Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T15:25:12.230Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The use of a cat-flap at the nest entrance to mimic natural conditions in the breeding of fattening rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

P Baumann ,
H Oester  and
M Stauffacher
P Baumann
Affiliation:
Centre for Proper Housing, Swiss Federal Veterinary Office, Burgerweg 21, 3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Institute of Animal Sciences (INW), Physiology and Animal Husbandry, ETH Zentrum LFW B55.1, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
H Oester*
Affiliation:
Centre for Proper Housing, Swiss Federal Veterinary Office, Burgerweg 21, 3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland
M Stauffacher
Affiliation:
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Institute of Animal Sciences (INW), Physiology and Animal Husbandry, ETH Zentrum LFW B55.1, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: Hans.Oester@bvet.admin.ch
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Management systems allowing free nest access are widely used in commercial rabbit breeding, but these produce a potential conflict with the doe's behavioural goal of a closed nest entrance. Furthermore, the restricted space in commercial breeding units prevents the doe from achieving a sufficient distance between her and the nest, another highly adaptive behavioural goal. This can lead to behavioural problems and pup mortality higher than 20%, attributable to hypothermia, injuries, weakness caused by the scattering and crushing of pups, or even cannibalism. In this study we tested a type of nest entrance (a metal cat-flap) that visually closed the nest box while still allowing the doe free access during the first 15 days after parturition. The effects of a cat-flap access (group CF) and of a permanently open nest box (group O) on nest-related behaviour, general activity, and plasma corticosterone concentration of the does, and on the mortality and weight of the pups, were compared using 15 ZIKA does in each group. Over 24 h, there was no difference between the groups in the frequency of ‘nest controls’ (approaches or entries to the nest without nursing of pups). However, outside nursing hours, does in group O showed more ‘head contacts’ with the nest, whereas does in group CF performed more nose contacts and nesting activities outside the nest. Does in group O performed twice as many potentially disturbing nest contacts in this time than does in group CF and had a higher increase of corticosterone after the administration of exogenous adrenocorticotrophic hormone. Pup mortality from days 16 to 35 was significantly higher in group O, and pups born to does in group O left the nest earlier. There was no significant difference in the weaning weights of pups between the two groups. As does with a cat-flap at the nest entrance still showed repeated nest approaches, the cat-flap possibly did not block all nest stimuli from the does. Alternatively, it is possible that the repeated approaches to the next box result from its being one of very few attractive or interesting features in an otherwise barren environment. Removal of the nest box from the cage is an effective method to eliminate nest stimuli, but this increases work for the staff without improving the barren environment for the rabbits. A better way of increasing the distance between the doe and the nest, as well as presenting a number of other attractive features, is group-housing of does.

Keywords

animal welfarecat-flapmaternal behaviournest accesspup mortalityrabbit
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 14 , Issue 2: The Three Rs: past, present and future , May 2005 , pp. 135 - 142
Copyright
© 2005 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Baumann, P, Oester, H and Stauffacher, M 2005 Effects of temporary nest box removal on maternal behaviour and pup survival in caged rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 91(1-2): 167–178CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baumann, P, Oester, H and Stauffacher, M The influence of pup odour on the nest related behaviour of rabbit does (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science in pressGoogle Scholar
Bigler, L 1986 Mutter-Kind-Beziehung beim Hauskaninchen. MSc Thesis, University of Bern, Switzerland [Title translation: Mother–child relationships in domestic rabbits]Google Scholar
Bigler, L and Oester, H 2003 Gruppenhaltung in der Zucht. DGS Magazin 23: 48–50 [Title translation: Group housing of breeding rabbits]Google Scholar
Coureaud, G, Schaal, B, Coudert, P, Hudson, R, Rideaud, P and Orgeur, P 2000 Mimicking natural nursing conditions promotes early pup survival in domestic rabbits. Ethology 106: 207–225CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deutsch, JA 1957 Nest building behaviour of domestic rabbits under semi-natural conditions. Journal of Animal Behaviour 2: 53–54CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drescher, B and Breig, P 1993 Einfluss unterschiedlicher Haltungsverfahren die Nebennieren von Kaninchen. Tierärztliche Umschau 48: 30–34 [Title translation: Effects of different housing systems on the adrenal glands of rabbits]Google Scholar
Faulhorn, KW 1979 Untersuchungen über die Corticosteroid-und Testrosteron-Freisetzung nach intravenöser Injektion von synthetischem Adrenocorticotropin bei chronisch kanülierten Kaninchen. Inaugural-Dissertation, Medizinische Fakultät der Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen (Abteilung für klinische und experimentelle Endokrinologie) [Title translation: Studies about the release of corticosteroids and testosterone after intravenous injection of synthetic adrenocorticotrophin in permanently catheterised rabbits]Google Scholar
Guerder, F 2002 Résultats 2000 de la GTE Renaceb. Cuniculture 165: 117–123 [Title translation: Results of the GTE Renaceb]Google Scholar
Hudson, R and Distel, H 1982 The pattern of behaviour of rabbit pups in the nest. Behaviour 79: 255–271CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hudson, R and Distel, H 1989 Temporal pattern of suckling in rabbit pups: a model of circadian synchrony between mother and young. Research in Perinatal Medicine 9: 83–102Google Scholar
Jilge, B 1993 The ontogeny of circadian rhythms in the rabbit. Journal of Biological Rhythms 8(3): 247–260CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koehl, PF 1999 RENALP 1997. Cuniculture 145: 3–8Google Scholar
Kraft, R 1979 Vergleichende Verhaltensstudien an Wild- und Hauskaninchen I. Das Verhaltensinventar von Wild- und Hauskaninchen. Zeitschrift für Tierzüchtung und Züchtungsbiologie 95(2): 140–162 [Title translation: Comparative behavioural studies with wild and domestic rabbits. The behavioural repertoire of wild and domestic rabbits]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kusche, T 1993 Krankheitsprobleme bei Kaninchen in neuen Haltungssystemen. PhD Thesis, University of Zurich, Switzerland [Title translation: Health problems of rabbits in new housing systems]Google Scholar
Löliger, H and Matthes, S 1976 Krankheitsprophylaxe in Kaninchenbeständen durch aufzuchtshygienische Massnahmen. Tierärztliche Umschau 31: 488–494 [Title translation: Disease prophylaxis in rabbit stocks by means of hygienic measures during breeding]Google Scholar
Manser, CE 1992 The Assessment of Stress in Laboratory Animals. Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: Horsham, UKGoogle Scholar
Martin, P and Bateson, P 1993 Measuring Behaviour. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UKCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Myers, K and Schneider, EC 1964 Observations on reproduction, mortality and behaviour in a small, free-living population of wild rabbits. C.S.I.R.O. Wildlife Research 9: 138–143CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ross, S, Zarrow, MX, Sawin, PB, Denenberg, VH and Blumenfield, M 1963 Maternal behaviour in the rabbit under semi-natural conditions. Animal Behaviour 11: 283–285CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rushen, J 1991 Problems associated with the interpretation of physiological data in the assessment of animal welfare. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 28: 381–386CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schulte, I and Hoy, S 1997 Nursing and suckling behaviour and mother–child contacts in domestic rabbits. Berliner Münchner Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 110(4): 134–138Google ScholarPubMed
Seitz, K, Hoy, St and Lange, K 1998 Untersuchungen zum Einfluss verschiedener Faktoren auf das Säugeverhalten bei Hauskaninchen. Berliner Münchner Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 111: 48–52 [Title translation: Studies about the effects of different factors on the nursing behaviour of domestic rabbits]Google Scholar
Siegel, S and Castellan, NR 1988 Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioural Sciences. McGraw-Hill: SingaporeGoogle Scholar
Stauffacher, M 1988 Entwicklung und ethologische Prüfung der Tiergerechtheit einer Bodenhaltung für Hauskaninchen-Zuchtgruppen. PhD Thesis, University of Bern, Switzerland [Title translation: Development and ethological welfare assessment of a floor housing system for domestic rabbit breeding groups]: Development and ethological welfare assessment of a floor housing system for domestic rabbit breeding groups]Google Scholar
Stodart, E and Myers, K 1964 A comparison of behaviour, reproduction and mortality of wild and domestic rabbits in confined populations. C.S.I.R.O. Wildlife Research 9: 144–159CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Szendrö, Zs, Biro, E, Radnai, I, Zimanyi, A and Kustos, K 1993 Effect of free and once-a-day nursing on production of rabbit does. In: Matthes S (ed) Proceedings of the 8th Symposium on Housing and Diseases of Rabbits, Furbearing Animals and Fancy Pet Animals, Celle 1993, Germany. pp 267-275. Deutsche Veterinärmedizinische Gesellschaft e.V. (German Veterinary Medical Society), Giessen, GermanyGoogle Scholar
Szendrö, Zs, Kustos, K and Saad-El-Din, S 1991 La quantité de poils dans la boîte à nid et la mortalité des lapereaux. Cuniculture 98: 101–103 [Title translation: Hair quantity in the nest box and mortality of rabbit pups]Google Scholar
Vasquez Martinez, R, Petersen, J and Mennicken, L 1999 Milk performance of does depending on their litter weight at birth and on the number of kids assigned after a complete kid exchange. Archiv für Geflügelkunde 63(4): 169–173Google Scholar
Verga, M, Nelli, A, Leone, P and Carenzi, C 1987 Behaviour and performances of rabbit does and young rabbits. In: Auxilia, T (ed) Rabbit Production Systems Including Welfare pp 241–243. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities: LuxembourgGoogle Scholar
Wieser-Fröhlicher, R 1984 Zur Tiergerechtheit handelsüblicher Batteriekäfige für Hauskaninchenzibben. Schlussbericht Bundesamt für Veterinärwesen, Berne, Switzerland [Title translation: Considerations concerning welfare in commercial battery cages for domestic rabbit does]Google Scholar
Wieser-Fröhlicher, R 1986 Funktionale Analyse des Verhaltens als Grundlage zur Beurteilung der Tiergerechtheit. PhD Thesis, University of Bern, Switzerland [Title translation: Functional behavioural analysis as a basis for welfare assessment]Google Scholar
Wullschleger, M 1985 Analyse des Verhaltens von Hauskaninchenzibben zur Beurteilung der Tiergerechtheit von Batteriekäfigen. MSc Thesis, University of Bern, Switzerland [Title translation: Behavioural analysis of domestic rabbits for welfare assessment in battery cages]Google Scholar