Development of a Training Strategy Aimed at Increasing Veterinarians' Awareness of the Proper Use of Antibiotics on Rabbit Farms.

The rabbit sector faces significant challenges with antimicrobial usage (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). A focus group involving nine rabbit sector stakeholders identified key issues contributing to high AMU and the need for veterinarians' training. Participants emphasized the lack of clear legislation, biosecurity standards, and the importance of training on best practices to reduce AMU.

A pilot study about on-farm assessment of health and welfare in rabbits kept in different housing systems.

This pilot study tested an on-farm protocol based on resource, management, and animal-based measures to evaluate the on-farm health and welfare of rabbits kept in four different housing systems. In detail, the four housing systems were (1) standard breeding cages for reproducing does (3,300 cm) with their litters associated with bicellular cages for growing rabbits (1,200 cm); (2) dual-purpose cages for both reproducing does and growing rabbits (3,655 cm); (3) enriched cages (4,739 cm) for both reproducing does and growing rabbits equipped with a wire-mesh elevated platform (1,015 cm); (4) parks (30,977 cm) made up of four modules (7,744 cm each) joined by removing the wire net walls between them with growing rabbits kept in collective parks and reproducing does individually in the single modules. A total of 12 commercial farms (three farms/four housing systems) were visited during three seasons (summer, autumn, and winter) on two occasions each: (1) a pre-weaning visit for recordings on reproducing does and litters and (2) a pre-slaughtering visit for recordings on growing rabbits.

Antibiotic Use in Alpine Dairy Farms and Its Relation to Biosecurity and Animal Welfare.

The quantification of antimicrobial usage (AMU) in food-producing animals can help identify AMU risk factors, thereby enhancing appropriate stewardship policies and strategies for a more rational use. AMU in a sample of 34 farms in the Province of Trento (north-eastern Italy) from 2018 to 2020 was expressed as defined daily doses for animals per population correction unit according to European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption guidelines (DDDvet) and according to Italian guidelines (DDDAit). A retrospective analysis was carried out to test the effects of several husbandry practices on AMU.