Effect of cage and pen housing on the live performance, carcase, and meat quality traits of growing rabbits. Issue 1 (2nd January 2019)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Effect of cage and pen housing on the live performance, carcase, and meat quality traits of growing rabbits. Issue 1 (2nd January 2019)
- Main Title:
- Effect of cage and pen housing on the live performance, carcase, and meat quality traits of growing rabbits
- Authors:
- Matics, Zsolt
Cullere, Marco
Zotte, Antonella Dalle
Szendrő, Katalin
Szendrő, Zsolt
Odermatt, Meinrad
Atkári, Tamás
Radnai, István
Nagy, István
Gerencsér, Zsolt - Abstract:
- Abstract: The aim of the experiment was to study the effect of housing growing rabbits in enriched cages with small groups (eight rabbits/cage, C; n = 96; stocking density: 15 rabbits/m 2 ) or in enriched pens with large groups (65 rabbits/pen, P; n = 130; stocking density: 15 rabbits/m 2 ) on their growth performance and on slaughter and meat quality traits. The C rabbits showed higher final body weight (2540 vs. 2443 g, p < .01), better feed conversion ratio (5–11 weeks: 3.39 vs. 3.61, p < .05), lower mortality rate (5.2 vs. 31.5%, p < .001), and lower fecal corticosterone level (26.3 vs. 29.4 nmol/g, p < .05) compared to P rabbits. The increased possibility of physical activity of P compared to C rabbits resulted in more developed hind part of the reference carcase, thicker hind leg bones (34.8 vs. 33.4 g, p < .05), lower perirenal fat (15.1 vs. 20.8 g, p < .001) and hind leg meat lipid content (2.00 vs. 2.42%, p < .05), as well as higher haem iron content of the hind leg meat (5.29 vs. 4.22 mg/kg, p < .01). However, pen housing was detrimental for the dressing out percentage and for the hind leg meat to bones ratio. Physical meat quality traits were not affected by the housing system. Highlights: Housing of growing rabbits in large cages and large pens was compared. Caged rabbits had better productive performance, lower mortality and stress. Penned rabbits resulted in lower dressing out percentage, carcase adiposity and meat lipids content. Most of the meatAbstract: The aim of the experiment was to study the effect of housing growing rabbits in enriched cages with small groups (eight rabbits/cage, C; n = 96; stocking density: 15 rabbits/m 2 ) or in enriched pens with large groups (65 rabbits/pen, P; n = 130; stocking density: 15 rabbits/m 2 ) on their growth performance and on slaughter and meat quality traits. The C rabbits showed higher final body weight (2540 vs. 2443 g, p < .01), better feed conversion ratio (5–11 weeks: 3.39 vs. 3.61, p < .05), lower mortality rate (5.2 vs. 31.5%, p < .001), and lower fecal corticosterone level (26.3 vs. 29.4 nmol/g, p < .05) compared to P rabbits. The increased possibility of physical activity of P compared to C rabbits resulted in more developed hind part of the reference carcase, thicker hind leg bones (34.8 vs. 33.4 g, p < .05), lower perirenal fat (15.1 vs. 20.8 g, p < .001) and hind leg meat lipid content (2.00 vs. 2.42%, p < .05), as well as higher haem iron content of the hind leg meat (5.29 vs. 4.22 mg/kg, p < .01). However, pen housing was detrimental for the dressing out percentage and for the hind leg meat to bones ratio. Physical meat quality traits were not affected by the housing system. Highlights: Housing of growing rabbits in large cages and large pens was compared. Caged rabbits had better productive performance, lower mortality and stress. Penned rabbits resulted in lower dressing out percentage, carcase adiposity and meat lipids content. Most of the meat quality traits were independent of the housing system. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Italian journal of animal science. Volume 18:Issue 1(2019)
- Journal:
- Italian journal of animal science
- Issue:
- Volume 18:Issue 1(2019)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 18, Issue 1 (2019)
- Year:
- 2019
- Volume:
- 18
- Issue:
- 1
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2019-0018-0001-0000
- Page Start:
- 441
- Page End:
- 449
- Publication Date:
- 2019-01-02
- Subjects:
- Growing rabbits -- cage -- pen -- performance -- carcase traits -- meat quality
Animal culture -- Periodicals
Livestock -- Italy -- Periodicals
Veterinary medicine -- Italy -- Periodicals
Animal culture
Livestock
Veterinary medicine
Italy
Periodicals
Periodicals
636.005 - Journal URLs:
- http://bibpurl.oclc.org/web/23047 http://www.aspajournal.it/default.htm ↗
http://search.ebscohost.com/direct.asp?db=a9h&jid=783N&scope=site ↗
http://www.aspajournal.it/ ↗
http://www.aspajournal.it/index.php/ijas ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tjas20 ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tjas20/current ↗
http://www.tandfonline.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1080/1828051X.2018.1532329 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 1828-051X
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 17295.xml