Frequency of nursing in domestic rabbits under different housing conditions

Selzer, Dieter; Lange, Karin de; Hoy, Steffen

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2004.01.013

Cited by 16 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…A peak in nursing behaviour was also observed in this period, being the proportion of does nursing per hour lower in animals housed in alternative than in conventional cages ( Figure 5). This is in agreement with Selzer et al (2004), who found that most nursing events occurred between 20:00 and 22:00 h, whereas a decrease in nursing activity was observed in the early morning. They also found that nursing activity tended to decrease moderately with increasing size of cage and with the provision of Figure 5: Evolution throughout the day of proportion of rabbit does nursing per hour in conventional ( ) and alternative cages ( ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Effect of cage type on the behaviour patterns of rabbit does at different physiological stages

Alfonso-Carrillo

Martín

Blas³

et al. 2014

World Rabbit Sci.

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Interest in commercially farmed rabbit welfare has increased in recent years. As a result, new alternative housing systems have been developed, although they require evaluation in order to demonstrate their potential for improving welfare. The aim of this trial was to study the behavioural traits of rabbit does housed in 2 different types of cage (TC): conventional vs. alternative with an elevated platform, at different physiological stages (PS); lactation and gestation. Behavioural observations were carried out on 12 rabbit commercial does using continuous 24 h video recording. Independently of PS and TC, rabbit does spent most of their time on foot mats (on av. 57.7%). However, due to the use of platforms (on av. 23.0% of time), lactating does spent 36.6% less time on foot mats (P<0.001) and gestating does spent 27.0% less time on wire mesh (P<0.001) in alternative cages than in conventional cages. Alternative cages allowed for standing posture, but this behaviour was only observed in gestating does (on av. 4.6 times a day). Frequency of drinking was higher in conventional than in alternative cages (24.6 vs. 19.1 times a day; P<0.05). Gestating does housed in conventional cages reached the highest duration and frequency of interacting with neighbours (276 s/d and 4.6 times/d; P<0.05). The frequency of interacting with kits was lower in alternative than in conventional cages (2.4 vs. 8.6 times a day; P<0.01). Doe behaviour was influenced by the time of day, with less activity during the midday hours. During dark hours, rabbit does more frequently performed restless behaviour such as hyperactivity or nursing, matching the time at which rabbit does spent more time on the platform. The platform was frequently used by rabbit does, regardless of their physiological stage, and during late lactation phase, when mothers were not receptive to nursing, does housed in alternative cages used the platform as a mean to flee from kits trying to suckle. Use of the platform might lead to hygienic problems due to retained faeces on the platform and faeces and urine falling onto animals located in the lower part of the cage. The absence of stereotypies in rabbit does of this trial, suggested that animal welfare was not compromised by the type of housing (conventional or alternative cages).

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Effect of cage type on the behaviour patterns of rabbit does at different physiological stages

Alfonso-Carrillo

Martín

Blas³

et al. 2014

World Rabbit Sci.

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“…However, some doe may nurse two (or even three) times [9,10]. Compared to a controlled nursing (once a day with nest closing), free nursing may result in visiting more frequently the nest and may result in more faecal pellets left in the nest which can presumably effect the rate of colonisation of the digestive tract by the flora.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of nursing methods and faeces consumption on the development of the bacteroides, lactobacillus and coliform flora in the caecum of the newborn rabbits

et al. 2006

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-The effect of nursing method and ingestion of maternal faeces on the development of the bacteroides, lactobacillus and coliform flora of the caecum in the first 10 days of life were examined in freely nursed pups having access to maternal faeces (Group FF), pups nursed once a day and having access (Group CF), or having no access (Group CN) to maternal faeces. Colonisation of the caecum by Bacteroides commenced already on day 3 after birth. On day 2 the bacteroides counts were below 100, while on day 4 they were already between 100 and 10 000. In Group CN, the Bacteroides counts were lower (by 14 to 40%) throughout the 10-day period studied than in the groups having access to maternal faeces. Differences between groups were significant only on days 4 and 6. The average number of maternal faecal pellets left behind the doe in Group CN was 3-4 (between 0.5 and 6.4 per doe). In Groups FF and CF the pellets became smaller, crumbled and finally disappeared from the nest box, they were consumed by the pups and could be found in their gastric content. The lactobacillus counts decreased in all three groups with age, from 6.0 to 3.5 log10 CFU·g -1 (FF), 4.6 to 2.8 log10 CFU·g -1 (CF) and 5.1 to 3.1 log10 CFU·g -1 (CN), respectively. The coliform counts were higher in the first 4 days in FF (5.6 log10 CFU·g -1 ) than in CF (< 2 log10 CFU·g -1 ) and CN (2-3.6 log10 CFU·g -1 ) animals. Bacteroides could be cultured from the surface of the vulvar labia (max. 1000 colony count) and the vagina (max. 190 colony count), so young rabbits could become "infected" by them already in the doe's vagina. Thus prevention of ingestion of maternal faeces only slightly influenced the development of the bacteroides flora, the faeces left behind by the doe did not play an exclusive role in their colonisation. newborn rabbit / caecal microflora / bacteroides / controlled and free nursing Ő

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“…According to several authors (Deutsch, 1957;Ross et al, 1963;Zarrow et al, 1965;Lincoln, 1974;González-Mariscal et al, 1994;Hudson et al, 1996;Hoy and Selzer, 2002;Selzer et al, 2004) nursing in rabbits is limited to a few minutes (2 to 5) once or twice a day. The doe enters the nest and positions herself over the litter, remaining almost motionless and not giving the kits any direct support to suckle.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to several authors (Venge, 1963;Zarrow et al, 1965;Hudson et al, 1996) rabbit does nurse their kits only once a day, whereas other authors state that, in cages as well as under semi-natural conditions, nursing events are observed more than once a day (Hoy, 2006). Maticz et al (2001) reported that 25% of the does nursed more than once a day and Selzer et al (2004) reports an average nursing frequency of 1.32 per 24 h in standard cages. Our findings support the opinion that rabbit does nurse their kits in general once or twice a day.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Description of nestbox visits and suckling events in a group housing system for rabbit does as compared to individual cages

et al. 2012

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AbstrAct:Research was conducted to study nursing associated events of lactating rabbit does. Nest box visits and suckling events were investigated using 6 group pens (8 does/pen) and 12 enriched individual cages. Each group pen and individual cage was observed by video for one day per week until weaning at 35 d of lactation, with exception of the third week of lactation. In the first 2 wk of lactation, videotapes were analysed for the frequency and duration of nest box visits per day. The fourth and fifth week of lactation, suckling events on the floor of the group pens and nest box visits in the individual cages were analysed for one day per week. The first 2 wk of lactation, does visits to the nest boxes were less frequent (respectively 1.9±0.2 vs. 2.6±0.3, P<0.1) and shorter (respectively 113±9 s vs. 158±15 s, P< 0.05) in the group pens than in the individual cages. In the group pens, 32% of the does had intervals of >24 h between nest box visits. In the cages, all does visited the nest boxes at least once a day. In the last 2 wk of lactation, in the group pens suckling duration (mean±standard deviation) was 89±49 and 92.2±37 s in respectively week 4 and 5. In 79% of the suckling events a mix of the does' own and other kits were suckled. No difference was found in suckling duration between litters consisting of own and/or other kits. Thirty-two per cent of the does in week 4 and 62% of the does in week 5 did not suckle kits on the floor of the pen, whereas all the does in the cages still visited the nest boxes at least once every 24 h. Based on this study, it can be concluded that in group housing less frequent and shorter nest box visits as well as suckling events were found as compared to individual housing.

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Frequency of nursing in domestic rabbits under different housing conditions

Cited by 16 publications

References 5 publications

Effect of cage type on the behaviour patterns of rabbit does at different physiological stages

Effect of cage type on the behaviour patterns of rabbit does at different physiological stages

Effect of nursing methods and faeces consumption on the development of the bacteroides, lactobacillus and coliform flora in the caecum of the newborn rabbits

Description of nestbox visits and suckling events in a group housing system for rabbit does as compared to individual cages

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