Grey Piedmont’s rabbit welfare evaluation in three housing systems
ANIMAL WELFARE, HEALTH AND BEHAVIOUR
Grey Piedmont’s rabbit welfare evaluation in three housing systems
Riccardo Crosetto (1) - Stefano Sartore (1) - Patrizia Ponzio (1) - Elisabetta Macchi (1) - Silvia 5 Mioletti (1) - Barbara Miniscalco (1) - Benedetto Sicuro (1) - Martina Tarantola (1) - Cecilia Mugnai 6 (1) 7
University of Turin, Departement of Veterinary Sciences, Grugliasco, Italy (1)
The Italian Ministry of Health’s guidelines for rabbit breeding invite breeders to renovate their cages 11 for fattening rabbits in groups. In this prospective, the production of commercial hybrids is 12 considerably advantaged (fast grow rhythm and slaughter weight at about 70-77 d) compared to local 13 breeds like Grey Piedmont’s rabbit (GP; slow growth rhythm and slaughter at 150 d). Thus, to 14 evaluate welfare of GP rabbits in three housing systems, 300 weaned rabbits (30 d) were randomly 15 divided in 3 different housing systems: G (in group with 8 rabbit/pen; <40 kg/m2), SC (in standard 16 single cage); and M (mixed system, i.e. in group G, from 31 d to 80 d in pen, then in single cage SG, 17 from 81 d to 150 d. The behavioural observations were repeated, in the morning on 10 rabbits/housing 18 systems by two trained operators, at 4 different times: 55 (T1), 70 (T2), 85 (T3) and 100 (T4) days. 19 At the end of behavioural observations tonic immobility test (TI) was performed (10 rabbits/housing 20 system); rabbit’s lesions and mortality were also recorded. All traits were analysed with R for 21 Housing system and Time effects, and the significance was set at p<0.05. As for kinetics activities, 22 “walking” was increased in G and M rabbits at T1 and T2 observations, whereas “turning on itself” 23 was the highest in SC rabbits (p<0.05). Feeding activities were higher (p<0.05) in SC and M rabbits 24 at T4. The main static category was “lying down” in SC while “crouching” in G and M rabbits 25 (p<0.05). Stereotypies were higher (p<0.05) in SC, and M at T4. Positive (“allo-grooming” and 26 “smelling others”) social behaviours were found in G and M rabbits at T1 and T2; whereas in G 27 rabbits at T3 and T4 social encounters became negative (“dominance”, “submissiveness”, “escape”, 28 “biting others”). SC and G rabbits showed the highest TI values (p<0.05), especially at T3 and T4. 29 Lesions and mortality were also the highest in G rabbits at T3 and T4 (p<0.05). Group housing for 30 longer (>80 d) fattening cycle, such as in Grey Piedmont’s rabbits, can seriously affect welfare, 31 improving drastically negative behaviours between animals at the onset of puberty (~80 d), with 32 consequent increases of injured rabbits and mortality. The M system could be adopted to guarantee 33 the maintenance of an appropriate welfare standard, even at older ages.
Page updated
Report abuse