Feed restriction during pregnancy: effects on body condition and productive performance of primiparous rabbit does

[EN] This study examined the effects of feed restriction at different stages of rabbit pregnancy on body condition and productive performance. Just after insemination, pregnant primiparous New Zealand White does were assigned to 4 groups (10/group): the control group (C) was fed with 130  g/d of commercial feed while the others received 90 g/d from day 0 to 9 (R1), from day 9 to 18 (R2) or from day 19 to 28 (R3) of pregnancy and 130 g/d the remaining periods. A 3-point scale for loin and rump was used to calculate the aggregate body condition score (BCS), while perirenal fat weight (PFW) was estimated by ultrasound measurement of its thickness. The C does showed a positive balance of the pregnancy (0-26 d) for both body weight (P<0.001) and PFW (P<0.01). In particular, these increases occurred in the first 18 d of pregnancy (BW: P<0.001; PFW: P<0.05). The R1 does showed compensatory body growth after feed restriction (10-18 d: P<0.01), but lower BCS (P<0.05) at 26 d compared to control group. Feed restriction in mid and late pregnancy determined negative PFW balance (0-26  d: P<0.05), lower BCS at 26  d (R2: P<0.05) or lower BW gain compared to control (R3: P<0.05). The effects of feed restriction on productive performance depended on the restriction period: while R1 does did not show any differences compared to C, restriction during the last third of pregnancy increased perinatal (9.9 vs. 16.1%; P<0.05) and pre-weaning mortality (10.6 vs. 36.7%; P<0.01). However, milk production was lower in all restricted groups (C: 156, R1: 132, R2: 133; R3: 124  g/d; P<0.001, respectively). Thus, the energy deficit due to concurrent undernutrition and metabolic demands during pregnancy has short- and long-term consequences on both mother and offspring.This work is part of the PhD programme in “Animal health, livestock production and food safety” XXVIII cycle, financed by the University of Perugia, Italy.Menchetti, L.; Brecchia, G.; Cardinali, R.; Polisca, A.; Boiti, C. (2015). Feed restriction during pregnancy: effects on body condition and productive performance of primiparous rabbit does. World Rabbit Science. 23(1):1-8. doi:10.4995/wrs.2015.1703SWORD18231De la Fuente, L. F., & Rosell, J. M. (2012). Body weight and body condition of breeding rabbits in commercial units1. Journal of Animal Science, 90(9), 3252-3258. doi:10.2527/jas.2011-4764Fischer, B., Chavatte-Palmer, P., Viebahn, C., Navarrete Santos, A., & Duranthon, V. (2012). Rabbit as a reproductive model for human health. REPRODUCTION, 144(1), 1-10. doi:10.1530/rep-12-0091Field A. 2009. Discovering statistics using SPSS. SAGE Publications Ltd. London. UK.Heyer, A., & Lebret, B. (2007). Compensatory growth response in pigs: Effects on growth performance, composition of weight gain at carcass and muscle levels, and meat quality1. Journal of Animal Science, 85(3), 769-778. doi:10.2527/jas.2006-164Hill R.W. 1992. The altricial: precocial contrast in the thermal relations and energetics of small mammals. In: Mammalian Energetics Interdisciplinary Views of Metabolism and Reproduction. (Tomasi T.E. and Horton T. H. eds.). Comstock Publ. Assoc. Ithaca and London.Maertens L., Moermans R., De Groote G. 1988. Prediction of the apparent digestible energy content of commercial pelleted feeds for rabbits. J. Appl. Rabbit Res., 11: 60-67.Parigi-Bini R., Xiccato G., Cinetto M. 1990. Energy and protein retention and partition in rabbit does during first pregnancy. Cuni. Sci., 6: 19-29.Pascual J.J., Motta W., Cervera C., Quevedo F., Blas E., Fernández-Carmona J. 2002a. Effect of dietary energy source on the performance and perirenal fat thickness evolution of primiparous rabbit does. Anim. Sci., 75: 267-279.Rommers J.M., Boiti C., Brecchia G., Mejehof R., Noordhuizen J.P.T.M. 2004a. Metabolic adaptation and hormonal regulation in young rabbit does during long-term caloric restriction and subsequent compensatory growth. Anim. Sci., 79: 255-264.Tumova E., Skrivanova V., Zita L., Skrivan M., Fucikova A. 2004. The effect of restriction on digestibility of nutrients, organ growth and blood picture in broiler rabbits. In Proc.: 8th World Rabbit Congress, September 7-10, 2004, Puebla, Mexico, 1: 1008-1014

Energy balance and body reserves in rabbit females selected for longevity

[EN] The aim of this study was to compare the energy balance and dynamic of body reserves in rabbit females divergently selected for longevity. One hundred and twenty-nine females from a high longevity line (HL) and 131 females of a low longevity line (LL) were studied from the 1st to the 3rd kindling. Litter size and weight and female body weight were measured at kindling (1st, 2nd and 3rd), insemination (2nd and 3rd) and at weaning (1st and 2nd). The total body electric conductivity (TOBEC) method was used to estimate the body reserves in all females at artificial insemination and at weaning, and at kindling in females that achieved parturition. Energy balance between the 11th and the 21th d of lactation was also calculated for these females. No significant difference was found for fertility or for the number of offspring born alive and weaned. However, the total number of offspring born was higher in the LL line than in the HL line at the 2nd parturition (+1.12±0.46 g; P<0.05). Consequently, the number of stillborn offspring was higher in the LL line. LL females were 4% heavier than HL females at the first parturition (P<0.05), but then HL females had a higher live weight gain than LL females from the 1st parturition to the 2nd artificial insemination (+107.0±29 g; P=0.049), leading to a similar weight between the lines at the 2nd artificial insemination. There was no significant difference between lines for estimated energy used for growth between the 11th and the 21th d of lactation, or for estimated milk production (2365±30 g in HL line vs. 2398±30 g in LL line), estimated using the weight gain of the kits between the 11th and 21st d of lactation, for feed intake measured during this period (351±5 g/d in HL line vs. 359±5 g/d in LL line) or for energy balance (–6.11±0.3 MJ in HL line vs. –6.30±0.3 MJ in LL line). However, body energy content was higher in HL females than in LL (+2.72±0.64 MJ; P=0.001). In conclusion, selection for higher functional longevity results in a better ability of females to use body reserves in their early reproductive life.Garreau, H.; Larzul, C.; Tudela, F.; Ruesche, J.; Ducrocq, V.; Fortun-Lamothe, L. (2017). Energy balance and body reserves in rabbit females selected for longevity. World Rabbit Science. 25(3):205-213. doi:10.4995/wrs.2017.5216.SWORD20521325

Effects of parity order and reproductive management on the efficiency of rabbit productive systems.

The aim of this work was to study the effect of parity order and reproductive management systems on rabbit production performance. A total of 73 rabbit does (I group) were submitted to a 35-day intensive rhythm [artificial insemination (AI) on day 4 post-partum (pp) and weaning at 25 days of lactation], and 108 rabbit does (SI group) were submitted to a 42-day semi-intensive rhythm (AI on day 11 pp and weaning at 35 days of lactation) during 9 months. Primiparous does had the lowest live body weight at parturition (P < 0.0001) and at 21 days of lactation (P < 0.0001). They also had lower milk production (P < 0.0001) than does with later parities. I group animals needed a higher number of AI than SI group to become pregnant (1.70 ± 0.03 vs. 1.39 ± 0.03; P < 0.0001: especially after the third). Prolificacy was not affected by the management system. Parturition interval (PI) was longer than expected in both groups [56.0 ± 1.4 and 50.9 ± 1.38 days in I and SI groups, respectively (P < 0.05)]. Mean productivity, estimated as number of weaned rabbits per female and year, was 12 kits higher in rabbit does of the SI group (P < 0.05). From the third parturition onward, an increase in live body weight of kits at different ages was observed. At 21 (P < 0.05) and 25 days of age (P < 0.01), kits from the I group rabbit does weighed more than those from the SI group; however, the latter showed a higher weight at 35 (P < 0.05) and 60 days of age (P < 0.05). Rabbit does with two or three parturitions had higher litter size at 21 and 25 days of age (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.001, respectively). Kit mortality between 21 and 25 days of age and between 35 and 60 days of age was not affected by treatments but was higher in the I group between 25 and 35 days (18.2 vs. 5.03% in the I and SI groups, respectively; P < 0.0001) and as age of does increased (P < 0.05). In light of these results, we could conclude that long term doe reproductive performance is negatively affected and litter viability decreased when using intensive compared to a semi-intensive reproductive management

Genetic analysis of slaughter and carcass quality traits in crossbred rabbits coming from a diallel cross of four maternal lines

[EN] An experiment was carried out to estimate the genetic group effects and the crossbreeding genetic parameters of slaughter and carcass traits using data on the rabbits that were progeny of does coming from a full diallel cross between 4 maternal lines (A, V, H and LP) mated to bucks of the paternal line R. The rabbits of the 16 genetic groups, corresponding to the type of does of the diallel cross, were distributed in 4 Spanish farms and 1 genetic group (V line) was present in all farms in order to connect records among them and to be used as reference group. Crossbreeding parameters were estimated according to Dickerson’s model. 1896 rabbits were measured for slaughter traits and 950 for carcass traits. The A and LP lines had the lowest values for dressing percentage (–1.71 and –1.98 compared with H line and –1.49 and –1.75 with the V line, respectively). The A line was the heaviest for commercial carcass weight. No relevant differences were observed between the crossbred groups for all traits. Regarding the reciprocal effects, there were significant differences in favour of A line as sire line in the crossbred AV. Regarding the combination of direct and maternal effects, the A line showed significantly higher values for cold carcass weight (133 g., 71 g. and 142 g. compared to the H, LP and V lines). For the same parameter the H line showed significantly higher averages on dressing percentages than A and LP lines, 1.44 and 2.13%, respectively. Line A also showed, in general, better direct- maternal effects than the V line. Grand-maternal effects were less important than direct-maternal ones. The estimates of maternal heterosis were, in general, negative, which could be a consequence of the positive heterosis for litter size. However, despite this relationship between growth and litter traits, it has not been common to find negative maternal heterosis in growth traits. A diminution of dressing percentage was detected in some crossbreds (AL and LV) and care must be taken if these types are used.This work was supported by Spanish project AGL2011-30170- C02-01 from the Spanish National Research Plan. C. Minguez acknowledges a Formacion de Personal Investigador (FPI) grant from the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MEC), Spain.Mínguez, C.; Sáchez, J.; Ragab, M.; El Nagar, AGF.; Baselga Izquierdo, M. (2015). Genetic analysis of slaughter and carcass quality traits in crossbred rabbits coming from a diallel cross of four maternal lines. World Rabbit Science. 23(4):225-239. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2015.3594SWORD22523923

Sincronizzazione di dati in un'applicazione client-server per dispositivi mobili

In questo elaborato verrà presentata l'implementazione di un servizio di sincronizzazione dati tra un'app Android e una applicazione Web, senza conoscenze a priori di quest'ultima. In questo caso specifico, si tratta di un'applicazione Oracle APEX non dotata di Web Service: verrà quindi descritto il lavoro di parsing del codice HTML per estrarre i dati di nostro interesse e di ricostruzione delle richieste HTTP (POST) necessarie per salvare modifiche sul serve