Jesús Aragón-Hernández; Fernando Iván Flores-Pérez; Claudia Hallal-Calleros & Mario Pérez-Martínez

The purpose of this study was to analyze the macroscopic morphometry of the ovaries, uterus and vagina in rabbit does in the first, second and third parturition at 24 hours post-weaning in order to determine if there are differences between parturitions. Weaning of the litter was performed at 30 days post-partum and 24 hours later the does were euthanized. Right and left ovaries, uterine horns-cervix and vagina were removed, and the length of each one was measured. Significant differences were found in the average of the right ovary length between the first group with respect to second and third parturition group (P ≤ 0.05 and P ≤ 0.01). Also, left ovary length was different between the first and second with respect to third parturition group (P <0.001). Average total ovary length increased significantly as the number of parturitions increased in second and third parturition groups (P ≤ 0.01 and P≤0.001). The weight of the left and right ovaries was higher in does in their second and third parturition when compared to those in their first (P≤ 0.5; P≤ 0.01). The average total ovary weight increased significantly as the number of parturitions in second and third parturition groups (P≤0.001). The length of the left and right uterine horn-cervix of the rabbits after second and third parturition decreased when compared to that of females in their first parturition (P≤ 0.05; P≤0.001). The average total uterine horns-cervix length decreased significantly as the number of parturitions in second and third parturition groups (P≤0.001). Furthermore, vagina length in females in their third parturition was greater than that of first and second parturition (P≤ 0.01).The color of the vulva of the majority of females in their first parturition (3/4) was pale pink while. In contrast, the majority of females in their second parturition (3/4) had their vulva intensely red. All of the females (4/4) in the third parturition group had their vulva intensely red. We conclude that in female rabbits the macroscopic morphometric characteristics of ovaries, uterus and vagina, at 24 hours post-weaning vary according to the number of parturitions.

KEY WORDS: Rabbit doe; Post-weaning; Morphometry; Genital organs.

ARAGÓN-HERNÁNDEZ, J.; FLORES-PÉREZ, F. I.; HALLAL-CALLEROS, C. & PÉREZ-MARTÍNEZ, M. Macroscopic morphometric analysis of genital organs of rabbit does with differing parturitions at 24 hours post-weaning. Int. J. Morphol., 31(3):991- 996, 2013.