Reproductive performance of rabbits on organic and inorganic leys

A comparison was made of the reproductive performance of rabbits on organic and inorganic leys. The fecundity of rabbits on inorganic leys was greater but this advantage was to some extent counteracted by a lower viability. The maternal behaviour was superior in rabbits on organic leys but fertility was lower. The overall reproductive performance of New Zealand white rabbits on inorganic leys was superior, but this trend was reversed for Dutch rabbits. Milk-production was generally better in rabbits on organic leys but the growth rates of the offspring varied more or less evenly between organic and inorganic leys. The data do not support the assumption that organic methods of farmingper se necessarily produce food of a superior nutritional quality.