Study on Adult Chinchilla () Preferences for Cages of Different Sizes.

The study aimed to investigate adult chinchillas' preferences when choosing between cages with different floor areas, heights, or both. The size of the cages with a larger floor area was double that of the standard-sized cages in the farms (0.25 and 0.

Rabbits Divergently Selected for Total Body Fat Content: Changes in Proximate Composition and Fatty Acids of Different Meat Portions.

The present research studied the potential of a four-generation divergent selection (Pannon maternal rabbit lines) based on the total body fat content to create two rabbit lines with different meat attributes: a Fat line to deliver greater amounts of healthy fatty acids for newborns and infants, and a Lean line intended to provide lean meat for everyday consumption. Selection was based on the fat index calculated in 10-week-old live rabbits by means of computed tomography (CT). For each generation, 60 rabbits/line were fed ad libitum with commercial pellet from weaning (5 weeks) to slaughter (11 weeks).

Feeding silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) oil to growing rabbits improves the fatty acid composition of meat, liver and perirenal fat.

Silkworm oil was used in a rabbit diet to evaluate its benefit on the fatty acid (FA) profile of different carcass portions. Two experimental diets were prepared: a control diet (commercial diet with 13 g/kg sunflower oil) and a silkworm oil diet (SWO) (commercial diet with 13 g/kg silkworm oil). Rabbits received the experimental diets the last three weeks before slaughter, which occurred at 10 weeks of age.

Effect of ambient temperature on the productive and carcass traits of growing rabbits divergently selected for body fat content.

Rabbits are particularly sensitive to heat stress which can affect productive performance, with rabbit breed/line possibly playing a role on the response to this condition. The study aimed at evaluating the effect of different ambient temperatures on the live performance and carcass traits of growing rabbits divergently selected for total body fat content. The two genetic lines (Lean and Fat) were selected based on the total body fat content estimated by computer tomography during five generations.

Rabbit Lines Divergently Selected for Total Body Fat Content: Correlated Responses on Growth Performance and Carcass Traits.

The aim of this experiment was to study the effect of divergently selected rabbits for total body fat content (fat index) on growth performance and carcass traits. The fat index was determined at 10 weeks of age by computed tomography and lasted for four consecutive generations. The rabbits with the lowest fat index belonged to the lean line and those of the highest values belonged to the fat line.

Inbreeding depression for kit survival at birth in a rabbit population under long-term selection.

Background: Accumulation of detrimental mutations in small populations leads to inbreeding depression of fitness traits and a higher frequency of genetic defects, thus increasing risk of extinction. Our objective was to quantify the magnitude of inbreeding depression for survival at birth, in a closed rabbit population under long-term selection.

Methods: We used an information theory-based approach and multi-model inference to estimate inbreeding depression and its purging with respect to the trait 'kit survival at birth' over a 25-year period in a closed population of Pannon White rabbits, by analysing 22,718 kindling records.

Aggressiveness, Mating Behaviour and Lifespan of Group Housed Rabbit Does.

Aggressiveness is one of the main problems in group housing of rabbit does. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the frequency of aggressiveness and mating behaviour as well as the lifespan of does depending on group composition. The female and male rabbits were housed in one of the 7.

The antioxidant effectiveness of liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) extract administered as dietary supplementation and/or as a burger additive in rabbit meat.

The present research studied the effect of liquorice extract (in feed and/or directly in burgers) on the shelf-life of rabbit meat. Before weaning, 28 individually caged rabbit does with their litters were divided in two dietary groups: Control, receiving a commercial diet, and Liquorice, receiving the Control diet supplemented with 6 g liquorice extract/kg (L). At 12 weeks of age, 15 fattened rabbits/treatment (one rabbit/cage) were slaughtered and their hindlegs dissected.

Housing Rabbit Does in a Combi System with Removable Walls: Effect on Behaviour and Reproductive Performance.

We evaluated the effects of two types of colony cages, in which rabbit does were always in a group (C1), and where they were in combi cages furnished with removable internal walls to allow both individual and grouphousing (C2), in addition to the control group (C: conventional individual cage), on welfare, reproductive performance, and global efficiency. Forty-eight New Zealand White nulliparous rabbit does underwent artificially insemination (AI) and were divided into three groups, and reared in the different systems for about 1 year. The reproductive rhythm provides AIs at weaning (30d).

Supplementing growing rabbit diets with chestnut hydrolyzable tannins: Effect on meat quality and oxidative status, nutrient digestibilities, and content of tannin metabolites.

The study investigated the effect of dietary inclusion of chestnut hydrolyzable tannin (CHT) in growing rabbit diets on nutrients digestibility, quality and oxidative status of meat, and content of tannin metabolites. At weaning, rabbits were assigned to 5 dietary groups (n = 72 rabbits/diet): control medication-free (Co), control with coccidiostat (Cc), and T200, T400 and T600 (diets supplemented with 200, 400 and 600 g/100 kg CHT extract). Sixteen carcasses/treatment were considered and hindleg meat and Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle were used for analyses.

Effect of diet and packaging system on the oxidative status and polyunsaturated fatty acid content of rabbit meat during retail display.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the combined effect of two dietary lipid sources (sunflower vs. linseed oil) and three packaging methods (PVC film - BAG vs. modified atmosphere CO 20% + 80% O - MAP vs.

Effect of diet and packaging system on the microbial status, pH, color and sensory traits of rabbit meat evaluated during chilled storage.

The combined effect of two dietary lipid sources (sunflower vs linseed oil) and three packaging methods (PVC film - BAG, modified atmosphere CO 20% + 80% O MAP, and vacuum - VAC) on the shelf-life (pH, color, microbial count, sensory traits) of rabbit loins was tested at days 1, 4 and 10 of refrigerated storage. Linseed oil did not adversely affect neither the physical or sensory traits, nor the microbiological quality of rabbit meat throughout the shelf-life trial. The three packaging methods were all similarly effective in maintaining the physical and sensory quality of the meat, irrespective of the different dietary lipid sources and thus different susceptibility to oxidation.

Early solid additional feeding of suckling rabbits from 3 to 15 days of age.

Studies have shown that nutrient requirement of suckling kits is not satisfied, but they can be fed a double quantity of milk (double nursing) resulting in improved BW and weight gain. The aim of our trials was to give additional solid feed during the early suckling period (3 to 15 days of age) when rabbit kits drink exclusively milk. Two experiments were conducted with animals from Pannon Rabbit Breeding Program.

Effect of a dietary supplementation with linseed oil and selenium to growing rabbits on their productive performances, carcass traits and fresh and cooked meat quality.

The present experiment tested a dietary supplementation with linseed oil and selenium to growing rabbits. The basal diet (B) contained 3% sunflower oil, while it was substituted with 3% linseed oil in the experimental feed (S). The selenium (Se) content of the two diets was 0.

Effect of pre- and post-weaning dietary supplementation with Digestarom® herbal formulation on rabbit carcass traits and meat quality.

This study evaluated effects of Digestarom® (D) dietary inclusion before weaning (0-5weeks old; BW) and/or after weaning (5-12weeks old; AW) on growing rabbit carcass traits and meat quality. During BW, Pannon-Ka rabbits (does, kits) received two diets: a control diet (C) and one supplemented with 300mg Digestarom®/kg (D). At weaning, each group was divided into 3 dietary sub-groups: CC and DD received C and D diets from 5 to 12weeks of age, whereas DC was fed D from 5 to 8weeks and C from 8 to 12weeks of age (54 rabbits/group; AW).

Performance and welfare of rabbit does in various caging systems.

The objective of the study was to compare production and welfare of rabbit does and their kits housed in various types of cages. Female rabbits were randomly allocated to four groups with the following cage types: CN: common wire-mesh flat-deck cage, without footrest; CF: cage similar to the CN but with plastic footrest; ECWP: enlarged cage with wire-mesh platform; and ECPP: extra enlarged cage with plastic-mesh platform. All does were inseminated on the same day, 11 days after kindlings.

Effect of genotype, housing system and hay supplementation on carcass traits and meat quality of growing rabbits.

The aim of the study was to examine the effects of genotype (Pannon Large × Pannon Ka/Large/or Hungarian Giant × Pannon Ka/Hung), housing system (Cage or small Pen) and hay supplementation (Pellet without or with Hay/P+Hay/) on carcass and meat (Longissimus dorsi/LD/ and hind leg/HL/) quality of growing rabbits. Large rabbits showed higher carcass weights, as well as higher fatness and meatiness compared to Hung rabbits. Caged rabbits were heavier, with higher prevalence of the mid part of the carcass, and showed higher fatness and lower meat toughness than Penned rabbits.

Effect of turmeric powder (Curcuma longa L.) and ascorbic acid on physical characteristics and oxidative status of fresh and stored rabbit burgers.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Curcuma longa powder and ascorbic acid on some quality traits of rabbit burgers. The burgers (burgers control with no additives; burgers with 3.5 g of turmeric powder/100g meat; burgers with 0.

Dietary Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) and Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) supplementation to growing rabbits: effects on raw and cooked meat quality, nutrient true retention and oxidative stability.

The study evaluated the effect of Spirulina and Thyme dietary supplementation on rabbit meat quality, nutrient true retention and protection against oxidative stress. Rabbits in the control group (C-C) received a non-supplemented pellet throughout the experiment (5-11weeks of age). In the other groups, the pellet contained 5% Spirulina (S), 3% Thyme (T), or both (ST) for either the entire (groups S-S, T-T, ST-ST) or only the final part of the growing period (8-11weeks: groups C-S, C-T, C-ST).

Effect of dietary supplementation of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) and Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) on rabbit meat appearance, oxidative stability and fatty acid profile during retail display.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Spirulina and Thyme supplementation on rabbit meat during retail display. At weaning 294 rabbits were allocated to 7 different treatments (42 rabbits/treatment). Rabbits of the control group (C) received a diet without any supplementation throughout the experiment (5-11 weeks of age).

The contribution of dominance and inbreeding depression in estimating variance components for litter size in Pannon White rabbits.

In a synthetic closed population of Pannon White rabbits, additive (VA ), dominance (VD ) and permanent environmental (VPe ) variance components as well as doe (bF d ) and litter (bF l ) inbreeding depression were estimated for the number of kits born alive (NBA), number of kits born dead (NBD) and total number of kits born (TNB). The data set consisted of 18,398 kindling records of 3883 does collected from 1992 to 2009. Six models were used to estimate dominance and inbreeding effects.

Comparison of performance and welfare of single-caged and group-housed rabbit does.

Although rabbit does are generally single housed on rabbit farms worldwide, it has been suggested by some specialists and recommendation of organic rabbit production systems that group housing of does is more comfortable and similar to the living conditions of the European wild rabbits. The aim of this experiment was to compare production of single-caged (S) and group-housed does (G). The S does were housed in commercial rabbit cages (floor area 0.

Effect of different weaning ages (21, 28 or 35 days) on production, growth and certain parameters of the digestive tract in rabbits.

The effect of different weaning ages, that is, 21 (G21), 28 (G28) or 35 (G35) days, on growth and certain parameters of the digestive tract was examined in rabbits to assess the risk of early weaning attributable to the less-developed digestive system. On days 35 and 42, G35 rabbits had 10% to 14% and 10% higher BW, respectively (P < 0.05), than those weaned at days 21 and 28.