CLASSIFICATION OF COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION IN EXPERIMENTATION WITH RABBITS IN BRAZIL

Abstract

The aim of this study is to propose specific classification range of the coefficients of variation (CVs) in experiments with rabbits in Brazil. The CVs were collected in articles published in Brazilian journals between 2000 and 2010 for feed intake, live weight, body weight gain, feed conversion, carcass weight, and carcass yield, besides the apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter, crude protein, gross energy, organic matter, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, starch, and lipids. For each variable, the CVs were ranked using a relation between the median (MD) and pseudo-sigma (PS) as follows: low (CV > MD – PS), medium (MD – PS < MD +PS ? CV), high (MD + PS < CV ? MD + 2PS), and very high (CV > MD + 2PS). The CVs observed ranged from 0.01 to 29.83% depending on the variable analyzed. We concluded that for each variable used in experimentation with rabbits there is a specific classification range for the coefficient of variation values that can be used as reference to determine the experimental precision. Classification range found for rabbits differ from other animal species and from agronomic experimentation.

Keywords: cuniculture; experimental precision; median; pseudo-sigma.