Rabbit Farms Research Articles

Cage enrichment to minimize aggression in part-time group-housed female breeding rabbits.

In most rabbit farms, breeding does kindle and nurse their kits in single-litter cages throughout their entire reproduction cycle. However, the protective behavior can lead to aggressive displays and injuries when the does are housed in groups. This study aimed to evaluate cage enrichment for reducing the agonistic behavior in part-time group-housed does. A total of eighty does with their 22-day-old kits were allocated to 20 multi-litter cages, with each cage housing four does and their litters for 10 days. Each multi-litter group was subjected to one of four treatments: alfalfa blocks as distraction material (A), wooden panels underneath the platforms (P), both alfalfa and wooden panels (AP), or no extra enrichment (controls, C). This experiment was replicated for three consecutive reproduction cycles. The skin injuries of the does and the kits were scored with a tagged visual analog scale before grouping and at one, three, six, eight, and 10 days after grouping. Computer vision techniques were used to continuously monitor rabbit activity and agonistic behavior (aggression and fleeing/chasing) during the first 24 h after grouping, specifically during light hours. During the first day in the group, 67.2% of the does and 13.4% of the kits acquired new injuries. This increased to 82.0 and 33.2%, respectively after 10 days in the group relative to the onset of grouping. The injury scores of the does increased toward the sixth day after grouping compared to the first (p < 0.001) and were highest on the tenth day for the kits (p < 0.001). On all the observation days, the number of injured does was higher in C compared to A (p = 0.04) and AP treatment (p = 0.005). There were no other treatment effects observed on the doe or kit skin injuries. Rabbit activity was highest after grouping but decreased after the first and second days (p < 0.001). The agonistic interactions between the does involved more fleeing/chasing behavior (62.0%) rather than aggression (38.0%). Although hierarchy fights are likely when unacquainted does are group-housed, the many animals that sustained injuries and the high injury scores confirm that part-time group housing for does is challenging and possibly inevitable. This study has shown that alfalfa, with or without wooden panels, can slightly reduce the number of injured does.

Antibiotic resistance spectrums of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. strains against commonly used antimicrobials from commercial meat-rabbit farms in Chengdu City, Southwest China.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is commonly associated with the inappropriate use of antibiotics during meat-rabbit production, posing unpredictable risks to rabbit welfare and public health. However, there is limited research on the epidemiological dynamics of antibiotic resistance among bacteria indicators derived from local healthy meat-rabbits. To bridge the knowledge gap between antibiotic use and AMR distribution, a total of 75 Escherichia coli (E. coli) and 210 Enterococcus spp. strains were successfully recovered from fecal samples of healthy meat-rabbits. The results revealed that diverse AMR phenotypes against seven commonly used antimicrobials, including ampicillin (AMP), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (A/C), doxycycline (DOX), enrofloxacin (ENR), florfenicol (FFC), gentamicin (GEN), and polymycin B (PMB), were observed among most strains of E. coli and Enterococcus spp. in two rabbit farms, although the distribution pattern of antibiotic resistance between young and adult rabbits was similar. Among them, 66 E. coli strains showed resistance against 6 antimicrobials except for PMB. However, 164 Enterococcus spp. strains only exhibited acquired resistance against DOX and GEN. Notably, the DOX-based AMR phenotypes for E. coli and Enterococcus spp. strains were predominant, indicating the existing environmental stress conferred by DOX exposure. The MICs tests suggested elevated level of antibiotic resistance for resistant bacteria. Unexpectedly, all GEN-resistant Enterococcus spp. strains resistant high-level gentamicin (HLGR). By comparison, the blaTEM, tetA, qnrS and floR were highly detected among 35 multi-resistant E. coli strains, and aac[6']-Ie-aph[2']-Ia genes widely spread among the 40 double-resistant Enterococcus spp. strains. Nevertheless, the presence of ARGs were not concordant with the resistant phenotypes for a portion of resistant bacteria. In conclusion, the distribution of AMR and ARGs are prevalent in healthy meat-rabbits, and the therapeutic antimicrobials use in farming practice may promote the antibiotic resistance transmission among indicator bacteria. Therefore, periodic surveillance of antibiotic resistance in geographic locations and supervisory measures for rational antibiotic use are imperative strategies for combating the rising threats posed by antibiotic resistance, as well as maintaining rabbit welfare and public health.

Combining traditional and spiking neural networks for energy-efficient detection of Eimeria parasites

The detection of bacterial and viral microbes is pivotal for both human and animal well-being in the public health services and for veterinary care. Even in a laboratory, the isolation of microorganisms requires time-consuming procedures and expert technicians. However, the rise of Machine Learning and Deep Learning has seen a surge in the application of techniques that can be applied outside the laboratory to classify microorganisms using microscopy images. Yet, despite their success in various domains, Deep Learning approaches tend to have high energy demands, which can in some contexts limit their application, increasing both costs and environmental concerns. In this study, a novel hybrid methodology was proposed in which an Artificial Neural Network was combined with a Spiking Neural Network. A quality measure was proposed to assess the effectiveness of the hybrid models, in which their energy efficiency, energy consumption patterns, performance levels and accuracy were all considered. The synergy of both methods markedly reduced the energy footprint of deep-learning models programmed to detect microorganisms, increasing their environmental sustainability and the feasibility of their use in places with little or no electricity supply. The efficacy of our model was demonstrated through the detection and the classification of different species of the Eimeria parasite on chicken and rabbit farms.

Natural Ventilation to Manage Ammonia Concentration and Temperature in a Rabbit Barn in Central Mexico

The concentration of ammonia (NH3) and the temperature of the air surrounding the rabbit habitat in the farm condition basic health processes such as breathing and feeding. The indoor climate in a rabbit farm is largely conditioned by the ventilation system (air conditioning). The objective of this study was to build a numerical model based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in order to evaluate, by numerical simulations, the air dynamics of a rustic farm. After the validation of the computational model, the thermal gradient and ammonia concentration were analyzed under three wind incidence angles (0°, 45°, and 90° with respect to the horizontal Z axis of the facility). The results of the simulations showed that, in the area occupied by the rabbits (AOR), the concentration of ammonia with respect to the source was reduced by 37.3% in the most favorable case (wind direction at 45°), and 21.2% in the least favorable case (wind direction at 0°), and the indoor temperature presented a maximum difference of 2 °C with respect to the outside temperature. Climate control is a more expensive cost in rabbit farm exploitation; dynamics modulation can serve as an auxiliary tool for reducing health risks in rabbits. The use of models based on fluid dynamics allowed us to understand the efficiency of the ventilation system, which must be increased to reduce the found temperature gradient. Through numerical simulation it will be possible to find alternatives to increase the ventilation rate.

Rabbits as a Reservoir of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli: Clonal Lineages and Public Health Impact.

Escherichia coli, including extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)-producing strains, poses a global health threat due to multidrug resistance, compromising food safety and environmental integrity. In industrial settings, rabbits raised for meat have the highest consumption of antimicrobial agents compared to other food-producing animals. The European Union is facing challenges in rabbit farming as rabbit consumption declines and antibiotic-resistant strains of E. coli cause enteric diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibiotic resistance profile, genetic diversity, and biofilm formation in cefotaxime-resistant E. coli strains isolated from twenty rabbit farms in Northern Portugal to address the effect of the pressing issue of antibiotic resistance in the rabbit farming industry. Resistance to critically antibiotics was observed, with high levels of resistance to several categories, such as tetracycline, ampicillin, aztreonam, and streptomycin. However, all isolates were susceptible to cefoxitin and imipenem. Multidrug resistance was common, with strains showing resistance to all antibiotics tested. The blaCTX-M variants (blaCTX-3G and blaCTX-M9), followed by the tetracycline resistance genes, were the most frequent resistance genes found. ST10 clones exhibiting significant resistance to various categories of antibiotics and harboring different resistance genes were detected. ST457 and ST2325 were important sequence types due to their association with ESBL-E. coli isolates and have been widely distributed in a variety of environments and host species. The strains evaluated showed a high capacity for biofilm formation, which varied when they were grouped by the number of classes of antibiotics to which they showed resistance (i.e., seven different classes of antibiotics, six classes of antibiotics, and three/four/five classes of antibiotics). The One Health approach integrates efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance in rabbit farming through interdisciplinary collaboration of human, animal, and environmental health. Our findings are worrisome and raise concerns. The extensive usage of antibiotics in rabbit farming emphasizes the urgent need to establish active surveillance systems.

EFFECT OF SEX AND AGE ON MORPHOMETRIC, PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BLOOD PROFILE OF MIXED BRED RABBIT

This study was conducted to assess the morphometric, physiological and blood parameters of mixbred rabbits at different ages. One hundred and sixty rabbits comprising New Zealand White and Chinchilla Crossbreds were used. Body weight and body linear parameters were measured and recorded on weekly basis. Generalised Linear Model Procedure of SAS software was used to analyse the data set to examine the effects of sex and age on these parameters. The results indicated that sex significantly (P&lt;0.05) affected morphometric and physiological parameters at 4, 8, 12, 32 and 48 weeks. Does (female rabbits) performed better than bucks (male rabbits) in almost all the traits studied. Buck at 8 weeks had higher rectal temperature while, higher values for pulse rate were recorded among the does and bucks at 32 weeks. Higher respiratory rate was observed in bucks at 48 weeks and for does at 32-48 weeks. Sex however had no significant effect on all haematological parameters. Sex had significant effect (P&lt;0.05) on aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), alkaline phosphate (ALP), cholesterol (CHOL), triglyceride (TRG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), urea, creatinine and globulin (GLOB) of the crossbred rabbits at different ages. The higher aspartate amino transfererase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), alkaline phosphate (ALP), cholesterol (CHOL), triglyceride (TRG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), globulin (GLOB) and urea were recorded in bucks at 48 weeks while the lowest low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was recorded for bucks at 32 weeks but creatinine was higher at 48 weeks of age among the does. Age had significant (P&lt;0.05) effect on morphometric, physiological and blood parameters. The highest rectal temperature was recorded at 8 weeks of age while highest respiratory rate was recorded for rabbits at 48 weeks. The higher creatinine, basophils and urea values were recorded for rabbits at 48 weeks old. Body weight influenced the morphometric, physiology and blood parameter of crossbred rabbits. It can be suggested to rabbit farmers that sex and age must be taken into account for optimal production.

Unveiling a Listeria monocytogenes Outbreak in a Rabbit Farm: Clinical Manifestation, Antimicrobial Resistance, Genomic Insights and Environmental Investigation.

Listeria monocytogenes poses a threat to both human and animal health. This work describes an L. monocytogenes outbreak in a Portuguese rabbit farm, detailing the isolates' clinical manifestations, necropsy findings, and phenotypic and genomic profiles. Clinical signs, exclusively observed in does, included lethargy and reproductive signs. Post-mortem examination of does revealed splenomegaly, hepatomegaly with a reticular pattern, pulmonary congestion, and haemorrhagic lesions in the uterus, with thickening of the uterine wall and purulent greyish exudates. Positive L. monocytogenes samples were identified in fattening and maternity units across different samples, encompassing does and environmental samples. Core-genome Multi Locus Sequence Typing (cgMLST) analysis confirmed the outbreak, with the 16 sequenced isolates (lineage II, CC31, and ST325) clustering within a ≤2 allelic difference (AD) threshold. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing for five antibiotics revealed that 15 out of 19 outbreak isolates were resistant to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SXT). Concordantly, all SXT-resistant sequenced isolates were found to exclusively harbour a plasmid containing a trimethoprim-resistance gene (dfrD), along with loci linked to resistance to lincosamides (lnuG), macrolides (mphB), and polyether ionophores (NarAB operon). All sequenced outbreak isolates carried the antibiotic resistance-related genes tetM, fosX, lin, norB, lmrB, sul, and mprF. The outbreak cluster comprises isolates from does and the environment, which underscores the ubiquitous presence of L. monocytogenes and emphasizes the importance of biosecurity measures. Despite limited data on listeriosis in rabbit farming, this outbreak reveals its significant impact on animal welfare and production.

Unlocking the potential of local rabbit population: morphological insights for sustainable rabbit farming in Burkina Faso’s challenging environments

This study explores the potential of rabbits as a sustainable solution for poverty alleviation and food security in Burkina Faso, a country facing socio-economic and environmental challenges. In the context of limited resources and employment opportunities, rabbits offer advantages such as small size, short generation interval and high reproductive capacity. The research focuses on characterising the morphology of Burkina Faso’s local rabbit population, comparing it with two Italian breeds: a local medium-growing breed called Leprino di Viterbo (LV) and a fast-growing hybrid (a crossbred New Zealand × California, NZC). Utilising path analysis and principal component analysis, the study identifies key morphometric traits crucial for breeding programs and examines the influence of specific traits on body weight (BW) gain and heat stress resilience through ‘Transpiration Indexes.’ Findings highlight the importance of variables like chest girth (CG), abdominal girth (AG), rump width (RW) and nose to shoulders length (NSL) in influencing body weight (BW) and reveal significant size and shape differences among the breeds. The study suggests potential climate adaptation in Burkina Faso’s rabbit population, providing practical insights for breeding programs in resource-constrained regions. This research not only advances scientific understanding but also provides practical insights for breeding programs in resource-constrained regions, emphasising the importance of certain morphological traits for heat dissipation.

Transcriptomic responses of rabbits to infections by precocious line and wild-type Eimeria media: revealing molecular signatures and pathway differences in liver and duodenum during the peak and terminal phases of oocyst production.

Eimeria media is a principal pathogen responsible for rabbit coccidiosis, targeting the rabbit's intestinal epithelial cells. This parasitism damages the intestinal mucosal barrier, initiating a systemic immune and inflammatory response that jeopardizes the sustainable growth of rabbit farming. To understand the implications of infection on the host's immune and metabolic responses, we employed RNA-Seq to analyze RNA from the liver and duodenum tissues of post-infected rabbits infected with both the precocious line and wild-type strain of E.media. Comprehensive transcriptomic analysis revealed that the two parasites exhibit divergent transcriptomic imprints on host tissues. While the precocious line predominantly modulates immune-centric pathways with significant differential gene enrichment, wild-type strain favors pathways that affect metabolism. In addition, our study pinpointed a set of genes that undergo significant modifications in response to these effects. These revelations grant a fresh avenue to probe deeper into the symbiotic intricacies of the E.media and its rabbit host.

Potential, challenges and prospects of rabbit farming in urban and peri-urban areas of Dodoma city, Tanzania

This study highlights the current status of rabbit production, potential challenges facing the industry and the prospects for rabbit farming in Dodoma city, Tanzania. Data from 60 individuals keeping rabbits were collected through a structured questionnaire and direct observation. Results showed that 60% of the respondents were men and 40% women. Rabbits were kept mainly as a source of meat for families and income generation. Main sources of rabbit stock were local breeders (55%) and missionaries (25%), while the remainder were from agricultural institutes. The dominant rabbit breeds reared were California white (50%), New Zealand white (30%), Chinchilla (10%) and Dutch (10%). Ninety-five percent of the farmers kept rabbits in cages, while 5% confined them at night and let them out during the day to forage for feed. Fifteen percent of the respondents fed commercial rabbit pellets, 5% vegetables and kitchen waste only, whereas 80% fed both rabbit pellets, vegetables and kitchen waste. The number of rabbits kept by an individual farmer ranged from 5 to 180, with mean stock size of 22.80±11.20 (mean±standard deviation). Rabbits were sold at 8 to 12 wk of age and each rabbit was sold for 20 000 to 30 000 Tanzanian shillings (8.00 – 12.00 USD). Major challenges in rabbit production were lack of feed resources, lack of readily available market, poor quality of breeding stock, low knowledge of rabbit production techniques and lack of technical support from extension services. Although rabbit farming in Dodoma is carried out at subsistence level, it is associated with a decrease in poverty among urban and peri-urban farmers. In conclusion, rabbit production in urban and peri-urban areas of Tanzania has the potential to contribute to food and nutrition security and poverty alleviation, thus improving living standards.

Reproduction mode and Strain effects on Rabbit Breeding Performances

This study was carried out to determine the impact of the mode of reproduction and the strain (male and female) of rabbits on some zootechnical and reproduction parameters. For that, monitoring was carried out in 2019 in the region of Setif (North Eastern Algeria) on a semi-intensive breeding of 25 crossbreed rabbits. The statistical analysis showed a very highly significant effect of the mode of reproduction on the number of mating per fertilizing mating (P= 0.0001) with an average of 1 ± 0 in AI (Fertility rate of 80%), while it was of 1.45 ± 0.51 in natural breeding with a fertility rate of 61%. The weight of the rabbits at weaning was higher in AI than in natural mating (587.25 ± 338.19 g vs. 575.0 ± 375.44 g, respectively). The results relating to the number of total born, born alive, weaned rabbits, the farrowing-mating interval and the farrowing-fertilizing mating interval in natural mode were respectively of (7.4 ± 3.12), (4.55 ± 3.12), (4.55 ± 3.12), (12.65 ± 2.30), (19.15 ± 3.58); and in AI: (6.90 ± 4.12), (5.75 ± 4 .12), (5.75 ± 4.12), (11.65 ± 2.05), (18.99 ± 3.2) (P&amp;gt;0.05). Furthermore, and regarding the strains, data revealed that the females did not have any significant effect on the variables studied. On the contrary, the male had a very highly significant effect on the number of mating per fertilizing mating (p = 0.000), while it had no impact on the other parameters (P&amp;gt;0.05). To conclude, the control and the management of reproduction is the key to success in rabbit breeding, thus the combination of rearing condition and genetic effects is the main tool for making rabbit farming successful.

Phyllite (rock dust) as inorganic mineral source in rabbit supplementation

Rabbit farming is a growing activity, which implies need for precision nutrition aimed at best animal’s performance and health. Given some restrictions on the use of mineral sources in animal nutrition, inorganic supplementation with rock dust becomes an interesting alternative. The objective was to evaluate the effect of rock dust as an alternative source of inorganic balsistic mineral in nutrition. Three treatments were tested: (1) control group without addition of rock dust or phyllite, (2) kale group, treated with 13g of cabbage/animal/day and (3) phyllite group, treated with 1.5% rock dust addition. Eight animals per group were evaluated in vivo for weight gain, feed intake, shank thickness, average daily weight gain, calcium excretion by bromatology in feces and urine. After slaughter, carcass weight, shin bone weight, urine test and viscera weight were evaluated. There was an increase in weight gain in the animals with rock dust and greater weight in the shin bones; calcium excretion was higher in the kale and control group. There was no difference between the other variables. The use of rock powder proved to be efficient for a better minerals deposition and absorption in the bones.

Pengaruh Penggunaan Tepung Daun Belimbing Manis (Averrhoa carambola L.) sebagai Substitansi Pakan Kelinci terhadap Berat Badan

Rabbit (Oryctogalus cuniculus) is a livestock that has great potential as a pet or ornamental animal, producing meat and skin/hair (Raharjo et al. 2001). The development of rabbit farming in Indonesia has been growing in the community because it is easy to maintain, relatively does not require large capital, the business cycle is relatively fast, produces a variety of products, there are not many competitors, can utilize narrow land and can use agricultural waste as feed. This study aims to analyze the impact of the feed given to rabbits, to analyze what content is in starfruit leaf flour and to facilitate the selection of alternative feeds such as leaves. The research method used was to analyze how the effect of the ratio of regular feeding and using starfruit leaves (Averrhoa carambola L.) on body weight in rabbits (Oryctogalus cuniculus).

Agricultural activities and risk of Alzheimer’s disease: the TRACTOR project, a nationwide retrospective cohort study

Data regarding Alzheimer’s disease (AD) occurrence in farming populations is lacking. This study aimed to investigate whether, among the entire French farm manager (FM) workforce, certain agricultural activities are more strongly associated with AD than others, using nationwide data from the TRACTOR (Tracking and monitoring occupational risks in agriculture) project. Administrative health insurance data (digital electronic health/medical records and insurance claims) for the entire French agricultural workforce, over the period 2002–2016, on the entire mainland France were used to estimate the risk of AD for 26 agricultural activities with Cox proportional hazards model. For each analysis (one for each activity), the exposed group included all FMs that performed the activity of interest (e.g. crop farming), while the reference group included all FMs who did not carry out the activity of interest (e.g. FMs that never farmed crops between 2002 and 2016). There were 5067 cases among 1,036,069 FMs who worked at least one year between 2002 and 2016. Analyses showed higher risks of AD for crop farming (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.72 [3.47–3.98]), viticulture (HR = 1.29 [1.18–1.42]), and fruit arboriculture (HR = 1.36 [1.15–1.62]). By contrast, lower risks of AD were found for several animal farming types, in particular for poultry and rabbit farming (HR = 0.29 [0.20–0.44]), ovine and caprine farming (HR = 0.50 [0.41–0.61]), mixed dairy and cow farming (HR = 0.46 [0.37–0.57]), dairy farming (HR = 0.67 [0.61–0.73]), and pig farming (HR = 0.30 [0.18–0.52]). This study shed some light on the association between a wide range of agricultural activities and AD in the entire French FMs population.

In vitro Studies on Anticoccidial Effects of Healthy Sheep Bile against Eimeria magna and Eimeria exigua Oocysts and Sporozoites Isolated from Domestic Rabbits

Background: Coccidiosis is one of the most common diseases that hinder the raising of rabbits. The disease causes symptoms such as diarrhea and loss of appetite. Acute infection causes bloody feces and negatively affects fertility. Diarrhea may be bloody due to the intestinal epithelium withering off as many oocysts and merozoites burst out of the cells. This leads to the deaths of rabbits resulting in huge economic losses for commercial rabbit systems. Methods: The study aims to determine the optimal effective concentration of bile collected from healthy sheep gall bladder inhibiting in vitro sporulation and viability of E. magna and E. exigua oocysts and sporozoites isolated from rabbit intestine. Un-sporulated oocysts were exposed (1×102) to six treatments: 2.5% potassium dichromate solution as the non-treated control, four concentrations of bile (12.5%, 25%, 50% and 100%) and Toltrazuril 25 mg/ml as traditional medicine for anti-oocyst activities. In addition, 250, 500, 750 and 1000 mg/mL concentrations of bile were evaluated for effect on sporozoite viability. The oocysts were examined after 25, 50, 75 and 100 hours and sporozoites after 12 and 24 hours of treatment. Result: GC-Mass analysis showed that sheep bile contains 12 biologically active compounds. In addition, quantitative analysis revealed total phenols (50.65±0.5) and total flavonoids (9.39±0.4). After 100 hours of exposure, sheep bile was able to prevent sporulation of E. magna and E. exigua oocysts at 100% and 50% concentrations and the rate of inhibition was about 96% and 79%, respectively. Additionally, bile exhibited the least discouraging of 11% at a dose of 125 mg/mL and the highest suppression of 95% of E. magna and E. exigua sporozoites viable at 1000 mg/ml. Generally, the inhibition rate typically increased with longer incubation times and greater doses. Findings have scientifically validated the use of bile in fighting against coccidiosis. Additional studies are required to separate the active compounds found in bile and their mechanisms of action and potential applications in rabbit farms.

‘Never cry for food’: food security, poverty, and recurring themes in news media regarding rabbit farming in East Africa

Abstract Rabbit farming is a form of low input agriculture that has potential to address food security and poverty in East Africa and beyond. For low input agriculture, farmers utilize local and affordable farm resources making it accessible across income levels. Understanding barriers and facilitators to rabbit farming could increase effectiveness of this form of low input agriculture in communities struggling with low food security and poverty, particularly for indigenous, smallholder farms. News media is an available source of data about community perceptions and practices on issues such as rabbit farming, food security, and poverty. For this qualitative study, researchers applied a priori and open coding text analysis to examine recurring themes in news media representations regarding perceptions of rabbit farming in East Africa. Results reveal that community members view rabbit farming as a community strategy that promotes better nutrition and food security while reducing poverty. Important themes included how gender and other cultural norms shaped efforts, and the role of sustainability and climate change on farming practices. Further, the easy cultivation of rabbits, funding, and protective policy and support of indigenous smallholder farms were perceived as facilitators for rabbit farming. Finally, investment in infrastructure for market, production, and knowledge-transfer of best production and business practices were considered critical to success for rabbit farmers throughout East Africa.

Diagnosis and chemoprophylaxis of rabbit eymeriosis

This article analyzes the prevalence of rabbit eymeriosis in the rabbit farms of Samarkand, Kashkadarya, Bukhara, Khorezm, Namangan regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan. As a result of the research, it was carried out on rabbit-specialized farms of the districts of Bolungur, Jomboy, Urgut, Pastdargom of Samarkand region, Fergana city and Koshtepa of Fergana region, and it was found that eymeriosis in these farms significantly hinders the development of the network. In particular, the prevalence of rabbit eymeriosis has been found to be 42.7% in Bulungur district, 38.4% in Jomboy district, 35.5% in Urgut district, 45.1% in Pastdargom district, and 36.4% in Koshtepa district, Fergana valley, with 37.3% in Fergana rabbit farms. The diagnosis of the disease eymeriosis, which causes great economic damage to their farms, the essence of certain methods used in the diagnosis of the disease and the treatment of preventive measures are described.

Valor nutritivo das folhas secas de Cratylia argentea na alimentação de coelhos em crescimento

Abstract Nutrition in rabbit farming accounts for about 70% of all costs; in this sense, C. argentea is an excellent alternative as a feed, due to its bromatological composition. Our goal is to evaluate the nutritional value of diets formulated with the dried leaves of C. argentea to feed growing rabbits. Twenty-eight white rabbits of the New Zealand breed, 55 days old, of both sexes, were used. Two treatments (n = 14, 7 males, and 7 females) were evaluated in a randomized block experimental design in a 2 x 2 factorial scheme. The control diet (CTRL) was formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of growing rabbits, and the test diet (DRY) was obtained by replacing 20% of the CTRL diet with dried leaves of C. argentea. The experimental period was comprised of 11 days, with seven days of adaptation and four days of total feces collection. The average daily gain, dry matter intake, feed conversion, and final body weight were not affected by replacing the CTRL diet with the dried leaves of C. argentea. The coefficient of dry matter digestibility showed better results in CTRL rabbits (female: 72.19%, male: 72.48%). Rabbits fed with the CTRL diet exhibited a higher consumption of crude protein compared to those fed with the DRY diet, however, these rabbits showed higher elimination and lower retention of crude protein. It is concluded that C. argentea presents values of 1,400.67 kcal per kg of dry matter, digestible energy, and 3.34% digestible protein per kg of dry matter.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE SEASON ON THE REALIZATION OF THE REPRODUCTIVE CAPACITY OF RABBITS OF THE POLTAVSKA SILVER BREED

According to the results of the study of the indicators of the reproductive capacity of female rabbits of the Poltava silver breed (n=50) in the conditions of the rabbit farm of the Cherkassy Experimental Station of Bioresources of the National Academy of Sciences, the peculiarities of realizing the potential of the reproductive capacity of rabbits depending on the breeding season were established. The obtained data make it possible to assert that, despite keeping rabbits in a room with a regulated microclimate, the degree of realization of the index of reproductive ability of female rabbits of the silver breed largely depends on the breeding season. According to the results of the study, it was established that when comparing the average values of the fertility index, a probable predominance of the quantitative parameters of the investigated nests was registered in female rabbits in the spring and autumn periods - 7.1 heads, and the lowest - in winter (5.9 heads) (p&lt;0.001). The average value of the indicator in the summer period was 6.9 goals. The results of the study of the nest mass indicator in different periods of the postnatal development of the young showed the existence of a difference in the average values depending on the season of the year. It was established that the minimum of this indicator of nest weight was registered in winter (350.4 g), and the maximum in autumn (434.9 g), in spring and summer - 432.4 g and 422.1 g, respectively, the difference when compared to the minimum value was revealed significant (p&lt;0.001). A similar trend was observed throughout the study period. Juveniles obtained from spring and autumn feeding had the advantage in terms of indicators of changes in the live weight of the nest. The results of the study of the percentage of survival of the young during the period from birth to weaning showed that this indicator, depending on the season of the year, had a slight variability and was for the studied females: in winter - 94.9%, in spring - 93.0%, in summer - 92.9% and in autumn - 94.4%, which should be taken into account when planning work on reproduction of livestock.

Veterinary and sanitary assessment of rabbit meat when using the Zdravur feed additive

Today, the production of rabbit meat products, which contains a large amount of protein, essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals with a low fat content, is very promising in the meat industry. Thanks to these properties, the demand for rabbit meat, which is widely used in healthy diet, has increased. The purpose of this article was a veterinary and sanitary assessment of rabbit products when using the Zdravur feed additive in their nutrition. The farm-scale scientific experiment was carried out at a Californian rabbit farm where animals were divided into 2 groups of 10 rabbits each. The duration of the experiment was 31 days. The control group did not receive the Zdravur feed additive and ate food supplied on the farm. The experimental group, in addition to the basic diet, received the Zdravur feed additive at a dose of 2 g per 1 kg of granulated feed. After completing the experiment, 2 rabbits from each group were killed. The veterinary and sanitary examination of slaughter products included an organoleptic, chemical, and bacteriological assessment of slaughter products in accordance with the Rules for the Veterinary Inspection of Slaughtered Animals and the Veterinary and Sanitary Assessment of ¬Meat and Meat Products. In the experimental rabbits, a higher carcass weight was noted, which was 231 g (11.5%) greater than the control. Upon visual inspection of the experimental and control rabbit meat, an adequate bleeding of the carcasses was observed. All meat samples had a well-defined drying crust. After 24-hour storage, in control and experimental rabbit meat, the rate of leveling of pits on the surface after pinch test was the same. In the experimental animals, the content of protein, fat, and ash in meat was higher. Compared to the control, in the experimental group, the energy value was higher (by 8.4%). In rabbits, the use of the Zdravur feed additive does not cause pathological changes and improves the quality of slaughter products in terms of organoleptic, physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters, which meets the GOST requirements for good-quality meat.