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Descripción
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| The aim of this review was to describe how reproductive rhythm affects welfare and performance of rabbit does. In the last 15 years the profitability of rabbit farms has increased mainly due to improvements in management and genetic selection but several problems related to animal welfare have also occurred. The replacement and the mortality rates of female per year are very high and the replaced does often show poor body condition and poor health status. Kindling order, litter size, genetic strain, weaning age affect the reproductive performance and welfare of females, but reproductive rhythm can modulate the amplitude of these effects. The rabbit doe of modern genetic strains produces a lot of milk with high energetic value, which leads to a strong mobilization of body fat resulting in a negative energy balance. In the current reproductive rhythms (Artificial Insemination of does 11 days after kindling), there is an extensive overlap between lactation and gestation. The resulting energetic and hormonal antagonism reduces the fertility rate and lifespan of the doe. Strategies to optimize these parameters are discussed. Since the factors involved in this system are predetermined (genetic strain, environment) the most powerful way to improve doe welfare is to choose a reproductive rhythm more adapted to the physiology of the does. | |
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Internacional
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Si |
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ISSN o ISBN
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Entidad relacionada
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4º Congreso de Cunicultura de las Américas |
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Nacionalidad Entidad
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Sin nacionalidad |
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Lugar del congreso
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Córdoba (Argentina) |