World Rabbit Science - Vol. 14 (2)-2006

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  • Animal welfare in reared rabbits: a review with emphasis on housing systems.
  • Conjugated linoleic acid content in cecotrophes, suprarenal and intramuscular fat in rabbit fed commercial diets
  • Effect of collection rhythm on spermatozoa and droplet concentration of rabbit semen
  • A study of the carcass traits of different rabbit genotypes.
  • Proposal of a nest box for the reproduction of wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in cages
  • Technical note: electronic identification of live rabbits ,preliminary study to identify a body injection site
  • Abstracts of the Pathology section presented during the "8th World Rabbit Congress".


URI permanente para esta colecciónhttps://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/9466

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    Item type: Artículo , Access status: Abierto ,
  • Miniatura
    Item type: Artículo , Access status: Abierto ,
    Technical note: electronic identification of live rabbits ,preliminary study to identify a body injection site
    (World Rabbit Science. ICTA. UPV, 2006) Chiesa, F.; Barbieri, S.; Luzi, F.; Ribó, O.; Università degli Studi di Milano
    [EN] Identification and monitoring of farm animals are effective tools for traceability. Current livestock identification systems are not 100% efficient and present certain disadvantages such as losses, breakages and an unreadable identification code. The use of injectable transponders may be a reliable method for individual identification, providing an improvement in data recording and farm management. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the practical aspects concerning injection technique, readability and retrieval of injectable transponders in live rabbits. A total of 60 rabbits (40 fatteners and 20 does) were injected with 23x3mm passive FDX-B transponders (Datamars, Switzerland), inserted into a needle, wrapped in a sterilised package and applied by a specific injector (Planet ID, Germany). Two different body sites were evaluated: back scapular (n=30) and armpit (n=30) position. The readings of the transponders were performed by using an i-max plus portable reader (Datamars, Switzerland) at different times: before and after injection, one day, one week and one month after injection. Does were read monthly during 1 year, while fatteners before the slaughtering process. To evaluate the effect on productive performance, fattening rabbits were compared to a control group. The readability of transponders injected in fatteners until slaughter and in does until 1 year after injection was 100%. No harmful effects were observed and no significant difference in weight was found in the two injection groups, compared with the control group. The retrieval was performed by a single operator at skinning, with 100% of transponders recovered. The site of the injection did not affect the migration rate, although it was high in both cases. The feasibility of subcutaneous transponder injection in live rabbits is recommended in the two body positions analysed. However, specific training and operator experience are necessary to improve the efficiency of this identification system.
  • Miniatura
    Item type: Artículo , Access status: Abierto ,
    Proposal of a nest box for the reproduction of wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in cages
    (World Rabbit Science. ICTA. UPV, 2006) Gozález-Redondo, P.
    [EN] This paper reports on the design of a nest box consisting of two compartments for the breeding in cages of wild rabbits(Oryctolagus cuniculus). The first compartment was a chamber measuring on the inside 17x23x20 cm (base and height), conforming to the small body size of the wild rabbit and similar to its breeding burrows. A plastic tray was placed inside the chamber, in which the doe could build her nest. The other part of the nest box was a tunnel with an inner cross-section of 9x8 cm leading to the nesting chamber and designed to make the doe enter the nest slowly. The does made considerable use of the boxes as nesting places since, out of a total number of 41 births, 85.4% of the does gave birth to all of their kits inside the nest box, and in 71.4% of these cases the does suckled their litters there. No differences were found in the use of the nest box between does born in breeding burrows and those born in the nest boxes tested here. It was concluded that this nest box is appropriate for breeding captive wild rabbits.
  • Miniatura
    Item type: Artículo , Access status: Abierto ,
    A study of the carcass traits of different rabbit genotypes
    (World Rabbit Science. ICTA. UPV, 2006) Metzger, Sz.; Odermatt, M.; Szendro, ZS.; Mohaupt, M.; Romvári, R.; Makai, A.; Biró-Németh, E.; Sipos, L.; Radnai, I.; Horn, P.; National Research, Development and Innovation Office, Hungría
    [EN] The aim of this experiment was to study the carcass traits of rabbits when the same maternal stocks were mated with bucks of two well-known hybrids selected for growth traits or with Pannon White bucks selected for carcass traits by CT (computerised tomography). Three experiments were carried out at the same time. Experiment 1: Pannon White (P) or Hycole terminal (H) males were crossed with Pannon White (P) does (n=PP: 60, HP:59). Experiment 2: Pannon White (P), Hycole terminal (H) or Zika terminal (Z) bucks were crossed with Hycole (H) parent does (n=PH: 60, HH:52 and ZH:58). Experiment 3: Pannon White (P) or Zika terminal (Z) males were crossed with a Maternal line (M) stock (n=PM: 60, ZM:58). In all the experiments, hybrid males increased their body weight. Mating the same maternal stock with hybrid or Pannon White bucks, the body weight of the offspring of hybrid males was higher than that of the offspring of Pannon White bucks (Experiment 1: PP and HP:2644 and 2758 g, P<0.001; Experiment 2: PH, HH and ZH:2611, 2671 and 2890g, P<0.001; Experiment 3: PM and ZM:2534 and 2677 g, P<0.001). The most important carcass traits differences were found in rabbits originated from Pannon White males. Genetic origin influenced the dressing out percentage, which was 0.5% higher in PP rabbits compared to the HP group in Experiment 1 (60.6 and 60.1%, resp.; P=0.092); 1% higher in PH and ZH genotypes compared to HH animals in Experiment 2 (in PH, ZH and HH:59.6, 59.7 and 58.7%; P=0.008), and 1.5% higher in PM than in ZM rabbits in Experiment 3 (61.0 and 59.5%, resp.; P<0.001). The ratio of the m. Longissimus dorsi to reference carcass weight was also higher in rabbits derived from P males in Experiments 2 and 3 (Experiment 2: PH:11.2, HH:10.8, ZH:10.5%, P<0.001; Experiment 3: PM:11.5, ZM:10.6%, P<0.001), while it did not differ in Experiment 1. Significant difference in fat deposit was found only in Experiment 3, progeny of Pannon White males had higher weight (22.3 vs. 16.6g, P=0.002) and ratio of perirenal fat (1.65 vs. 1.25%, P=0.003) compared to offspring of Z males. Results of the dressing out percentage and the ratio of m. Longissimus dorsi proved that the selection based on CT (Pannon White genotype) was successful.
  • Miniatura
    Item type: Artículo , Access status: Abierto ,
    Effect of collection rhythm on spermatozoa and droplet concentration of rabbit semen
    (World Rabbit Science. ICTA. UPV, 2006) Castellini, C.; Lattaioli, P.; Cardinali, R.; Dal Bosco, A.
    [EN] The aim of the paper was to analyse the effect of collection rhythms on spermatozoa and droplet concentration of rabbit semen. Thirty adult New Zealand White rabbit bucks were submitted to 3 collection rhythms: every day (D), every week (W), every 2 weeks (2W). The trial lasted 71 days and a total of 790 ejaculates were collected. Volume, concentration of spermatozoa, droplets and their dimensions were evaluated. Ejaculate volume and concentration of spermatozoa were the lowest (0.37±0.08 mL and 48.9±43.8x106 mL-1, respectively) when the samples were collected daily, whereas the ratio droplets/spermatozoa was the highest (6.4±3.3). The output of spermatozoa per week was the highest with W rhythm (173.4±105.3x106), followed by D (134.2±75.1x106) and by 2W (79.5±49.8x106 ) collection whereas the weekly output of droplets was the highest for D (810.2±615.7x106). In the following order of collection the spermatozoa concentration was similar in W and 2W while D showed a sharp decline of values after few collections. Semen droplets with respect to spermatozoa showed a more stable trend showing that droplets are able to respond better to high soliciting. Bucks submitted to an intensive rhythm were able to increase about 9-fold (respecting to W) the secretion of droplets by prostate glands. As a result, the ratio droplet/spermatozoa showed the highest values in daily collected semen (6.4±3.3). The repeatability of seminal traits showed that volume and spermatozoa concentration had the highest value followed by droplets, and ratio droplets/spermatozoa. In conclusion, it is possible to affirm that the collection rhythm, besides influencing the concentration of spermatozoa, also affects the rate of droplet production. A collection rhythm every 2 weeks was detrimental to both the spermatozoa and droplet output.
  • Miniatura
    Item type: Artículo , Access status: Abierto ,
    Conjugated linoleic acid content in cecotrophes, suprarenal and intramuscular fat in rabbit fed commercial diets
    (World Rabbit Science. ICTA. UPV, 2006) Gómez-Conde, M.S.; Menoyo, D.; Chamorro, S.; López-Bote, C.J.; García-Rebollar, P.; Blas, J.C. de
    [EN] An experiment was conducted to measure recycling through cecotrophes and retention of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in the body fat of rabbits. A commercial diet was formulated and given ad libitum to six New Zealand x Californian rabbits. Animals were weaned at 25 days of age and were reared in individual cages for five weeks, reaching an average body weight of 2.5 kg. Excretion of soft faeces was individually determined for 24 h after putting a wooden collar around the animals' neck. Ether extract content and fatty acid profile were determined in both soft and hard faeces, and also in the suprarenal and intramuscular fat. CLA cis-9, trans-11 isomer was detected in faeces and tissues. The CLA concentration was higher in soft than in the hard faeces (6.4 vs. 3.6 g/kg total fatty acids). No difference in CLA concentration was found between tissues (muscle vs. adipose). However, CLA incorporation in muscle was only detected in the neutral lipid fraction. It was concluded that the amount of CLA cis-9, trans-11 isomer recycled through cecotrophy in rabbits fed a commercial diet is retained in similar proportions in the suprarenal and intramuscular fat, but differs in the lipid classes.
  • Miniatura
    Item type: Artículo , Access status: Abierto ,
    Animal welfare in reared rabbits: a review with emphasis on housing systems
    (World Rabbit Science. ICTA. UPV, 2006) Trocino, A.; Xiccato, G.
    [EN] Research on rabbit welfare has been fragmentary and to date has been performed by only a few European teams who have often neglected the productive and commercial aims of rabbit rearing. With European Project COST Action 848 (Multi-facetted research in rabbits: a model to develop healthy and safe production in respect with animal welfare), rabbit welfare began to be considered in European research projects with the focus mainly on ethology, welfare evaluation methods, doe-litter relationships, man-animal relationships, and reproducing and fattening housing systems. As regards legislation, since 1996 the Standing Committee for the protection of animals kept for farming purposes established in the European Council by the Convention on the Protection of farm animals (ETS 87/1976) has been preparing specific recommendations to ensure improved welfare of domestic rabbits kept for commercial purposes, which should provide the basis for future European and national regulations. The European Commission asked the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) for its opinion on "The impact of the current housing and husbandry systems on the health and welfare of farmed domestic rabbits". The present paper provides a critical review of the existing literature on rabbit welfare with special emphasis on housing conditions.