Csoportosan tartott anyanyulak helyválasztása és viselkedése közös teret és egyedi ketrecrészeket tartalmazó fülkében (Előzetes eredmény) = Location and behaviour of group housed rabbit does in pens included common area and individual cages (preliminary result)

Farkas, Tamás Péter and Szendrő, Zsolt and Matics, Zsolt and Nagy, István and Odermatt, Meinrad and Radnai, István and Kacsala, László and Kasza, Rozália and Jakab, Márk and Gerencsér, Zsolt (2017) Csoportosan tartott anyanyulak helyválasztása és viselkedése közös teret és egyedi ketrecrészeket tartalmazó fülkében (Előzetes eredmény) = Location and behaviour of group housed rabbit does in pens included common area and individual cages (preliminary result). In: 29. Nyúltenyésztési Tudományos Nap, 2017.05.31, Kaposvár.

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Abstract

The aim of the experiment was to test a special group housing system, examination of location, aggressive and sexual behaviour of rabbit does in pens which include individual cages and common area. The experiment was conducted at Kaposvár University with non-pregnant Pannon White rabbit does (n=44). The temperature was 15- 18 ºC, and 16-hour daily lighting was applied in the room. The rabbit does consumed commercial pellet ad libitum and water was available from nipple drinkers. The 1.83 x 2.00 m open top pen contained four individual cages (0.5 x 0.91 m) which were connected to the 1.83 x 1.00 m common area throughout a 0.25 long and 0.20 wide lockable corridor. The hole size and thickness of wire-mesh floor were 10.7 x 49.6 mm and 2.5 mm, respectively. The rabbit does were randomly divided into three groups. The groups differed only in that the wire net walls of the individual cages were solid or not solid with plastic slat. Pen with solid walls (Solid Pen, SP, n=16); pen with not solid walls (No Solid Pen, NoSP, n=12) and pen with partly solid and partly not solid walls (Mixed Pen, MP, n=16). At the beginning of the experiment the does were placed in the closed cages (4 does/pen), individually for 3 days, to get used to their own cages. After the adaptation period the doors of the cages were opened to allow the does move freely. The experiment lasted for 14 days. 24-h video recordings were made on days 1, 3, 7 and 14 after opening the doors. Location of rabbits was registered at every 15 min. The behavioural patterns (fighting, chasing and ,,mating attempts”) were observed continuously. The injuries were registered on days 2, 4, 8 and 14. Especially on day 1 rabbit does preferred to stay alone than together (SP: 73.8%; NoSP: 65.4%; MP: 79.5%).View of the whole experimental period the rabbit does located alone more frequently than together (NoSP: 53.0%; MP: 66.5%) except in SP (46.0). Majority of does preferred to stay in the individual cages than the common area in NoSP and MP (65.9% and 71.5%, respectively). In SP the does located less in the individual cages (47.2%). Rabbit does preferred their own individual cages: except for SP on day 7, 13 (17.1% and 19.6%), where more rabbit does located in their own cages than the expected probability (25%) on all days (total experimental period: SP: 27.8; NoSP: 31.1; MP: 37.6). Frequency of all examined behavioural patterns (fighting, chasing, ,,mating attempts”) were the highest on day 1 (SP: 118, 323, 262; NoSP: 48, 179, 179; MP: 121, 128, 148). The less fighting occurred in NoSP where does were able to see each other so they may keep of the aggressive contacts. The frequency of mating attempts was high until the end of the experiment. High frequencies of injured rabbits were observed in the whole experimental period (SP: 37.5%; NoSP: 16.7%; MP: 50%). Based on our result we can concluded that the main problems (aggressiveness, injuries) of group housing of does have not been solved with this system. Keywords: rabbit does, group housing, location, aggressive behaviour, sexual behaviour

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