Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences

Asian Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies (아세아태평양축산학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Influence of Age at Weaning on Caecal Content Characteristics and Post-weaning Performance and Health of Rabbits

  • Taranto, S. (Department. of Scienze Zootecniche e Ispezione degli Alimenti, Sezione B. Ferrara) ;
  • Di Meo, C. (Department. of Scienze Zootecniche e Ispezione degli Alimenti, Sezione B. Ferrara) ;
  • Stanco, G. (Department. of Scienze Zootecniche e Ispezione degli Alimenti, Sezione B. Ferrara) ;
  • Piccolo, G. (Department. of Scienze Zootecniche e Ispezione degli Alimenti, Sezione B. Ferrara) ;
  • Gazaneo, M.P. (Department. of Scienze Zootecniche e Ispezione degli Alimenti, Sezione B. Ferrara) ;
  • Nizza, A. (Department. of Scienze Zootecniche e Ispezione degli Alimenti, Sezione B. Ferrara)
  • Received : 2002.10.09
  • Accepted : 2003.05.28
  • Published : 2003.10.01
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

This study chiefly aimed to ascertain the effect of age at weaning on caecal content characteristics, post-weaning performance and health of rabbits. A secondary aim was to study the effect of dietary restriction on performance and health of rabbits. After delivery, 30 litters of 8 pups each, were housed in separate cages. Fifteen litters were weaned 24 days from birth (group W 24) while the other 15 were weaned at 28 days (group W28). After weaning, 53 rabbits of group W24 and 56 of group W28 were fed ad libitum (group LIB), while 53 rabbits of group W24 and 57 of group W28 were restricted (group RES). All the rabbits were kept in individual cages. Fourteen other rabbits of groups W24 (7 fed ad libitum and 7 restricted) and 7 of group W28 were sacrificed to obtain data regarding caecum weight and caecal content. Age at weaning affected neither the state of health nor the final live weight. In comparison with those of group W28, the rabbits weaned at 24 days had a lower daily gain until 35 days of age but gain was higher subsequently. From the 28th day, however, the feed intake and the feed conversion ratio of the group W24 rabbits were always better than those of W28. The restricted diet until 42 days resulted in a lower weight both at 42 days (1,078 vs. 1,164 g) and at 70 days (2,192 vs. 2,294 g). Indeed, from the 42nd day, despite receiving feed ad libitum the rabbits of the restricted group continued to ingest less feed (120.8 vs. 127.2 g) than those of the ad libitum group, and had a slightly lower daily gain (39.8 vs. 40.3 g). The measurements carried out on the caecum highlighted significant differences among the groups in caecal content (33.1 vs. 31.7 vs. 25.3 g respectively for groups W24LIB, W28 and W24RES), for total volatile fatty acids (53.2 vs. 50.6 vs. 44.5 mmol/l respectively for groups W24LIB, W28and W24RES) for ammonia (7.0 vs. 7.2vs 8.8 mmol/l respectively for groups W24LIB, W28 and W24RES), for propionate (5.7 vs. 6.3 vs. 8.1% respectively for groups W24LIB, W28 and W24RES) and for propionate/butyrate (0.33 vs. 0.36 vs. 0.49 respectively for groups W24LIB, W28 and W24RES).

Keywords

References

  1. AOAC. 1984. Official Methods of Analysis. 15th edn. Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Arlington, Virginia.
  2. Cadau, M., G. Delpon and J. Fioramonti. 1978. Influence de la nature des glucides membranaires sur le dévelopment anatomofonctionnel du tracts digestif du lapin. In: Proceedings 2èmes Journées de la Recherche Cunicole, 4-5 April, Toulouse, INRA ed., Toulouse, 1.1-1.4.
  3. Ferguson, F. A., S. D. Lukefahr and J. I. McNitt. 1997. A technical note on artificial milk feeding of rabbit kits weaned at 14 days. World Rabbit Sci. 5:65-70.
  4. Gidenne, T., F. Scalabrini and C. Marchais. 1991. Adaption digestive du lapin a la teneur en constituants parietux du regime. Ann. Zootech. 40:73-84.
  5. Gidenne, T. 1995. Effect of fibre level reduction and glucooligosaccharide addition on the growth performance and caecal fermentation in the growing rabbits. Anim. Feed. Sci. Technol. 56:253-262.
  6. Gidenne, T. 1996. Nutritional and ontogenic factors affecting rabbit caeco-colic digestive physiology. In: Proceedings 6th World Rabbit Congress. Toulouse. 13-28.
  7. Gidenne, T. and L. Fortun-Lamothe. 2001. Early weaning: effect on performance and health. In: Proceeding 2nd Meeting of workgroup 3 and 4, COST Action 848. Godollo, Hungary.
  8. Lebas, F. and J. P. Laplace. 1972. Mesurations viscerales chez le lapin. 1) Croissance du foie, des reins et des divers segments intestinaux entre 3 et 11 semaines d'age. Ann. Zootech, 21:37-47.
  9. McNitt, J. I. and G. L. Moody. 1992. A method for weaning rabbit kits at 14 days. J. Appl. Rabbit Res. 15:661-665.
  10. Muriu, J. I., E. N. Njoka-Njiru, J. K. Tuitoek and J. N. Nanua. 2002. Evaluation of sorghum (sorghum bicolor) as replacement for maize in the diet of growing rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 15:565-569.
  11. Nizza, A., G. Stanco, C. Di Meo, M. L. Marongiu, S. Taranto, M. I. Cutrignelli and L. Juliano. 2002. Effect of pre-weaning solid feed and milk intake on caecal content characteristics and performance of rabbits around weaning. Ital. J. Anim. Sci. 1:95-101.
  12. Padilha, M. T. S., D. Licois, T. Gidenne, B. Carre and G. Fonty. 1995. Relationships between microflora and caecal fermentation in rabbits before and after weaning. Reprod. Nutr. Dev., 35:375-386.
  13. Piattoni, F. 1994. Lo svezzamento. Riv. Di Coniglicoltura. 10:20-26.
  14. Piattoni, F. and L. Maertens. 1999. Effect of weaning age and solid feed distribution before weaning on the caecal fermentation pattern of young rabbits. 11. Arbeitstagung uber Haltung und Krankheiten der kaninchen, Pelztiere und Heimtiere, Celle, Ed. Deutsche Vet. Med. Gesellschaft e. V., Giessen. 97-105.
  15. Piattoni, F., L. Maertens and D. Mazzoni. 1999. Effect of weaning age and solid feed distribution before weaning on performances and caecal traits of young rabbits. In: Proceedings 2nd Intern. Conference on Rabbit Production in Hot Climates. Cahiers Options Mediterraneennes. 41:85-92.
  16. Prud’hon, M. and L. Bel. 1968. Le sevrage precoce des lapereaux et la reproduction des lapines. Ann. Zootech. 17:23-30.
  17. SAS Institute Inc., 1989. SAS/STAT User's Guide: Statistics. Version 6. 4th edn. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, North Carolina.
  18. Scapinello, C., T. Gidenne and L. Fortun-Lamothe. 1999. Digestive capacity of the rabbit during the post-weaning period, according to the milk/solid feed intake pattern before weaning. Reprod. Nutr. Dev. 39:423-432.
  19. Szendro, Zs., Gy. Mihalovics, G. Milisits, E. Biro-Nemeth and I. Radnai. 2000. Effect of reduction of feeding time on performances and carcass quality of growing rabbits. In: Proceedings of the 7th World Rabbit Congress, Toulouse. Vol. C. 459-465.
  20. Troino, A., G. Xiccato, A. Sartori and P. I. Queaque. 2001. Effect of starter diet and weaning age on growth caecal fermentation and body composition of young rabbits. In: Proceeding 2nd Meeting of workgroup 3 and 4, COST Action 848. Godollo, Hungary.
  21. Van Soest, P. J., J. B. Robertson and B. A. Lewis. 1991. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber and non starch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. J. Dairy Sci. 74:3583-3597.
  22. Xiccato, G., A. Trocino, A. Sartori and P. I. Queaque. 2000. Early weaning of rabbits: effect of age and diet on weaning and postweaning performance. In: Proceedings of the 7th World Rabbit Congress, Toulouse. Vol. C.483-490.

Cited by

  1. Effects of a short-term feed restriction on growth performance, blood metabolites and hepatic IGF-1 levels in growing rabbits vol.25, pp.3, 2017, https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2017.6478
  2. Evaluation of the carryover effect of antibiotic, bee pollen and propolis on growth performance, carcass traits and splenic and hepatic histology of growing rabbits pp.09312439, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.13068
  3. The Yield and Composition of Milk from Transgenic Rabbits vol.20, pp.4, 2007, https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2007.482