Effects of different housing systems on body development in crossbred F1 rabbit does
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2025v46n4p1289Keywords:
Animal welfare, Enriched cages, Collective housing systems.Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of different housing systems on body development in female rabbits (does). A total of 24 crossbred F1 does (½ New Zealand White and ½ California) were used. The experiment was carried out at the Rabbit Farming Unit of the Federal Institute of Minas Gerais, Bambuí Campus, from July 2020 to February 2021. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used, with three housing treatments: T1 – individual cage, T2 – enriched cage for two does, and T3 – collective pen with four does. The normality of the response variable (Y) was verified using the Shapiro-Wilk test, and homogeneity of variances with Bartlett’s test, followed by analysis of variance (ANOVA), all at a 5% significance level. Body development was assessed using the following parameters: weight at first insemination, final weight, weight at 120, 150 and 180 days of age, total weight gain, and daily weight gain from 120-150 and 150-180 days. The CRD was applied to the initial parameters (weight at first insemination, final weight), while the other variables followed a split-plot design, with housing system as the main factor and age (days) as the subplot factor. Housing system had no effect on final weight but significantly influenced weight at first insemination. Housing systems affected body weight only at 180 days of age. Total weight gain was not affected by housing system, except for daily gain from 120-150 days, where significant differences were found. Overall, housing systems significantly influenced the body development of rabbit does, demonstrating their importance in production management.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Wylliam Eduardo Alves Silva, Guilherme Rocha Moreira, Luiz Carlos Machado, Dienas Luísa Pereira, Cristiane Rocha Albuquerque, André Luiz Pinto dos Santos, Andressa Nathalie Nunes, Moacyr Cunha Filho, Frank Gomes-Silva, Iêda Maria de Siqueira Bezerra
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