Nonlinear models in rabbit growth curves

Abstract

The progress of Mexican rabbit farming has been limited by several factors, despite this, the rabbit activity has been improving in the last decades, developing technological advances in the areas of nutrition and facilities, however, there are few advances in the genetic improvement of the species, which is a limiting factor due to the lack of knowledge of the characteristics that allow a better productivity and, consequently, a higher profitability.
To evaluate the productive performance of a rabbit population, information on animal growth is required to develop models of easy graphic interpretation such as growth curves. Therefore, the use of non-linear mathematical equations becomes important, since they allow the study and interpretation of certain biological processes, such as the description of the change in animal weight as a function of a given time.

Most of the researches that relate nonlinear models to the growth of rabbits show adjustments to a range of ages from 30-35 days of age to 84-91 days; generating at least 3 parameters to compare and select the model with the best adjustment.

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