EFFECT OF HOUSING AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT ON PERFORMANCE AND BEHAVIOUR IN FATTENING RABBITS

Abstract

Aim of this research was to test the effect of housing and environmental enrichment (presence of a wood stick inside the cage) on the performance and behaviour of fattening rabbits. The trial was carried out in a commercial farm, in the North-West of Italy (Lombardia region, Bergamo province). 72 rabbits were housed after the weaning period, at 35 days of age, in standard fattening cages at 2, 3, 4 animals per cage, (density: 1045 cm 2 , 697 cm 2 and 522 cm 2 respectively) . Half cages were enriched using a wood stick (robinia pseudoacacia) hanging from the ceiling of the cage. The animals were fed ad libitum a commercial feed, and were weighted at 35, 55 and 75 days of age and slaughtered at 75 days of age under commercial conditions. Behaviour was video recorded at the beginning (1 st period of observation) and at the end of the fattening period (2 nd peri od of observation), 24 hours for each period. Thus each cage was observed 48 hours in total (288 scans per cage). No significant differences were found in any selected productive parameter (live weight, daily weight gain) among treatment groups. In detail, the live weight at slaughtering (75 days of age) was: 2626, 2540g for animals housed without and with environmental enrichment respectively; 2597, 2562 and 2592g for animals housed at 2 -3-4 subjects per cage respectively. The animals’ housing significantly affected the rabbits’ behaviour. In fact, animals housed 2 per cage showed a higher variety of natural behaviours. The environmental enrichment affected the behaviour and not the performance. In fact, it decreases both oral stereotypies such as gnawing the bars of the cage, and alert, aggressive behaviour and self-grooming. This might indicate a better satisfaction of the behavioural needs for the enriched caged rabbits, while the other ones may spend more time inactive and/or performing abnormal behaviours and consequently may show higher stress levels due to the frustration in a hypo-stimulating environment.