Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T05:13:27.926Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of remating interval and diet on the performance of female rabbits and their litters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

C. Cervera ,
J. Fernandez-Carmona ,
P. Viudes  and
E. Blas
C. Cervera
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica, 46071 Valencia, Spain
J. Fernandez-Carmona
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica, 46071 Valencia, Spain
P. Viudes
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica, 46071 Valencia, Spain
E. Blas
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Universidad Politécnica, 46071 Valencia, Spain
Get access

Abstract

In an experiment of factorial design, female rabbits were given four diets, containing 13·0, 11·4, 10·4 and 9·7 kJ digestible energy (DE) per g and subjected to two remating intervals (R) of 1 to 2 days (intensive) or 9 days (semi-intensive) from parturition. The experiment lasted for 2 years during which 352 does produced a total of 1254 litters. The only major differences due to diet were that the diet with the highest energy concentration, and which contained 35 g/kg added fat, promoted a significantly higher energy intake in lactation (111 v. an average of 94 MJ DE) than the other diets, and thereby increased litter weight at weaning at 28 days (3·48 v. 2·99 kg). Diet and R showed no major interactive effects. The intensive treatment significantly reduced parturition interval (46 v. 52 days) and increased the output of weaned rabbits per doe per year (35 v. 29). As actual R was more variable than the theoretical R imposed by the treatments, further analyses were made by dividing the does into four groups according to the actual R. In these analyses, the effects of R on current and subsequent lactation performance were assessed separately. The main difference between the groups was that litter size increased significantly with R (e.g. litter size at birth in subsequent parities was 8·0, 9·2, 9·7 and 9·0 for mean intervals of 2, 10, 16 and 37 days). However, the same pattern of differences occurred in the current parity, indicating that it was litter size that affected R, rather than the reverse (i.e. does with small litters conceived earlier than those with larger litters).

Keywords

energy intakerabbitsremating interval
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 56 , Issue 3 , June 1993 , pp. 399 - 405
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Cervera, C., Viudes, P., Bias, E. and Simplicio, J. B. 1987. Efecto de la alimentación y del ritmo de repróduction sobre la prolificidad de las conejas y sobre la crianza y viabilidad de las camadas. XII Symposium de Cunkultura, Guadalajara, pp. 195–202.Google Scholar
Colin, M., Rouillère, H., Simonnet, J. and Lucas, Y. 1980. Etude d'une unite de grands-parentaux dans un elevage de lapins hybrides. Premiers resultats. Proceedings of the second congress of the World Rabbit Science Association, vol. 1, pp. 274–283.Google Scholar
Foxcroft, G. R. and Hasnain, H. 1973. Effects of suckling and time to mating after parturition on reproduction in the domestic rabbit. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 33: 367–377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraga, M. J., Lorente, M., Carabaño, R. M. and Bias, J. C. de. 1989. Effect of diet and of remating interval on milk production and milk composition of the doe rabbit. Animal Production 48: 459–466.Google Scholar
Koehl, P. F. 1984. L'observation sur 3 ans des resultats techniques obtenus par un echantillon fixe de 48 elevages de lapins. Proceedings of the third congress of the World Rabbit Science Association, vol. 2, pp. 39–45.Google Scholar
Lamb, I. C., Partridge, G. G., Fuller, M. F., Allan, S. J. and Pennie, K. 1984. The effects of different remating interval and diet nutrient density on the reproductive performance and body composition changes of the lactating rabbit. Proceedings of the third congress of the World Rabbit Science Association, vol. 1, pp. 438–443.Google Scholar
Lebas, F. 1972. Effect de la simultaneity de la lactation et de la gestation sur les performances laitieres chez la lapine. Annales de Zootechnie 21: 129–131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maertens, L. and De Groote, G. 1988. The influence of the dietary energy content on the performances of post-partum breeding does. Proceedings of the fourth congress of the World Rabbit Science Association, vol. 3, pp. 42–52.Google Scholar
Maertens, L., Vermeulen, A. and De Groote, G. 1988. Effect of post-partum breeding and pre-weaning litter management on the performances of hybrid does. Proceedings of the fourth congress of the World Rabbit Science Association, vol. 1, pp. 141–149.Google Scholar
Martin, M. M. S. and Donal, R. 1976. Comparaison d'un rythme de reproduction intensif et d'un rythme semi-intensif chez la lapine. Premier congres international cunicole, communication no. 75.Google Scholar
Mendez, J., Bias, J. C. de and Fraga, M. J. 1986. The effects of diet and remating interval after parturition on the reproductive performance of the commercial doe rabbit. Journal of Animal Science 62: 1624–1634.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parigi-Bini, R., Xiccato, G. and Cinetto, M. 1989. Influenza dell'intervallo parto-accoppiamento sulle prestazioni riproduttive delle coniglie fattrici. Rivista di Coniglicoltura 26: 51–57.Google Scholar
Partridge, G. G., Allan, S. J., Findlay, M. and Corrigall, W. 1984. The effects of reducing the remating interval after parturition on the reproductive performance of the commercial doe rabbit. Animal Production 39: 465–472.Google Scholar
Partridge, G. G., Lobley, G. E. and Fordyce, R. A. 1986. Energy and nitrogen metabolism of rabbits during pregnancy, lactation and concurrent pregnancy and lactation. British Journal of Nutrition 56: 199–207.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Perrier, G., Surdeau, P., Dib, B. and Plassier, J. L. 1982. Etude comparée de deux rythmes de reproduction chez la lapine. Troisièmes Journées de la recherche cunicole, communication no. 3.Google Scholar
Schlolaut, W. 1988. Present husbandry and management conditions and development trends in rabbit production. Proceedings of the fourth congress of the World Rabbit Science Association, vol. 1, pp. 93–112.Google Scholar
Surdeau, P., Matheron, G. and Perrier, G. 1980. Etude comparee de deux rythmes de reproduction chez la lapin de chair. Proceedings of the second congress of the World Rabbit Science Association, vol. 1, pp. 313–321.Google Scholar
Torres, S., Gerard, M. and Thibault, C. 1977. Fertility factors in lactating rabbits mated 24 hours and 25 days after parturition. Annales de Biologie Animale, Biochimie, Biophysiaue 17: 63–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Gelder, H. 1987. Quelques données sur la rentabilité en cuniculture. Revue de L'Agriculture 40: 1313–1323.Google Scholar