Effect of Cage Floor Type on Behaviour, Performance and Carcass Traits of Growing Rabbits | ||
| Zagazig Veterinary Journal | ||
| Article 2, Volume 43, Issue 3, December 2015, Pages 10-19 PDF (488.91 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/zvjz.2015.28437 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Heba S.A. Gharib* ; Nawar A. Khattab; Mohamed Y.I. Youssef; Al Sadik K. Y. Saleem; Hesham H. Mohammed | ||
| Veterinary Public Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, 44511, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cage floor type on different behavioural patterns, productive performance and carcass traits of growing rabbits. Twenty seven non sexed weanling growing New Zealand rabbits (4-5weeks of age) were used in this experiment. The animals were randomly divided into three groups of 9 rabbits according to the kind of cage floor. The first group was reared on wire mesh cage floor. While, the second group was reared on plastic hollow mat and the third one was on rubber hollow mat. A focal sample technique was used for recording the behavioural patterns throughout the experimental period (6 weeks). Rabbits were individually weighed at the commencement of the experiment and at weekly intervals along the experimental period. The feed consumption throughout the experiment was recorded weekly. The results revealed that the cage floor type had an effect on the drinking, aggression and abnormal behaviour time, but did not influence any other behaviours (feeding, ceacotrophy, comfort, social, resting and locomotion). The kind of cage floor had no impact on feed consumption, body weight, relative growth rate and carcass traits. While body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and feed efficiency were significantly better in the group reared on plastic cage floor (26.46±1.45g/day, 3.78±0.22 and 0.277±0.004, respectively). Cortisol level was significantly higher in wire caged rabbits than those reared on rubber and plastic cage floor (0.65±0.72 µg/dl vs 0.45±0.38 µg/dl and 0.37±0.12 µg/dl, respectively). It could be concluded that the application of rubber or plastic mat on the floor of wire cage reduced the aggressive and abnormal behaviour with lower cortisol level and improved growing rabbit productivity and potentially welfare. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Rabbits; Cage; floor; behaviour; productive; performance | ||
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