Contribution of intensive rabbit breeding to sustainable development. A semi-quantitative analysis of the production in France

[EN] This work was aimed at evaluating the contribution of intensive rabbit breeding to sustainable development using a semi-quantitative method. Nine sustainability indicators were defined for the environmental (energy use, antibiotic use, and biodiversity), economic (profit, specialisation rate, and transmissibility) and social scales of sustainable development. A score (-1, 0 or +1) was given for each indicator using data from French rabbit farms (12,000 farms for economic results and 100 farms for social and environmental data). Scores were added within each scale to obtain a final score. It was revealed from the data analysis that intensive rabbit breeding had some negative contributions to sustainable development, due to the high cost of indirect energy, high use of antibiotics, low biodiversity and little respect for animal welfare, in particular in the scale of environmental sustainability (total score: -2). But it also had positive contributions to sustainable development, particularly in the economic and social scales (total score: +1 each). Indeed, the mean profit, life and working conditions were good and the rabbit meat is of good quality. Therefore, the challenge for rabbit production will be to manage the lawful development and to face the market trends while preserving the maximum of its advantagesFortun-Lamothe, L.; Combes, S.; Gidenne, T. (2009). Contribution of intensive rabbit breeding to sustainable development. A semi-quantitative analysis of the production in France. World Rabbit Science. 17(2):79-85. doi:10.4995/wrs.2009.661798517

Adaptive capacity of female rabbits submitted to a change in breeding practices

[EN] The aim of this study was to test the consequences of a change in breeding practices on 219 multiparous rabbit does over 2 reproductive cycles (5th and 6th insemination). Three rabbit breeding systems were defined I: intensive, S: semi-intensive and E: extensive), which varied for the females in terms of reproductive rhythm (RR: 35, 42 and 49 d, respectively) and age at first insemination (20.6, 19.6 and 16.6 wk, respectively), and for kits in terms of age at weaning (32, 35 and 30 d, respectively) and age at slaughter (63, 70 and 70 d, respectively). Females were submitted to one of the 3 systems from the 1st to the 4th artificial insemination (AI), and to another system from the 5th to the 6th AI, before returning to the initial system at the 7th AI. Consequently, they were allocated to 4 groups: I-S-I, S-I-S, S-E-S and E-S-E. Because of poor reproductive performance in the I system and despite a high growth of kits before weaning due to a more energetic diet for does, a sudden change from an I system to an S system significantly increased productivity at 28 d, from 3.37 to 5.04 kg/AI. Conversely, in the S and E systems, the females were not very sensitive to an intensification (groups S-I-S and E-S-E) or an extensification (S-E-S) of the breeding system, leading to similar productivity at 63 d (14.4 and 14.3 kg/AI, 14.4 and 13.5 kg/AI, 16.5 and 16.2 kg/AI, respectively, for groups S-I-S, E-S-E and S-E-S). The consequences of a return to the initial system deserve to be tested over a longer period.This work was supported by the CAS DAR (Cunipalm n° 9023) and by the French rabbit Interprofessional Association (CLIPP).Theau.clément, M.; Galliot, P.; Souchet, C.; Bignon, L.; Fortun-Lamothe, L. (2016). Adaptive capacity of female rabbits submitted to a change in breeding practices. World Rabbit Science. 24(4):267-273. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2016.5155SWORD267273244Blanc F., Dumont B., Brunschwig G., Bocquier F., Agabriel J. 2010. Extensive ruminant farming systems highlight animal coping processes based on robustness, flexibility and plasticity. In: Robustesse, rusticité, flexibilité, plasticité, résilience, les nouveaux critères de qualité des animaux et des systèmes d'élevage. Sauvant D., Perez J.M. (Eds). Dossier INRA Prod. Anim., 23, 65-80.Maertens, L., Perez, J.M., Villamide, M., Cervera, C., Gidenne, T., Xiccato, G., 2002. Nutritive value of raw materials for rabbits: EGRAN tables 2002. World Rabbit Sci., 10: 157-166.Theau-Clément M., Boiti C., Mercier P., Falières J. 2000. Description of the ovarian status and fertilising ability of primiparous rabbit does at different lactation stage, In Proc.: 7th World Rabbit Congress, 4-7 July 2000, Valencia, Spain, Vol A: 259-266

High plasmatic progesterone levels at insemination depress reproductive performances of rabbit does

The aim of this experiment was to quantify the frequency of the high progesterone syndrome at the moment of insemination and to study the influence of progesterone level (P4) on receptivity and reproductive performances of primiparous and secondiparous rabbit does. A total of 422 primiparous INRA 0067 were inseminated twice at an interval of 42 days. Prior to artificial insemination (AI), sexual receptivity of the does was tested in the presence of a vasectomised buck and, just after AI, blood samples were collected to determine progesterone concentration by RIA. The mean plasma progesterone concentration was 1.8\ub13.4 ng/ml and significantly depended on parity (primiparous: 2.2\ub13.7 ng/ml, secondiparous: 0.9\ub12.2 ng/ml, P<0.001). At the following AI, 78% of pseudopregnant rabbit does returned to the basal level of oestrous condition, demonstrating that the pseudopregnancy is a reversible process. The overall percentage of pseudopregnant does (P4 651 ng/ml) was 25.9%, but it was differently (P<0.001) distributed between primiparous (31.2%) and secondiparous does (12.2%). Moreover, primiparous lactating females were more frequently pseudopregnant than non-lactating ones (36.5 vs. 18.9% respectively, P<0.001). The progesterone level of primiparous does was related to the lactation status (2.5\ub13.8 vs. 1.5\ub13.2 ng/ml, respectively for lactating and non-lactating, P<0.001). The receptivity was highly related to the level of progesterone (P4<1: 74.1%, 1 64P4<6: 79.1% vs. P4>6: 56.3%, P=0.006). Also the kindling rate was significantly influenced by progesterone concentrations. Non-pseudopregnant does (P<1 ng/ml) had the highest fertility rate (79.0%) but when the progesterone concentration increased from 1 64P4<6 to P4>6 ng/ml, the fertility decreased from 68.1 to 37.4%, respectively (P<0.001). Consequently, the productivity at birth was highly depressed when the progesterone level was over 6 ng/ml (9.5 and 8.6 vs. 4.5 number of born alive rabbits/AI, for P4<1, 1 64P4<6 and P4>6 respectively, P<0.001). The productivity of pseudopregnant and nonreceptive females was very poor in comparison with pseudopregnant receptive does (0.4 vs. 9.5 born alive rabbits/AI). The productivity at birth was also highly (P<0.001) influenced by the physiological status of the does. Primiparous non-lactating does produced the highest number of born alive rabbits/AI, whereas primiparous lactating does had the lowest productivity at birth (9.9 vs. 5.6), secondiparous lactating being intermediate (7.1). In conclusion, the high progesterone syndrome evaluated at the moment of insemination occurred in 25.9% of females and had a strong negative impact on receptivity and reproductive performance of rabbit does

The effects of the complete replacement of barley and soybean meal with hard wheat by-products on diet digestibility, growth and slaughter traits of a local Algerian rabbit population

[EN] Eighty one rabbits were used to study the utilisation of hard wheat by-products on the growth of rabbits from a local Algerian population. At weaning (28 d, 501±99 g), the animals were individually caged and received ad libitum one of the three experimental diets for 49 d. The control diet included 26% wheat bran (W26: control diet), alfalfa, bar- ley and soybean meal. The two other diets were formulated by substituting barley and soybean meal with hard wheat by-products, and contained 60% (W60) or 67% (W67) of these by-products (50 or 57% bran and 10% middling). On average, diets contained 11.8% crude fibre and crude protein decreased from 18.3 (W26) to 16.1% (W67). Growth traits and slaughter performances were recorded. Another group of thirty animals was used to determine dietary nutrient di- gestibility from 42 to 46 d of age. Dry matter digestibility and digestible energy content were lower in the W60 and W67 diets than in the control diet (W26) (71.3 and 71.5% vs. 74.9%, and 11.9 and 11.9 vs. 12.5 MJ/kg, respectively; P<0.01). In contrast, crude fibre digestibility was lower in W26 (21.9%) than in the other two diets (29.6 and 32.2% for W60 and W67, respectively; P<0.01). The growth rates were similar for all three groups (28.0, 27.1 and 26.0 g/d for W26, W60 and W67) as were the feed conversion ratios (3.14, 3.17 and 3.10, respectively). Dressing out percentage (66.4±2.0% on average for the cold carcass) was not affected by the amount of wheat by-products in the diet. The total mortality rate was high (23%), probably corresponding to the low crude fibre content of the three experimental diets, but was not connected to the amount of wheat by-products.Lakabi-Ioualitene, D.; Lounaouci-Ouyed, G.; Berchiche, M.; Lebas, F.; Fortun-Lamothe, L. (2010). The effects of the complete replacement of barley and soybean meal with hard wheat by-products on diet digestibility, growth and slaughter traits of a local Algerian rabbit population. World Rabbit Science. 16(2). doi:10.4995/wrs.2008.63216

Evolution of the peripheral blood lymphocyte populations in multiparous rabbit does with two reproductive management rhythms

The emergence of epizootic rabbit enteropathy is leading to changes in weaning protocols in commercial rabbitries. Traditional weaning protocols are being replaced with late weaning, beyond 35 days postpartum (dpp). The main objectives of this study were to compare the peripheral blood lymphocyte populations of multiparous rabbit does under two reproductive rhythms (insemination at 11 dpp and weaning at 28 dpp, insemination at 25 dpp and weaning at 42 dpp), and to assess the influence on those of kits. Samples of peripheral blood were taken in 22 adult females and 44 of their kits at different critical times, and several lymphocytic populations were evaluated by flow cytometry. Additionally, the perirenal fat thickness of does was also measured at partum and weaning to observe if body condition correlates with lymphocyte populations. During whole lactation, counts of total, CD5 +, CD4 + and CD8 + lymphocytes of females were generally lower with weaning at 42 dpp compared to 28 dpp. Moreover, counts of total, B and CD5 + lymphocytes in rabbit does weaned at 42 dpp correlated to their body condition (+0.60 to 0.82; P<0.05), contrary to that observed in rabbit does weaned at 28 dpp. Some correlations between lymphocyte counts in both groups of does and weaning rabbits were observed. At weaning, those young rabbits weaned at 42 dpp had a significantly lower number of CD4 + lymphocytes than those weaned at 28 dpp (P<0.01). In conclusion, the 42 ddp rabbit does presented a lower number of total lymphocytes and lymphocytic subpopulations during lactation and at weaning, as well as lesser capacity of adjustment during the gestation-lactation cycle. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.This study has been supported by grants from the CEU-Cardenal Herrera University (Banco Santander/CEU-UCH: Copernicus Program (PRCEU-UCH/COOP 01/08), Generalitat Valenciana (ACOMP/2009/207 and ACOMP/2010/062) and the Comision Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnologia (AGL2008-00273/GAN). Grants for Selena Ferrian and Irene Guerrero from Generalitat Valenciana (the Santiago Grisolia programme) and from the CEU-Cardenal Herrera University, respectively, are gratefully acknowledged.Guerrero, I.; Ferrian, S.; Blas Ferrer, E.; Pascual Amorós, JJ.; Cano, JL.; Corpa, JM. (2011). Evolution of the peripheral blood lymphocyte populations in multiparous rabbit does with two reproductive management rhythms. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology. 140(1-2):75-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2010.11.017S75811401-

Review: Towards the agroecological management of ruminants, pigs and poultry through the development of sustainable breeding programmes. II. Breeding strategies

Agroecology uses ecological processes and local resources rather than chemical inputs to develop productive and resilient livestock and crop production systems. In this context, breeding innovations are necessary to obtain animals that are both productive and adapted to a broad range of local contexts and diversity of systems. Breeding strategies to promote agroecological systems are similar for different animal species. However, current practices differ regarding the breeding of ruminants, pigs and poultry. Ruminant breeding is still an open system where farmers continue to choose their own breeds and strategies. Conversely, pig and poultry breeding is more or less the exclusive domain of international breeding companies which supply farmers with hybrid animals. Innovations in breeding strategies must therefore be adapted to the different species. In developed countries, reorienting current breeding programmes seems to be more effective than developing programmes dedicated to agroecological systems that will struggle to be really effective because of the small size of the populations currently concerned by such systems. Particular attention needs to be paid to determining the respective usefulness of cross-breeding v. straight breeding strategies of well-adapted local breeds. While cross-breeding may offer some immediate benefits in terms of improving certain traits that enable the animals to adapt well to local environmental conditions, it may be difficult to sustain these benefits in the longer term and could also induce an important loss of genetic diversity if the initial pure-bred populations are no longer produced. As well as supporting the value of within-breed diversity, we must preserve between-breed diversity in order to maintain numerous options for adaptation to a variety of production environments and contexts. This may involve specific public policies to maintain and characterize local breeds (in terms of both phenotypes and genotypes), which could be used more effectively if they benefited from the scientific and technical resources currently available for more common breeds. Last but not least, public policies need to enable improved information concerning the genetic resources and breeding tools available for the agroecological management of livestock production systems, and facilitate its assimilation by farmers and farm technicians

Combined feeding of rabbit female and young: Partial replacement of starch with acid detergent fibre or/and neutral detergent soluble fibre at two protein levels

To evaluate the effects of the composition of weaning diets used for combined feeding both on the performance and body condition of rabbit does and on the growth and health of young rabbits, eight experimental diets were formulated according to a factorial design 2×2×2, the three factors being: i) partial replacement of starch with acid detergent fibre (ADF), ii) partial replacement of starch with neutral detergent soluble fibre (NDSF) and iii) reduction of the crude protein (CP) content from 175 to 145g kg-1 dry matter (DM). The study involved 138 rabbit does and 318 litters fed experimental diets from 17th to 28th day of lactation (weaning). Thereafter, 2371 weaned rabbits (784 in individual cages and 1587 in collective ones) continued receiving the same experimental diets until 49days of age and a commercial finishing diet until 60days of age. Replacing starch with ADF increased feed intake of does (+26±5g DM day-1, P<0.001) but, only with high CP diets, impaired their milk yield (-15±6g day-1, P<0.01) and perirenal fat thickness (PFT) change (-0.41±0.13mm, P<0.01), as well as litter weight at weaning (-154±52g, P<0.01); from weaning to 49days of age, this replacement increased feed intake (+14±2g DM day-1, P<0.001) and impaired live weight gain (-1.6±0.7g day-1, P<0.05), but reduced mortality rate (-10.2%, P<0.001). Replacing starch with NDSF reduced feed intake of does, in greater extent with high CP diets (-34±6g DM day-1, P<0.001) than with low CP diets (-19±7g DM day-1, P<0.01), as well as their milk yield (-16±4g day-1, P<0.001), with impairing PFT change only with high CP diets (-0.30±0.13mm, P<0.05); litter feed intake and weight at weaning were also negatively affected (-14.4±2.5g DM day-1, -202±38g, P<0.001); from weaning to 49days of age, this replacement reduced feed intake (-8±2g DM day-1, P<0.001), impaired live weight gain only with low CP diets (-2.3±1.0g day-1, P<0.05) and reduced mortality rate (-15.1%, P<0.001). Reducing CP content affected negatively feed intake of does (-22±5g DM day-1, P<0.001), as well as their milk yield, this impairment being more important with more starch-less ADF diets (-24±5g day-1, P<0.001) than with less starch-more ADF diets (-13±6g day-1, P<0.05), and, only with more starch-less ADF diets, PFT change (-0.36±0.13mm, P<0.01); litter feed intake was affected negatively (-20.1±2.4g DM day-1, P<0.001), as well as litter weight at weaning, in great extent when fed more starch-less ADF diets (-581±52g, P<0.001) than when fed less starch-more ADF diets (-403±54g, P<0.001); from weaning to 49days of age, this dietary change reduced feed intake (-6±2g DM day-1, P<0.001) and impaired live weight gain (-5.0±0.7g, P<0.001), but reduced mortality rate (-19.9%, P<0.001). Overall, the three dietary changes under study impaired milk yield, body condition of does and litter weight at weaning, although the negative effect of replacing starch with ADF was only observed in the high CP diets; moreover, growth during post-weaning period also decreased. However, in an Epizootic Rabbit Enteropathy context, mortality rate during this period was reduced by these three dietary changes, which effects seemed additive. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.Financial support was provided by the Spanish Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia (Proyecto AGL2006-07596).Martínez Vallespín, B.; Martinez-Paredes, E.; Ródenas Martínez, L.; Cervera Fras, MC.; Pascual Amorós, JJ.; Blas Ferrer, E. (2011). Combined feeding of rabbit female and young: Partial replacement of starch with acid detergent fibre or/and neutral detergent soluble fibre at two protein levels. Livestock Science. 141(2-3):155-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2011.05.014S1551651412-

Extra-uterine (abdominal) full term foetus in a 15-day pregnant rabbit

[EN] Background: While ectopic pregnancies account for 1-2% of all pregnancies, abdominal pregnancy is extremely rare, accounting for approximately 1% of ectopic pregnancies. Extrauterine abdominal pregnancy is defined as the implantation and development of an embryo in the peritoneal cavity. The present report is the first of an incidental case of abdominal pregnancy within four full-term foetus simultaneously with 2 weeks of physiological gestation in a healthy doe rabbit. Case presentation: The doe was born on November 3, 2014 and the first partum took place on May 18, 2015. The doe had previously delivered and weaned an average of 12.0 +/- 1.41 live kits at birth (no stillbirths were recorded) during 5 consecutive pregnancies. The last mating was on December 18, 2015 and the detection of pregnancy failure post breeding (by abdominal palpation) on December 31, 2015. Then, the doe was artificially inseminated on January 27, 2016, diagnosed pregnant on February 11, 2016 and subsequently euthanized to recover the foetus. A ventral midline incision revealed a reproductive tract with 12 implantation sites with 15 days old foetus and 4 term foetus in abdominal cavity. There were two foetus floating on either side of the abdominal cavity and two suspended near the greater curvature of the stomach. They were attached to internal organs by means of one or 2 thread-like blood vessels that linked them to the abdominal surfaces. Conclusions: In our opinion a systematic monitoring of rabbit breeding should be included to fully understand and enhance current knowledge of this phenomenon of abdominal pregnancy.This work was supported by Spanish Research Project AGL2014-53405-C2-1-P (Interministerial Commission on Science and Technology).Marco-Jiménez, F.; Garcia-Dominguez, X.; Valdes-Hernández, J.; Vicente Antón, JS. (2017). Extra-uterine (abdominal) full term foetus in a 15-day pregnant rabbit. BMC Veterinary Research. 13:1-4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-017-1229-7S1413Petracci M, Bianchi M, Cavani C. Development of rabbit meat products fortified with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Nutrients. 2009;1:111–8.FAOSTAT (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, authors). Available online: http://faostat.fao.org/site/569/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=569#ancor . Accessed Sept 2012.Segura Gil P, Peris Palau B, Martínez Martínez J, Ortega Porcel J, Corpa Arenas JM. Abdominal pregnancies in farm rabbits. Theriogenology. 2004;62:642–51.Rosell JM, de la Fuente LF. Culling and mortality in breeding rabbits. Prev Vet Med. 2009;88:120–7.Tena-Betancourt E, Tena-Betancourt CA, Zúniga-Muñoz AM, Hernández-Godínez B, Ibáñez-Contreras A, Graullera-Rivera V. Multiple extrauterine pregnancy with early and near full-term mummified foetuses in a New Zealand white rabbit (Oryctolagus Cuniculus). 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Vet Rec. 1998;142:176.Glišić A, Radunović N, Atanacković J. Methotrexate and fallopian tubes in ectopic pregnancy. Acta veterinaria. 2006;56:375–82.Nwobodo EI. Abdominal pregnancy. A case report. Ann Afr Med. 2004;3:195–6.Nassali MN, Benti TM, Bandani-Ntsabele M, Musinguzi E. A case report of an asymptomatic late term abdominal pregnancy with a live birth at 41 weeks of gestation. BMC Res Notes. 2016;9:31.Baffoe P, Fofie C, Gandau BN. Term abdominal pregnancy with healthy new-born: a case report. Ghana Med J. 2011;45:81–3.Eleje GU, Adewae O, Osuagwu IK, Obianika CE. Post-date extra-uterine abdominal pregnancy in a rhesus negative Nullipara with successful outcome: a case report. J Women's Health. 2013;6:2.Hong CC, Armstrong ML. Ectopic pregnancy in 2 guinea-pigs. Lab Anim. 1978;12:243–4.Peters LJ. Abdominal pregnancy in a golden hamster (Mesocricetus Auratus). Lab Anim Sci. 1982;32:392–3.Xiccato G, Trocino A, Boiti C, Brecchia G. Reproductive rhythm and litter weaning age as they affect rabbit doe performance and body energy balance. Anim Sci. 2005;81:289–96.Fortun-Lamothe L, De Rochambeau H, Lebas F, Tudela F. Influence of the number of suckling young on reproductive performance in intensively reared rabbits does. In: Blasco A, editor. Proceedings of the 7th world rabbit congress; 2002. p. 125–32