PRODUCTION PERFORMANCES OF RABBIT DOES IN A PART-TIME GROUP HOUSING SYSTEM

Luc Maertens, Stephanie Buijs

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    Production performances were studied using an innovative park system (20 000 cm²) allowing part-time group housing of 4 does during 3 weeks of the 42-d reproduction cycle. Internal walls were placed in the parks from 3 days before till 18 days after kindling to create 4 individual units. This system was compared with the classical individual cage system (3 800 cm²). During 4 reproduction cycles, in total 3 x 24 pregnant Hycole females were housed in enriched cages (control group) or in 6 parks with a wire floor or in 6 parks with a plastic floor. Two identical rooms and equipments were available, allowing to transfer the does at weaning to the 2nd room (all in all out management). A standard conventional management with A.I. was used. Fertility of does amounted 90.3% in cages and 88.9% and 83.3% in pen systems (not significantly different). Mortality before grouping of the does (P<0.05) and after grouping was somewhat higher in pen systems which could be at least partly related to construction errors in the parks. The floor in the pen system did not have an effect on the production traits. Performances in cages were higher (+3.3% weaned, +8% higher weaning weight). However, overall performance level in the pen systems was high (9.9 young were weaned per litter vs 10.2 in cages) which demonstrates the possibility of such a part-time group housing for does with young.
    Oorspronkelijke taalEngels
    Aantal pagina’s4
    PublicatiestatusGepubliceerd - 16-jun.-2016
    Evenement11th World Rabbit Congress - Qingdao, China
    Duur: 15-jun.-201618-jun.-2016

    Congres

    Congres11th World Rabbit Congress
    Land/RegioChina
    StadQingdao
    Periode15/06/1618/06/16

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