Are combi parks just as useful as regular parks for fatteners for part-time group housing of rabbit does?

Abstract

<p>Group housing of lactating rabbit does is desirable from a welfare standpoint, but agonistic behaviour can cause severe skin injuries, which are undesired for animal welfare. Park layout, creating hiding places and escape possibilities, may help redirect attention away from fighting, which could in turn help prevent skin damage. An experiment was performed to test whether more damaging behaviour would occur in a combi park (with nest box panels) after mixing, compared to a regular park for fatteners, as nest box panels would obstruct does when escaping aggressive interactions. In addition, the position of the PVC pipe underneath the platform differed between parks (longitudinal or transversal), resulting in different escape routes. Twenty-two parks were used, in which 5 does per park were grouped at 23 d of lactation until weaning at 36 d of lactation. Skin injuries were scored at 4 d after grouping and on the day before weaning. The presence of nest box panels in a combi park and the position of the PVC pipe underneath the platform did not affect the level of skin damage. Moderate to severe injuries were observed, mostly at the hind quarters, ears and head. Five to 6% of the does were severely injured (wounds). There was a positive relationship between the average skin injury per park at 4 d after grouping and at weaning. On average, average injury score per park increased from grouping to weaning, but there are differences between individual parks. From this experiment it can be concluded that group housing of lactating rabbit does involves animals getting injured. In fact, 5 to 6% of the does were severely injured (wounds). Social dynamics of group housed does are insufficiently understood and might be important to reduce damaging behaviour in group housing.</p>

Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems

“…Does in late lactation may be less stressed, since more time has passed after kindling and the presence of the kits out of nest boxes may positively modulate female to female aggression (Zomeno et al, 2017). Nevertheless, Rommers and de Greef (2018) found that the percentage of injured does in a part-time system with 5 does increased Welfare of rabbits on-farm www.efsa.europa.eu/efsajournal from 34% measured 4 days after group formation (23 days of lactation) to 53% at litter weaning (36 days) (Table 30).…”

Performance of rabbit does housed in collective pens and individual cages

“…In some European countries, new rules are being implemented; the transition towards new housing systems to provide better living conditions is already taking place (European Commission, 2017). Moreover, this housing system is usually better valued by some consumers, paying a higher price for rabbits produced under more friendly conditions (Rommers and De Greef., 2018). Some alternate housing systems have been proposed, whose main goals is to increase the useful area, the activity level and to improve the behaviour of the housed animals.…”

“…One system is based on an individual cage with a platform, improving the total area without the need to increase the dimensions of the current farms to house the same number of rabbits does. This collective housing system is gaining prominence (Szendrő et al, 2016;Rommers and De Greef, 2018;Zomeño et al, 2018;Szendrő et al, 2019).…”

“…Considering this problem, the latest developed systems have considered two different periods, where the rabbit does remain part of the time as a collective and part in individual units. This alternative is commonly called the semi-group or part-time system (Graf et al, 2011;Maertens and Buijs, 2013;Rommers et al, 2014;Buijs et al, 2015;Maertens et al, 2015;Cervera et al, 2017;Rommers and De Greef, 2018;Zomeño et al, 2018;Szendrő et al, 2019).…”

“…This schedule is important to ensure greater independence of the kits (Buijs et al, 2014Cervera et al, 2017). Although the purpose of this system is to improve the housing conditions of the rabbit does, the establishing of a new hierarchical scale will take place in every regrouping, causing agonistic behaviour between the animals, increasing the occurrence of injuries that can impinge on animal welfare and increase the number of culled rabbit does (Rommers et al, 2006;Graf et al, 2011;Szendrő and McNith, 2012;Szendrő et al, 2016Szendrő et al, , 2019Cervera et al, 2017;Rommers and De Greef, 2018;Zomeño et al, 2018). In addition, it is not clear how these housing systems can compromise rabbit performance.…”