Effects of rearing feeding programme on the young rabbit females’ behaviour and welfare indicators

Martínez-Paredes, E.; Ródenas, L.; Pascual, Juan José Montero; Blas, E.; Brecchia, Gabriele; Boiti, Cristiano; Cervera, C.

doi:10.4995/wrs.2015.3987

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Nursing behaviour is discussed in more detail in Section 3.6.17. Feed restrictions can increase bar biting in does (Martinez-Paredes et al, 2015). Table 47 summarises the information on the main hazards for this welfare consequence and their degree of scientific support.…”

Section: Hazard Category Hazardmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems

Nielsen

Álvarez²,

Bicout³

et al. 2020

EFS2

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The AGRI committee of the European Parliament requested EFSA to assess the welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems, including organic production, and to update its 2005 scientific opinion about the health and welfare of rabbits kept for meat production. Considering reproducing does, kits and growing rabbits, this scientific opinion focusses on six different housing systems, namely conventional cages, structurally enriched cages, elevated pens, floor pens, outdoor/partially outdoor systems and organic systems. To compare the level of welfare in the different housing systems and rabbit categories, welfare impact scores for 20 welfare consequences identified from the literature were calculated, taking their occurrence, duration and severity into account. Based on the overall welfare impact score (sum of scores for the single welfare consequences), obtained via a 2-step expert knowledge elicitation process, the welfare of reproducing does is likely (certainty 66-90%) to be lower in conventional cages compared to the five other housing systems. In addition, it is likely to extremely likely (certainty 66-99%) that the welfare of kits is lower in outdoor systems compared to the other systems and that the welfare is higher in elevated pens than in the other systems. Finally, it is likely to extremely likely (certainty 66-99%) that the welfare of growing rabbits is lower in conventional cages compared to the other systems and that the welfare is higher in elevated pens than in the other systems. Ranking of the welfare consequences allowed an analysis of the main welfare consequences within each system and rabbit category. It was concluded that for reproducing does, as well as growing rabbits, welfare consequences related to behavioural restrictions were more prominent in conventional cages, elevated pens and enriched cages, whereas those related to health problems were more important in floor pens, outdoor and organic systems. Housing in organic rabbit farming is diverse, which can result in different welfare consequences, but the overall welfare impact scores suggest that welfare in organic systems is generally good.

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Section: Hazard Category Hazardmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nursing behaviour is discussed in more detail in Section 3.6.17. Feed restrictions can increase bar biting in does (Martinez-Paredes et al, 2015).…”

Section: Occurrence Of Abnormal Behavioursmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems

Nielsen

Álvarez²,

Bicout³

et al. 2020

EFS2

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“…Management of young rabbit females during the rearing period aims to develop adequate body growth to increase the long‐term productivity and lifespan of rabbit females, avoiding problems related to over‐conditioning during their future reproductive life (Martínez‐Paredes et al., ). Different feeding programmes, such as feed to appetite (ad libitum) or feed restriction, are common practice in commercial rabbit production (Szendrő, Szendrő, & Zotte, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feed restriction regime in a rabbit line selected for growth rate alters oocyte maturation manifested by alteration in MSY2 gene expression

Naturil-Alfonso

Peñaranda

Vicente

et al. 2017

Reprod Domestic Animals

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Young rabbit females selected for growth rate may have nutritional needs, which may not be met with the common practice of feed restriction during rearing in commercial rabbit production. The aim of this study was to analyse whether two different feeding programmes: ad libitum or restricted (130 g/day) feeding, applied in young rabbit females for 1 month at the end of rearing, could modulate the origin of ovulation process and the quality of the oocytes. At 16 weeks of age, 34 females were randomly assigned to restricted or ad libitum feeding, maintaining these conditions for a month. Then, in an initial experiment, transcriptional profiling of hypothalamus-hypophysis tissue was performed to assess failure to ovulate. In the second experiment, the gene expression analysis of some candidate genes related to oocytes quality was performed. Our results demonstrated that neither of the two feeding programmes modified the transcription of hypothalamus-hypophysis tissue, while the only differences in MSYR expression were found in in vivo mature oocytes ready for successful fertilization. Specifically, MSYR was over-expressed in oocytes from females fed ad libitum. MSYR is one of the most abundant proteins in the oocyte and has proven to be a key regulator of maternal RNA transcription and translation. This finding suggests that MSYR gene is a promising gene in our understanding of the relationship between high growth rate and reproductive performance decline.

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“…Among the factors that influence the outcome of these programmes are the environmental conditions, the young doe's age at the beginning of the programme and the source of fibre used (Rebollar et al, 2011). Moreover, feed restriction in the rearing phase may affect animal welfare by increasing anxiety and stereotyped behaviour before feed provision (Martínez-Paredes et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet density in rearing and reproductive phases influences carcass composition, pregnancy rate and litter performance of primiparous rabbit does

et al. 2017

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The objective was to evaluate the effect of the interaction of diet density in the rearing phase×diet density in the reproductive phase on carcass composition, pregnancy rate, and litter performance of primiparous rabbit does. The experiment followed a 2×2×2 factorial (2 seasons, 2 diet densities in the rearing phase and 2 diet densities in reproductive phase, that is, from mating to weaning of the first litter). The reference diet (RD) contained 184 g/kg of crude protein (CP), 165 g/kg of acid detergent fibre (ADF) and 10.5 MJ/kg of digestible energy (DE). The low-density diet (LD) had 147 g/kg of CP, 24 g/kg of ADF and 8.4 MJ/kg of DE. The treatments were applied from 70 d of age until weaning of the first litter at 35 d of age. Ninety-six females from the Botucatu Genetic Group (24 females/experimental group) were mated at 142 d of age. On day 12 of gestation, 23 does were slaughtered to evaluate weights of carcass, organs and dissectible fat, and embryo implantation rate. No effects of diet density in the rearing or in the reproductive phases were detected on feed intake of does during the reproductive phase. Does fed LD during the rearing phase showed lower body weight at mating (3574±47 vs. 3866±43 g, P=0.0001) and during most of the reproductive phase, but they lost less weight in the peripartum. Perirenal fat was lighter in these does (72.8±10.0 vs. 102.1±9.6 g, P=0.048) and they showed a lower pregnancy rate (76.1 vs. 91.7%, P=0.045). The does fed RD in the reproductive phase were heavier during this phase (4055±40 g vs. 3887±41 g, P=0.0044). The does fed LD in rearing phase and RD in the reproductive phase showed larger litters at weaning, due to decreased kit mortality, than those fed RD in both phases (6.16±0.47 vs. 3.93±0.71, P=0.0361). Litters were lighter at weaning when LD was fed in the reproductive phase (3582±201 vs. 4733±187, P<0.0001). Feeding a lowdensity diet during the rearing phase and a reference diet during the reproductive phase is the best alternative to improve reproductive performance at the first parity.

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Effects of rearing feeding programme on the young rabbit females’ behaviour and welfare indicators

Cited by 3 publications

References 26 publications

Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems

Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems

Feed restriction regime in a rabbit line selected for growth rate alters oocyte maturation manifested by alteration in MSY2 gene expression

Diet density in rearing and reproductive phases influences carcass composition, pregnancy rate and litter performance of primiparous rabbit does

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