An Investigation on Restraining Effects and Acclimation to Protecting Jackets in Pregnant Rabbits -Wearing From Pre-Mating Through Fetal Organogenesis-

Abstract

-The purpose of the present investigation is to evaluate the restraining effects of protecting jackets attached from the pre-mating period and thereafter up to completion of the fetal organogenesis in rabbits. Forty (40) Kbl:NZW mated rabbits 6 to 10 months of age were divided into 2 groups of 20 animals each. Animals in the treatment group (hereinafter referred to as JK group) were dressed in protecting jackets from Day −9 prior to mating (hereinafter referred to as GD −9) to GD 19 and another group of animals without protecting jackets was used as a control. The major restraining effects noted were decreases in body weight gain and food consumption, which were marked in the first 9 days of jacketattachment during the pre-mating period. The decrease in body weight was still apparent over the whole gestation period. However, the mean body weight of the JK group finally reached the baseline level of