Abstract :
The study was carried out on 42 breeder couples (42 males and 42 females) of European brown hare (Lepus europaeus),
divided into three groups fed three different experimental diets (14 couples/treatment). Two diets were supplemented with n-3
and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs; 2% of linseed oil and soybean oil, respectively) and were compared with a control
diet supplemented with a monounsaturated fatty acids (2% of olive oil). During the experimental period (from 15 April to
30 September), the following parameters were recorded: days from the beginning of trial to the first parturition, parturition
interval, number of parturitions, number of leverets born (alive and dead), dead during suckling, the total number of leverets
weaned and feed intake per cage (of males, females and leverets until weaning). Feed intake was not influenced by treatments.
In hares fed n-3 and n-6 diets, the days from the beginning of the trial to the first parturition and the parturition interval were
similar and were lower compared with control group (63.1 v. 70.6 days, and 37.8 v. 40.9 days, respectively; P,0.05). Hares
from n-6 group had a higher (P,0.05) number of parturitions per cage during the experimental period than the n-3 and
control group that showed a similar value (3.00 v. 2.36, respectively). The total number of leverets born per cage and
parturition in n-6 and n-3 groups increased with respect to those fed control diet (P,0.05). The leverets’ mortality rate at
birth was higher in n-6 than in n-3 and control group (3.50 v. 2.17, respectively; P,0.05). In control group, leverets’ mortality
rate during suckling was lower with respect to n-3 (P,0.05) and n-6 (P,0.05), showing the highest value for the latter
(P,0.05). In spite of this higher mortality, the number of leverets weaned per cage and parturition was higher (P,0.05)
in n-6 compared with n-3 group, being the latter higher than the control group (3.12, 2.79 and 2.43, respectively). Our results
show that the dietary PUFAs, particularly n-6 supplementation, have a positive influence on the reproductive performances
of the European brown hare.
