Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T12:25:26.581Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Performance and mortality of farmed hares

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 February 2015

N. Rigo ,
A. Trocino ,
L. Poppi ,
M. Giacomelli ,
G. Grilli  and
A. Piccirillo
N. Rigo
Affiliation:
Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
A. Trocino
Affiliation:
Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
L. Poppi
Affiliation:
Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
M. Giacomelli
Affiliation:
Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
G. Grilli
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health, University of Milan, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy
A. Piccirillo*
Affiliation:
Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Performance and mortality of hares were evaluated for 2 consecutive years in a large farm in Veneto Region (Northern Italy). On average, fertile reproductive pairs (n=318) gave birth 4.8 times and produced 11.4 live leverets, weaned 8.4 leverets and produced 7.0 growing hares (60 days) every year. Mean mortality was 3.6%, 22.9%, 9.7% and 2.5% in newborn (0 to 2 days of age), suckling (3 to 25 days), growing (26 to 60 days) and sub-adult (61 days until sale) hares, respectively. The main causes of mortality were enteric diseases (75.5%, 75.9% and 12.1% in suckling, growing and sub-adult hares, respectively), followed by respiratory diseases (3.4%, 8.0% and 36.2% in suckling, growing and sub-adult hares, respectively), starvation (11.3% and 8.8% in suckling and growing hares, respectively) and trauma (7.1%, 2.3% and 30.2% in suckling, growing and sub-adult hares, respectively). In reproducing hares, mortality was 24.7% and 15.4% in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Respiratory diseases (34.8%) and ulcerative pododermatitis (18.9%) were the most common pathological changes detected in reproducing hares. Farmed hares seem to be affected by diseases resembling those of rabbits reared under intensive conditions. It seems necessary to improve the husbandry of hares to reach satisfactory technical standards and to preserve their health.

Keywords

haresperformancemortalitypathologyenteric disease
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 9 , Issue 6 , June 2015 , pp. 1025 - 1031
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2015 

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

Agnoletti, F, Bano, L, Comin, D, Parenti, E, Marcati, M, Bertolin, M and Mazzolini, E 2004. Selective culture medium to isolate Clostridium spiroforme from rabbit gut. In Proceedings of the 8th World Rabbit Congress, 7–10 September, Puebla, Mexico, pp. 410–415. Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://world-rabbitscience.com/ Google Scholar
Cocchi, M, Drigo, I, Bacchin, C, Bano, L, Marcon, B and Agnoletti, F 2008. Toxin-genotyping of Clostridium perfringens strains isolated from rabbits with enteric disease. In Proceedings of the 9th World Rabbit Congress, 10–13 June, Verona, Italy, pp. 921–924. Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://world-rabbitscience.com/ Google Scholar
Coudert, P, Rideaud, P, Virag, G and Cerrone, A 2006. Pasteurellosis in rabbits. In Recent Advances in Rabbit Sciences (ed. L Maertens and P Coudert), pp. 147–162. ILVO, Melle, Belgium. Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://world-rabbit-science.com/Documents/Cost848.pdf Google Scholar
de Blas, JC, Chamorro, S, García-Alonso, J, García-Rebollar, P, García-Ruiz, AI, Gómez-Conde, MS, Menoyo, D, Nicodemus, N, Romero, C and Carabaño, R 2012. Nutritional digestive disturbances in weaned rabbits. Animal Feed Science and Technology 173, 102–110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ducluzeau, B, Dubos, F, Martinet, L and Raibaud, P 1975. Digestive tract microflora in healthy and diarrheic young hares born in captivity. Annales de Biologie Animale, Biochimie et Biophysique 15, 529–539.Google Scholar
Ferretti, M, Paci, G, Porrini, S, Galardi, L and Bagliacca, M 2010. Habitat use and home range traits of resident and relocated hares (Lepus europaeus, Pallas). Italian Journal of Animal Science 9, 278–284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geisel, O and Linke, RP 1988. Generalized AA-amyloidosis in two hares (Lepus europaeus) immunohistochemically identified using poly- and monoclonal antibodies. Veterinary Pathology 25, 391–393.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Griffiths, IR and Whitwell, KE 1993. Leporine dysautonomia: further evidence that hares suffer from grass sickness. Veterinary Record 132, 376–377.Google Scholar
Licois, D, Coudert, P and Marlier, D 2006. Epizootic rabbit enteropathy. In Recent Advances in Rabbit Sciences (ed. L Maertens and P Coudert), pp. 163–170. ILVO, Melle, Belgium. Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://world-rabbit-science.com/Documents/Cost848.pdf Google Scholar
Mantovani, C 1996. L’allevamento della lepre in Francia. Rivista di Coniglicoltura 33, 25–31.Google Scholar
Miragoli, M 2007. Analisi della mortalità in un allevamento di lepri nel periodo riproduttivo. Thesis degree, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.Google Scholar
Nioli, A 2006. Sistemi biotecnologici innovativi connessi alle strutture per l’allevamento dei lagomorfi. Thesis PhD, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Naples, Italy. Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://www.fedoa-old.unina.it/1457/1/Nioli_Produzione_Sanit%C3%A0_Alimenti.pdf Google Scholar
Paci, G and Bagliacca, M 2003. La lepre e l’ambiente agricolo. Large Animal Review 9, 47–55.Google Scholar
Paci, G, Folliero, M, Ambrogi, C, Pedonese, F, Ebani, VV and Bagliacca, M 1998. L'impiego della paglia di avena e dell'acqua clorata nell'allevamento della lepre. In Annali della Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Pisa, vol. LI, pp. 325-336. Felici Editore, Pisa, Italy. Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://publicazioni1.altervista.org/papers/148.pdf Google Scholar
Peeters, JE 2000. Introducción. In Enfermedades del Conejo (ed. JM Rosell), pp. 168–179. Ediciones Mundi Prensa, Madrid, Spain.Google Scholar
Pisoni, AM, Poloni, R, Tosi, R, Gallazzi, D and Grilli, G 2007. Osservazioni sulla sensibilità agli antibiotici di alcuni patogeni isolati da conigli da carne. In Proceedings of the Giornate di Coniglicoltura ASIC, 26–27 September, Forlì, Italy, pp. 79–81. Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://www.asic-wrsa.it/documenti/giornate2007/12_Pisoni.pdf Google Scholar
Romboli, I, Bagliacca, M and Cringoli, G 1984. Effetto di gabbia sulla produttività della lepre europea (Lepus europaeus Pallas). In Annali della Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Pisa, vol. XXXVII, pp. 329-339. Pacini Editore, Pisa, Italy. Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://publicazioni1.altervista.org/papers/6.pdf Google Scholar
Rosell, JM and de la Fuente, LF 2013. Assessing ulcerative pododermatitis of breeding rabbits. Animals 3, 318–326.Google Scholar
Sánchez-García, C, Alonso, ME, Díez, C, Pablos, M and Gaudioso, VR 2012. An approach to the statistics of wild lagomorph captive rearing for releasing purposes in Spain. World Rabbit Science 29, 49–56.Google Scholar
Spagnesi, M and Trocchi, V 1992. La Lepre. Biologia, Allevamento, Patologia, Gestione. Edizioni Edagricole, Bologna, Italia.Google Scholar
Strauß, E, Grauer, A, Bartel, M, Klein, R, Wenzelides, L, Greiser, G, Muchin, A, Nösel, H and Winter, A 2008. The German wildlife information system: population densities and development of European Hare (Lepus europaeus PALLAS) during 2002–2005 in Germany. European Journal of Wildlife Research 54, 142–147.Google Scholar
Tocchini, M, Fronte, B, Nelli, G, Fichi, G and Sammuri, G 2000. Performance riproduttive della lepre allevata in cattività a fini di ripopolamento faunistico-venatorio. In Annali della Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Pisa, vol. LI, pp. 189–200. Edizioni Felici, Pisa, Italy.Google Scholar
Trocchi, V and Riga, F 2005. I Lagomorfi in Italia. Linee guida per la conservazione e la gestione. Min. Politiche Agricole e Forestali - Ist. Naz. Fauna Selvatica, Documenti Tecnici, 25, 1–128. Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://www.nunatak.it/approfondimenti/capitoli/lagomorfi1.pdf Google Scholar
Vankraeynest, D, Hermans, K and Haesebrouck, F 2006. Recent advances in rabbit staphylococcosis research. In Recent Advances in Rabbit Sciences (ed. L Maertens and P Coudert), pp. 133–138. ILVO, Melle, Belgium. Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://world-rabbit-science.com/Documents/Cost848.pdf Google Scholar