74,921 research outputs found
Milk production of pseudopregnant multiparous does
No full textThe aim of the experiment was to evaluate the milk production of pseudopregnant does. In this experiment, data of multiparous, inseminated, pregnant (IP, n=15) does and two groups of presumably pseudopregnant multiparous does: inseminated, non-pregnant (INP, n=17) and induced to ovulation by GnRH (1.5 microgram per animal) at the day of insemination (11 d after parturition) (non-inseminated, ovulating: NIO, n=15) were analysed. The progesterone level was measured at the 12th d after treatment to determine if females were pseudopregnant. All IP and NIO does were pregnant and pseudopregnant, respectively. Within the INP group, 10 and 7 does were diagnosed as positive (INPO) or negative (INPNO) for pseudopregnancy. Two of the INPNO does perished during lactation. The average milk production of groups IP, INP and NIO was 212, 92 and 72 g/d, respectively (P160 g in the various groups were: IP=0, 0, 0, 0 and 100%, NIO=20, 13, 27, 40 and 0%, INP=15, 15, 15, 55 and 0%, respectively. The daily milk yield of the 5 INPNO does was 2, 6, 27, 84 and 139 g, respectively. These results demonstrated that multiparous empty does, pseudopregnant or non-pseudopregnant, can produce milk, but in lower quantities than multiparous does after kindling.Szendrö, Z.; Matics, Z.; Brecchia, G.; Theau-Clément, M.; Nagy, Z.; Princz, Z.; Biró-Németh, E.... (2010). Milk production of pseudopregnant multiparous does. World Rabbit Science. 18(2). https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2010.18.1018
Application of gnawing sticks in rabbit housing
No full text[EN] Four experiments are described relating to gnawing sticks application in rabbit housing. In experiment 1 and 2, Pannon White rabbits, weaned at the age of five weeks, were placed into pens with wire net floor. In experiment 1, every pen (180 animals in 12 pens, surface per head: 571 cm2) was provided with three gnawing sticks randomly chosen from White locust, Black elder, White willow, Little-leaf linden, European larch, Black poplar, European white birch, White buckeye and White mulberry species. In experiment 2 (150 animals in 10 pens, surface per head: 571 cm2), only those tree species ingested by rabbits in the first experiment were used (White locust, White willow, Little-leaf linden, Black poplar and White buckeye). In the second experiment, rabbits showed the highest preference towards gnawing sticks of Little-leaf linden, while similar White willow and White buckeye consumption was observed. In the experiment 3, rabbits¿ preference to different types of wood and the influence on rabbits¿ behaviour of added wooden sticks as environmental enrichment was studied. At the age of 38 days, 48 male SIKA rabbits were housed individually in wire cages (surface per head: 1500 cm2). According to the type of wood placed in the cage, rabbits were equally allotted to four groups: control, Common oak, Little-leaf linden and Norway spruce. Rabbits¿ preference to type of wood was studied on all the animals with wooden stick, while rabbits¿ behaviour was studied on 16 focus animals at the age of 5 and 13 weeks using continuous 24 hours video recordings. Rabbits preferred gnawing Little-leaf linden and Norway spruce compared to Common oak. Addition of gnawing sticks had no significant influence on duration of rabbits¿ behaviour, except for eating feed and gnawing wooden stick time. In experiment 4, the effect of housing and environmental enrichment on the performance and behaviour of growing rabbits was tested. 72 hybrid rabbits were housed after the weaning period in standard fattening cages at 2, 3, 4 animals per cage (surface per head: 1045 cm2, 697 cm2, 522 cm2, respectively). Half cages were enriched using a wood stick (Robinia pseudoacacia) dangling from the ceiling of the cage. The environmental enrichment decreased the stereotypies (gnawing the bars of the cage). A tendency to lower aggressive behaviours in enriched caged rabbits was also found compared to the conventional caged rabbits. This might indicate a better satisfaction of the behavioural needs for the enriched caged rabbits.Princz, Z.; Orova, Z.; Nagy, I.; Jordan, D.; Stuhec, I.; Luzi, F.; Verga, M.... (2007). Application of gnawing sticks in rabbit housing. World Rabbit Science. 15(1):29-36. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2007.607293615
Rabbit's preference for cages and pens with or without mirrors
No full textFive week-old Pannon White rabbits were housed in a closed climatized rabbitry and randomly
assigned to pens (56 rabbits) having a basic area of 1 m2 with a stocking density of 16 and 12
rabbits/m2 or to 18 individual cages (0.24 m2; 1 rabbit/cage; stocking density of 4 rabbits/m2). The
pens and the cages were divided into 2 parts and animals could move freely among the 2 parts through
swing doors. The vertical sides of one part of the pens and cages were completely covered with
mirrors while the other part was covered with white plastic panels. A 24 hour video recording was
performed twice a week using infrared cameras and the number of rabbits in each pen and cage was
counted with a frequency of 15 minutes (96 times a day). The duration of the trial was 6 weeks. The
lighting period was 16L/8D. Rabbits were fed ad libitum a standard diet and water was available ad
libitum from nipple drinkers. Throughout the entire rearing period 67% of the individually caged
rabbits showed a preference for the part of the cage enriched with mirrors (P<0.001). This preference
slightly decreased with increasing age. The strong preference toward the part of the cage provided
with mirror walls was independent of the time of day. That is, during the active period (11:00 pm –
05:00 am), which corresponds to the dark part of the day, rabbits still preferred the mirror-side even
though they were not able to see their own reflected image at that time. Neither rearing rabbits in
groups under different stocking densities (12 vs. 16 rabbits/m2) nor the presence of conspecifics
reduced the interest toward mirrors. 65% of animals living at the stocking density of 16 rabbits/m2 and
61% of those living at the density of 12 rabbits/m2 were found on the side with mirrors (P<0.001)
during all the recordings. Group-penned rabbits showed a decisive preference toward mirrors during
the active period (71 to 74% for stocking densities of 12 and 16 rabbits/m2, respectively; P<0.001).
The results suggest that the mirrors’ presence offers some advantages, perhaps related to comfort and
welfare that could be used as environmental enrichments for fattening rabbits. However, the
installation costs should be taken into account before considering their use for long time individually
caged animals and for group-penned rabbits
Novendéknyulak vàlasztàsa tukros és tukor nélkuli ketrecek kozott.
No full textFive week-old Pannon White rabbits were housed in a closed climatized rabbitry and randomly assigned
to pens (56 rabbits) having a basic area of 1 m2 with a stocking density of 16 and 12 rabbits/m2 or to 18
individual cages (0.24 m2; 1 rabbit/cage; stocking density of 4 rabbits/m2). The pens and the cages were divided
into 2 parts and animals could move freely among the 2 parts through swing doors. The vertical sides of one part
of the pens and cages were completely covered with mirrors while the other part was covered with white plastic
panels. A 24 hour video recording was performed twice a week using infrared cameras and the number of rabbits
in each pen and cage was counted with a frequency of 15 minutes (96 times a day). The duration of the trial was
6 weeks. The lighting period was 16L/8D. Rabbits were fed ad libitum a standard diet and water was available
ad libitum from nipple drinkers. Throughout the entire rearing period 67% of the individually caged rabbits
showed a preference for the part of the cage enriched with mirrors (P<0.001). This preference slightly decreased
with increasing age. The strong preference toward the part of the cage provided with mirror walls was
independent of the time of day. That is, during the active period (11:00 pm – 05:00 am), which corresponds to
the dark part of the day, rabbits still preferred the mirror-side even though they were not able to see their own
reflected image at that time. Neither rearing rabbits in groups under different stocking densities (12 vs 16
rabbits/m2) nor the presence of conspecifics reduced the interest toward mirrors. 65% of animals living at the
stocking density of 16 rabbits/m2 and 61% of those living at the density of 12 rabbits/m2 were found on the side
with mirrors (P<0.001) during all the recordings. Group-penned rabbits showed a decisive preference toward
mirrors during the active period (71 to 74% for stocking densities of 12 and 16 rabbits/m2, respectively;
P<0.001). The results suggest that the mirrors’ presence offers some advantages, perhaps related to comfort and
welfare that could be used as environmental enrichments for fattening rabbits. However, the installation costs
should be taken into account before considering their use for long time individually caged animals and for grouppenned
rabbits
Response of fattening rabbits reared under different housing conditions. 1. Live performance and health status
No full textIn a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial experiment the effects of housing system (pair caged (cage): 2 rabbits/0.122 m(2) vs open top pen housed (pen): 13 rabbits/0.86 m(2): same stocking density), floor type (wire mesh vs plastic net) and environmental enrichment (with vs without gnawing stick) were studied on live performance, health status and welfare (ear lesions) of growing rabbits (n = 176). The housing system significantly influenced the body weight at 11 weeks of age (2630 vs 2557 g: in cage or pen, respectively) and the feed conversion (3.12 vs 3.38 g/g; in cage or pen, respectively). Floor type did not affect the traits tested. Gnawing stick consumption affected the body weight at 11 weeks of age (2553 vs 2622 g; without or with gnawing stick, respectively). the percentage of ear lesions (18.5 vs 1.20%; without or with gnawing stick, respectively). Some of the live performance traits of rabbits reared in pens was slightly lower. The presence of gnawing stick, especially in pens, reduced the aggressive behaviour and improved the welfare
EFFECT OF DIFFERENT HOUSING ONPRODUCTIVE TRAITS AND ON SOMEBEHAVIOUR PATTERNS OF GROWINGRABBITS. PRELIMINARY RESULTS
No full textTwo-hundred-twenty-eight 5-week-old Pannon
White rabbits were housed in cages (2 rabbits/
cage, 0.12 m2) or in pens (13 rabbits/pen, 0.83
m2) with the same stocking density. Half of the
cages and pens had wire net floor while the other
half had plastic net. In every second cage and
pen wooden gnawing stick was fixed onto the
wall. Every second week a 24-hour video
recording was done. At 11 weeks of age ear
lesions were checked. Body weight of rabbits in cages was significantly higher between 7 and
11 weeks of age. Floor type had no influence on
weight gain and body weight. Rabbits in cages/
pens with gnawing stick were significantly
heavier at 11 weeks of age. Mortality was
independent of all treatments. Gnawing stick
consumption was significantly higher in pens.
Ear lesions were more frequent in rabbits housed
in pens or on plastic net, however, significant
difference was found only between rabbits with
or without wooden stick, with higher ear lesions
on rabbits reared without wooden stick
Effect of different housing on productive traits and on some behaviour patterns of growing rabbits
No full textEFFECT OF FLOOR TYPE AND GNAWING STICKON THE CAGE-CHOICE OF THE GROWINGRABBITS
No full textFive-week-old Pannon White rabbits (n=112)
were weaned and housed into two blocks of
cages applying stocking density of 12 or 16
rabbits/m2. Both blocks were divided into four
cages of wire mesh (n=2) or plastic mesh floor
(n=2). In every second cage a gnawing stick was
fixed on the wall. The rabbits could freely move
among the four cages of the same block through
swing doors. A 24-hour infrared video recording
was taken once a week and the rabbits in each
cage were counted every half an hour.
Significantly more rabbits chose the cages of
plastic floor (16 rabbits/m2: 62.5%, 12 rabbits/
m2: 76.5%) than the cages of wire mesh floor.
With the increasing age between 5 and 11 weeks,
the ratio of rabbits on wire mesh floor increased.
This results show that the rabbits accept a less
preferable floor type instead of staying in higher
stocking density (kg/rabbits). The preference of
cages with gnawing sticks was also significant
(53.1-54.1%) but this effect was less pronounced
than that of the floor type
Milk production of pseudopregnant multiparous does
No full textThe aim of the experiment was to evaluate the milk production of pseudopregnant does. In this experiment, data of multiparous, inseminated, pregnant (IP, n=15) does and two groups of presumably pseudopregnant multiparous does: inseminated, non-pregnant (INP, n=17) and induced to ovulation by GnRH (1.5 ug per animal) at the day of insemination (11 d after parturition) (non-inseminated, ovulating: NIO, n=15) were analysed. The progesterone level was measured at the 12th d after treatment to determine if females were pseudopregnant. All IP and NIO does were pregnant and pseudopregnant, respectively. Within the INP group, 10 and 7 does were diagnosed as positive (INPO) or negative (INPNO) for pseudopregnancy. Two of the INPNO does perished during lactation. The average milk production of groups IP, INP and NIO was 212, 92 and 72 g/d, respectively (P<0.001). The proportion of rabbit does reaching daily milk yields of <10, 10-50, 50-100, 100-160, <160 g in the various groups were: IP=0, 0, 0, 0 and 100%, NIO=20, 13, 27, 40 and 0%, INP=15, 15, 15, 55 and 0%, respectively. The daily milk yield of the 5 INPNO does was 2, 6, 27, 84 and 139 g, respectively. These results demonstrated that multiparous empty does, pseudopregnant or non-pseudopregnant, can produce milk, but in lower quantities than multiparous does after kindling
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