The influence of environment enrichment (gnawing stick) on some performance and carcass traits of male rabbits

Abstract

Housing of rabbits in individual wire cages enables the animals to satisfy only the basic vital necessities; their environment is much poorer than in the wild. In such poor environment the welfare of animals is questionable. However, the environment can be enriched in different ways. Very simple and inexpensive, but very effective enrichment represents the addition of gnawing wood. This kind of enrichment and the reaction of rabbits was studied in two experiments. Each, spring and summer experiment included 40, seven to thirteen weeks old fattening rabbits. All 80 animals were New Zealand White males line SIKA. In both experiments together rabbits gnawed 5.03±0.91g of wooden stick, which means that on average each individual rabbit gnawed 0.14±0.02g of wooden stick daily. Enrichment of environment with wood had no significant influence on weight gain, carcass weight, or weight of gastrointestinal tract. Rabbits fattened in summer experiment had 3.12±1.34g (P=0.0226) higher average daily weight gain and 21,23±10.17g (P=0.0408) lighter carcass weight than rabbits fattened in spring experiment. The reason for discrepancy between higher average daily weight gain and lighter carcass weight can be found in heavier gastrointestinal tract of rabbits fattened in summer experiment. The difference in weight of gastrointestinal tract between repetitions was 17.36±10.64g, but it was not significant (P=0.1078).