Effect of solid intake stimulation of suckling rabbit in the nest on survival and growth performance

Sylvie Combes (1) , Sylia Ikken (1) , Thierry Gidenne (1) , Elodie Balmisse (2) , Patrick Aymard (2) , Angelique Travel (3)

1 GenPhySE - Génétique Physiologie et Systèmes d'Elevage
2 PECTOUL - Pôle d'Expérimentation Cunicole TOULousain
3 ITAVI

The objective of our study was to stimulate the solid intake of suckling rabbit by modulating the age of access to pelleted solid feed (8 days vs 18 days) or protein-starch ratio of the pellet. Three groups of 17 litters were used. In group 1, suckling rabbits had access to P + A- pellet (13.5% digestible protein, 6.8% starch) as early as 8 days in the nest. In group 2, the suckling rabbits had access to the same pelleted feed but only from 18 days in feeders. In group 3, the suckling rabbits were fed from 18 days with a P-A + pelleted feed in feeders (digestible protein: 9.9%, starch 8.9%). At weaning (35 days), the young rabbits of all 3 groups were fed at 80% of the voluntary intake. The health status was monitored on a daily basis, the milk production of the does was measured twice a week. Live weight and feed consumption of the young rabbits, were measured in the nest between 8 and 18 days, and after nest removal until slaughter weight (18-70 days). The mortality rate was not different between the groups (2.8% between 8 and 35 days, and 0.4% between 35 and 70 days). In group 1, the ingestion of pelleted feed in the nest between 8 and 18 days was 0.75 pellet/rabbit/day. This early consumption of pelleted feed did not affect the milk production of the does or the growth until weaning of the young rabbits. During the period 35-70 days, group 3 had the highest growth (39.5±0.4 g/d), the lowest was observed for group 2 (37.6±0.4 g/days) while group 1 has an intermediate value (38.8±0.5 g/d). These results confirm the ability of young rabbits to ingest a solid feed with no adverse effect on health. In our favorable sanitary conditions, the lowest protein-starch ratio feed shows an interest in post-weaning growth of young rabbits

Mots clés: lapin; nutrition; sevrage; ingestion

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

Sylvie Combes, Sylia Ikken, Thierry Gidenne, Elodie Balmisse, Patrick Aymard, et al.. Effect of solid intake stimulation of suckling rabbit in the nest on survival and growth performance. 68. Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production (EAAP), Aug 2017, Tallinn, Estonia. 513 p. ⟨hal-01613623⟩