Influence of group housing, lactation system and floor type on performance and injuries in rabbit does

To evaluate the effect of group housing, lactation system, and floor type, 40 crossbred multiparous pregnant rabbit does were transferred to individual pens (0.5 m x 1.0 m); 8 does were kept individually during all the trial (I; n=8); the other 32 does were kept in 8 collective pens (2.0 m x 1.0 m, by joining 4 individual pens) in stable groups of 4 individuals (G; n=8) from 8 d until 2 d before kindling and from 2 d until 33 d after kindling. Half pens had wire net floor covered with plastic mats (W; n=8) and the other half plastic slatted floor (P; n=8). Within G does, in half pens (n=4) each doe nursed its own litter (fixed lactation, F); in the remaining half, each doe randomly nursed the litters of the group (random lactation, R). Doe performance at kindling and during lactation, litter performance from standardization until weaning (33 d), and skin injuries on G does (5, 12, 19, 26 and 34 d after kindling) were controlled. The effect of the housing system on performance was tested by PROC GLM of SAS. Within G does, the effect of the lactation system and floor type was evaluated by PROC MIXED (pen as random effect); the injury frequency was analysed by PROC FREQ according to observation day, lactation system, and floor type. Housing system did not affect doe kindling or lactation performance; litter weight at standardization was higher for G than I does (680 vs 619 g, P<0.05), but differences disappeared at weaning. The lactation system showed some residual effects when controlled lactation finished, nests were opened, and kits free of moving. In fact, from 19 to 33 d after kindling, does and litters had higher feed intake (679 g/d vs 602 g/d; P<0.05) and, at 33 d, kits were heavier (775 vs 748 g, P<0.05) in R than in F pens. Floor type (W vs P pens) affected milk production (244 vs 225 g/d; P=0.06), and kit weight at the end of controlled lactation (301 vs 290 g; P<0.05), without residual effects at weaning. The injury frequency changed after the group formation: 34% at 5 d, 47% at 12 d, 13% at 19 and 26 d, and 10% at 34 d of lactation (P<0.05). In conclusion, under our conditions, group housing did not negatively affect doe performance; lactation system and floor type had minor effects; aggressiveness among does was evident after group formation during early lactation but decreased in the late lactation. Further recordings on more reproductive cycles would be necessary to confirm the present results

Performance, health and slaughter traits of group-housed rabbits submitted to different time-based feed restriction programs

Growth performance, health and slaughter traits were measured in 320 crossbreed rabbits housed in 40 open-top pens (8 rabbits/pen) from weaning to slaughter (34–70 d of age) to evaluate the effects of the different feeding programs: AL, ad libitum feeding; DF, daylight access to feed with fast and complete refeeding; NF, night access to feed with fast and complete refeeding; NS, night access to feed with slow and complete refeeding; NI, night access to feed with very slow and incomplete refeeding. In restricted rabbits, the feeding time decreased from 14 to 9 h/d during the 1st week, remained stable (8 h/d) during the 2nd week, and increased from the beginning of the 3rd week according to three refeeding programs: i) fast until ad libitum (+4 h/d until 24 h/d); ii) slow until ad libitum (+1 h/d until 24 h/d); iii) very slow and still restricted until the end of fattening (+30 min/d until 12 h/d). In the restricted rabbits, feed intake (-3.7%) and feed conversion (–5.6%) were lower compared to AL ones (P<0.001) with the minimum values in the NI group. Diet digestibility increased in the restricted groups compared to AL and in the NI group compared to other restricted groups. Mortality was lower in AL rabbits compared to restricted ones (1.6% vs. 9.0% on average; P=0.04), whereas morbidity and health risk index did not change. Slaughter weight (2608 g), dressing percentage (60.2%), and carcass muscularity were not affected by the feeding program. In conclusion, the NI program represented the best strategy to optimize feed efficiency without impairing growth, slaughter results and carcass traits in growing rabbits. The tested feed restriction programs did not succeed in enhancing rabbit health

Variação do desenvolvimento embrionário das sementes de erva-mate.

A erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.) é uma espécie nativa da Floresta Ombrófila Mista, com ampla distribuição geográfica e de grande importância socioeconômica. As sementes desta espécie germinam em surtos desuniformes, pois apresentam dormência tegumentar e fisiológica, requerendo um período de estratificação em areia. O trabalho objetivou avaliar o desenvolvimento dos embriões das sementes de erva-mate, oriundas de diferentes procedências do Sul do Brasil. Os frutos foram coletados em fevereiro de 2003 nos municípios de Cascavel, Toledo e Campo Mourão, no Paraná, e Soledade, no Rio Grande do Sul. O experimento foi conduzido no laboratório de Análise de Sementes da Embrapa Florestas, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com quatro repetições de 25 sementes cada. Concluiu-se que as procedências do Estado do Paraná apresentaram sementes com embriões mais desenvolvidos do que aquelas oriundas da procedência do Rio Grande do Sul, provavelmente em decorrência das temperaturas médias anuais mais altas e maior insolação

Enraizamento de estacas de Piptocarpha angustifolia Dusén sob efeito de ácido indol butírico no outono e inverno de 2004.

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Enraizamento de cipó-de-são-joão (Pyrostegia venusta Miers.) pela aplicação de IBA e NAA.

Organizado por Patricia Póvoa de Mattos, Celso Garcia Auer, Rejane Stumpf Sberze, Katia Regina Pichelli e Paulo César Botosso

Interações entre ácido indol butírico, uniconazol e dois tipos de substrato, no enraizamento de estacas caulinares de Sapium glandulatum (Vell Pax (resultados preliminares)).

Organizado por Patrícia Póvoa de Mattos, Celso Garcia Auer, Paulo César Botosso e Rejane Stumpf Sberze

Uso do ácido indol butírico na estaquia de Tibouchina sellowiana (Cham.) Cogn. no outono e inverno de 2004.

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Propagação de vassourão-branco: ações e perspectivas.

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Influência da época do ano e das diferentes concentrações de ácido naftaleno acético (NAA) no enraizamento de Mikania micrantha Kunth.

Organizado por Patricia Póvoa de Mattos, Celso Garcia Auer, Rejane Stumpf Sberze, Katia Regina Pichelli e Paulo César Botosso