EFFECTS OF FLOOR TYPE AND STOCKING DENSITY ON THE BEHAVIOUR MODES OF GROWING RABBITS

The experiment was carried out with 120 Pannon White growing rabbits, which were reared from 5 to 11 weeks of age on four types of floor: 1. wire net floor from 5 to 11 weeks of age, 2. wire net floor from 5 to 7 weeks of age, and straw litter thereafter, 3. wire net floor from 5 to 9 weeks of age, and straw litter thereafter, 4. straw litter from 5 to 11 weeks of age. In each group three different stocking densities (8, 12 and 16 rabbits/m²) were used. As for the rabbits 24-hours video recordings were made every week on the same day. The actual behavioral form of each rabbit was recorded in every 10 minutes. Based on the results it was found out, that the frequency of eating decreased, when wire net floor was changed to straw litter. The frequency of drinking was less than 0.5% in the 1st experimental group and mostly higher than 1% in the other three groups during the whole rearing period. The moving activity of the rabbits was higher on the straw litter, while resting was observed more often on the wire net floor

Einfluss des nach der TOBEC-Methode bestimmten Fettgehaltes bei Kaninchen auf die Wurfleistungen und die Körperzusammensetzung der Nachkommen

Abstract. Title of the paper: Effect of selection on body fat content by means of the TOBEC method on some reproductive traits of rabbit does and on the body composition of growing rabbits In this experiment body fat content of Pannon White growing rabbits was determined at 10 weeks of age using an EM-SCAN SA-3152 type Small Animal Body Composition Analyser (TOBEC method). Based on the fat content determined the best and worst 16% of the does and the best and worst 8% of the bucks were chosen and mated with each other (fatty doe with fatty buck and lean doe with lean buck). It was found that the conception rate was significantly higher and the number of inseminations needed for the second kindling significantly lower in the case of fatty rabbits. An important, but not significant difference was observed in the case of total litter size at birth, which decreased in the case of live born litter size. This reason was the significantly higher ratio of the dead born pups in the case of non-fatty rabbits. Due to the higher ratio of total litter loss and suckling mortality in the case of fatty rabbits the litter size at 21 days differed notably, but again not significantly. In the offsprings of the F1 generation it was found that the fat content estimated and also the ratio of scapular and abdominal fat to the live weight calculated differed significantly (P &lt; 0.05) from each other in the two experimental groups. The estimated fat content was 42% higher in the offsprings of fatty than in the offsprings of non-fatty rabbits. The differences in the ratio of the scapular and abdominal fat content to the live weight were 26% and 51%, respectively. </jats:p

Effect of different weaning age (21, 28 or 35 days) on production, growth and certain parameters of the digestive tract in rabbits

The effect of different weaning ages, that is, 21 (G21), 28 (G28) or 35 (G35) days, on growth and certain parameters of the digestive tract was examined in rabbits to assess the risk of early weaning attributable to the less-developed digestive system. On days 35 and 42, G35 rabbits had 10% to 14% and 10% higher BW, respectively ( P,0.05), than those weaned at days 21 and 28. In the 4th week of life, early weaned animals had 75% higher feed intake than G28 and G35 rabbits ( P,0.05). The relative weight of the liver increased by 62% between 21 and 28 days of age, and thereafter it decreased by 76% between 35 and 42 days of age ( P,0.05), with G21 rabbits having 29% higher weight compared with G35 animals on day 35 ( P,0.05). The relative weight of the whole gastrointestinal (GI) tract increased by 49% and 22% after weaning in G21 and G28 rabbits, respectively ( P,0.05). On day 28, the relative weight of the GI tract was 19% higher in G21 than in G28 rabbits, whereas on day 35 G21 and G28 animals had a 12% heavier GI tract compared with G35 rabbits ( P,0.05). Age influenced the ratio of stomach, small intestine and caecum within the GI tract; however, no effect of different weaning age was demonstrated. The pH value of the stomach and caecum decreased from 5.7 to 1.6 and from 7.1 to 6.3, respectively, whereas that of the small intestine increased from 6.8 to 8.4 ( P,0.05); the differences between groups were not statistically significant. Strictly anaerobic culturable bacteria were present in the caecum in high amounts (108), already at 14 days of age; no significant difference attributable to weaning age was demonstrable. The concentration of total volatile fatty acids (tVFA) was higher in G21 than in G28 and G35 throughout the experimental period ( P,0.05). The proportion of acetic and butyric acid within tVFA increased, whereas that of propionic acid decreased, resulting in a C3 : C4 ratio decreasing with age. Early weaning (G21) resulted in higher butyric acid and lower propionic acid proportions on day 28 ( P,0.05). No interaction between age and treatment was found, except in relative weight of the GI tract and caecal content. In conclusion, early weaning did not cause considerable changes in the digestive physiological parameters measured, but it resulted in 10% lower growth in rabbits

IN VIVO OCENA SPREMEMB V SESTAVI TELESA BREJIH KUNK Z UPORABO METODE TOBEC

In the present experiment the TOBEC method was used to follow the changes in body composition of rabbit does during their first pregnancy. To determine the water, fat and protein content of the body in living animals regression equations were created using the E-value (measured by TOBEC) and the live weight as independent variables. The accuracy of these equations was medium in the case of water and fat (r=0.63 and 0.56), and low in the case of protein (r=0.16). The estimated fat content of pregnant does increased up to the 21st&nbsp;day of pregnancy and decreased thereafter. In the control does an increase of fat was observed throughout the experimental period. The estimated fat content differed significantly (p&lt;0.001) between pregnant and control does at the end of the experiment.Z metodo TOBEC smo spremljali spremembe v sestavi telesa kunk v času prve brejosti. Vsebnosti vode, maščob in beljakovin v živih živalih smo ocenili z regresijskimi enačbami, v katere sta bili kot neodvisni spremenljivki vključeni E-vrednost (izmerjena z metodo TOBEC) in telesna masa. Za vodo in maščobe smo dobili srednje vrednosti (r = 0,63 in r = 0,56), za beljakovine pa nizko vrednost (r = 0,16). Vsebnost maščob je naraščala do 21. dneva brejosti, potem pa je padala. Pri kontrolnih kunkah je vsebnost maščob naraščala ves čas poskusa. Na koncu poskusa je bila razlika v vsebnosti maščob med brejimi in kontrolnimi kunkami statistično značilna (p &lt; 0,001)

APPLICABILITY OF THE TOBEC METHOD IN SELECTION OF HEN’S EGGS BASED ON THEIR COMPOSITION

Applicability of the TOBEC method (electrical conductivity) was tested for the in vivo determination of different egg components and for the separation of eggs with different composition. Altogether 300 hen’s eggs – originated from a 36 weeks old ROSS-308 hybrid parent stock – were measured by TOBEC, and the extreme and average 5-5% – based on the measured values – were chosen for chemical analysis. It was established that the albumen/yolk ratio and the dry matter, crude protein and crude fat content of the eggs are in medium correlation with the E-value/egg weight ratio (r=0.47, -0.58, -0.59 and -0.35 respectively). The albumen/yolk ratio, the dry matter and the crude protein content of the eggs, selected for high and low E-value/egg weight ratio, differed significantly at P<0.05 level. The difference between the average crude fat content of the eggs in the two extreme groups was significant at P<0.10 level

Examination of the meat quality of growing rabbits reared on wire net or combined (wire net/straw) floor at different stocking densities.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the cage floor-type and stocking density on the rabbit meat quality. Weaned rabbits were placed to 12 pens, each having a basic area of 50×170 cm. The pens differed only in the type of floor. Six pens had a wire net, six pens a combined (half of the floor wire net and half of the floor straw litter) floor. On both floor types (wire net and combined) three stocking densities (8, 12 and 16 rabbits/m2) were applied. The experiment took place between the ages of 5 and 11 weeks. At 11 weeks of age the animals were slaughtered and hind leg (HL) and loin meat were dissected and analysed for pHu, L*a*b* colour values, proximate composition and fatty acid profile. Compared to wire net floor the combined floor significantly increased the b* colour value of Biceps femoris (BF) muscle and the a* colour value of Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle, whereas the pHu and the fat content of LD muscle decreased. Combined floor reduced MUFA (P<0.05) of both HL and LD meat, and increased PUFA content (P<0.05) of LD meat. At the intermediate stocking density of 12 rabbits/m2, the LD meat showed lower CLA and higher DHA fatty acid contents (P<0.01) than the other two extreme stocking densities. Index Terms— rabbit, cage floor-type, meat quality

IN VIVO ESTIMATION OF BODY FAT CONTENT OF NEW-BORN RABBITS USING THE TOBEC METHOD

An EM-SCAN SA-2 type Small Animal Body Composition Analyser (TOBEC) was used to determine the total conductivity index (E value) of 50 new-born rabbits. After the TOBEC measurements the animals were slaughtered and their bodies were homogenised by grinding twice; fat content was then determined by a chemical procedure. A weak correlation (r=-0.09) was obtained between E value and body fat percentage. Due to the high correlation between E value and body weight (r=0.90), estimated fat content was corrected for this trait [CF(%) = 11.7 - 0.1127 x (1.61 x (BW - BW) + E)], resulting in a marked improvement in the correlation (r=0.51) between predicted and measured fat content. In spite of this improvement, the medium correlation makes the TOBEC method unsuitable far the accurate prediction of body fat content of new-born rabbits, although it can be used far the identification of animals with extremely high or low fat content.Abstract not available

Clinicochemical follow-up of broiler rearing — A five-week study

Commercial broilers were raised in a 5-week period and a detailed clinico-chemical follow-up was carried out, to characterise a flock selected for one-sided muscle mass production. Blood samples were drawn at the ages of 1 day, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks, and plasma enzyme activities, metabolite and ion concentrations were determined. Early increases were found for all plasma nitrogenous compounds (total protein, albumin, creatinine and urate). Triglyceride showed a post-hatch peak with a significant effect of age. Plasma total cholesterol was characterised by a marked post-hatch concentration peak, while during the first week its concentration decreased markedly. Plasma AST showed an increase during the rearing, while a one-magnitude increment was found for creatine kinase activity during the study. The main results of the study outlined a typical precocial bird (post-hatch triglyceride peak; decreasing cholesterol and early peaking plasma protein and urate concentrations) with very quick skeletal muscle mass growth (increasing creatine kinase and AST activities, slight hyperkalaemia)