Technical Note: HEALTH STATUS OF COMMERCIAL RABBITRIES IN THE IBERIAN PENINSULA. A PRACTITIONER'S STUDY

Abstract

During 2002 a total of 414 visits were made to 130 rabbitries, with an average of 903 adult females per farm. Prevalence of routinely monitored diseases was determined on 110 rabbit farms. Mean annual prevalence of coryza in 8,209 females randomly examined in 154 revisions was 22.1 %, as well as mastitis 4.6 %, sore hocks 10.4 %, and mange 2.7 %. After checking 853 males in 60 examinations, prevalence of coryza was 33.4 %, sore hocks 5.7 % and mange 1.9 %. These disorders frequency decreased in the course of the period 1983 - 2002. After 197 visits with troubles (plus 217 revisions), and 431 post-mortem examinations, digestive disorders (60.8 % of the visits and 72.1 % of the necropsies), especially mucoid enteropathy, were the most relevant.