Abstract

Four identical adjoining buildings, each with eight pens (number of does = 32) of dimensions 1.2 × 0.6 × 1.2 m were constructed with floor area per pen (1.2 × 0.6 m). Three factors were considered in the study; building orientations (Or.45° and Or.90° to wind directions) and ventilation openings (Op.20, Op.40, Op.60 and Op.80% side openings) and seasons (dry and rainy). Ventilation rates inside each pen were estimated using opening effectiveness and magnitudes of prevailing winds’ speed measured. Rabbits were mated to produce litters at two consecutively times per season. Significant (p< 0.05) differences due to season were observed for the weight gains during and after conception and also for size at birth. Or.90° with Op.60% had mean weight of 14.0 g day^-1, highest recorded in does weight gain before conception but conception rate (CR) of 32.81% and gestation period (GP) of 31.19 days. CR was highest for Op.80% (42.18) with lower GP of 31.38 days. Litter size (Ls) was high for higher openings Op.60, Op.80 and Op.100. Increasing side building ventilations increases weight gain and CR with 30 to 31 days GP and high Ls in does before, during and after conception.

Key words: Conception, gestation, litters, orientation, openings.