f the Zoological Society of London, 34: 161 – 170. IKPEZE, O. O. and EBENEBE, C. I. (2004). Relationships between physical body traits of the grasscutter (Rodentia: Thryonomyidae) in Akpaka forest reserve, Onitsha. Animal Research International, 1(3): 160 – 163. IKPEZE, O. O. and EBENEBE, C. I. (2004). Productive performance of the grasscutter (Rodentia: Thryonomyidae) reared under three different housing systems. Bio-Research, 2(2): 19 – 21. ONADEKO, S. A. and AMUBODE, F. O. (2002). Reproductive indices and performance of captive reared grasscutters (Thryonomys swinderianus Temminck). Nigerian Journal of Animal Production, 29(1): 142 – 149. TIMIBITEI, K. O. (1989). Performance evaluation of rabbits reared on floor o r deep litter. B.Sc Thesis Department of Animal Sciences, Rivers State University of Science and Technology. Port Harcourt. YEWADAN, L. T. and SCHRAGE, R. (1992). Contribution to the genetic improvement of the grasscutters Thryonomys swinderianus). Pages 166 – 172. In: R. Schrage (Ed), Proceedings of the First International Conference on Grasscutter Production. 17 th - 19 th February 1992, Cotonou. Republic of Benin.
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