Use of discriminant analysis method to identify sex by morphological traits in adult rabbits in Nigeria

Sex assessment plays an important role in rabbit production, but it can be very difficult to determine, especially in the young ones. In this study, canonical discriminant analysis was used to determine which of the morphological traits are the most effective in sex determination in rabbits. Data were taken on 160 rabbits and used for this study on body weight (BWG), body length (BDL), ear length (EAL), heart girth (HTG), and abdominal circumference (ABC). The results from the univariate analysis show manifestation of sexual dimorphism with higher values observed in females for all the morphometric measurements. The canonical discriminant analysis revealed that ABC was the most significant morphological trait as a discriminating variable between the sexes in rabbits. The discriminant function, D = – 8.673 + 1.865 BWG + 0.013 BDL + 0.291 EAL – 0.318 HTG + 0.463 ABC, obtained correctly classified 72.5% of individuals of rabbits. In conclusion, the abdominal circumference of the rabbits in a population could be an important tool for the conservation and improvement of the rabbits’ population.