Title: OPTIMISING NUTRITIONAL PROFILES TO ENHANCE FERTILITY IN DOMESTIC RABBITS

Author: Nazariy Fedynyshyn

Abstract: Domestic rabbits often flourish on paper yet falter in the nest box-a quirk that pushes nutritionists to chase subtler levers than plain calorie counts. Methodology – This critical narrative review homed in on just twelve peer-reviewed, controlled experiments published between 2015 and 2025 that isolated dietary composition as the principal driver of reproductive change. Titles were screened with PRISMA logic, full texts double-read, and outcomes plotted in a triplex grid linking lipid class, phytonutrient density, and microbial adjuncts, when studies shared endpoints, random-effects modelling sketched pooled tendencies. Findings – Enriching rations with a modest 2 % long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids nudged conception probability upward by roughly eleven per cent, while kits from does fed folate-fortified roughage finished weaning sixty grams heavier-a gain small on the scales yet large in farm arithmetic. Phytogenic boosters such as Moringa oleifera leaf or date-palm pollen sharpened antioxidant tone, a biochemical echo that mirrored lower early-embryo loss across five of the twelve trials. Postbiotic blends quietly stole the spotlight under summer heat: mortality in treated litters halved without any jump in feed intake, hinting that microbial signalling can trump pure energy balance when mercury climbs. Gaps glare, though. Nine studies spanned only a single reproductive cycle, buck fertility received little more than a footnote, and cost-per-kit surfaced in barely a couple of spreadsheets. Conclusion – The evidence converges on one, stark takeaway: rabbit fertility improves not by feeding more, but by feeding smarter-fine-tuning fatty-acid ratios, vitamin cofactors, and bioactive plants so endocrine, oxidative, and microbial cues sing in harmony. While multi-cycle, sex-balanced trials remain overdue, backyard keepers needn’t wait: swap a slice of starch for flaxseed, stir in a pinch of Moringa, and watch the numbers tick north.

Keywords: Domestic rabbit, reproductive performance, omega-3 fatty acids, phytogenic additives, postbiotics, systematic review, zoological nutrition.

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