Performance of rabbit does and litters kept collectively with different management or individually

The European Parliament asks for housing rabbits collectively to comply with current societal demands for animal welfare, but first results from group-housed reproducing females show several weaknesses. This study assessed the effect of housing and group management on doe and kit performance throughout a reproductive cycle. Sixty pregnant multiparous rabbit does were housed in collective pens (C) (2.0 m2; 4 connected individual pens) (48 does) or individual pens (I) (0.5 m2) (12 does). All C does were kept in groups from 9 d to 2 d before kindling and then individually until re-grouping (2 d or 12 d after kindling, 24 does per treatment). Within re-grouping time, half of the pens maintained a stable group; the other half changed one doe every week. Litters were standardized to nine kits. Data were analysed by two models: (1) with housing system as fixed effect and pen as random effect (all data); (2) with grouping time, group composition, and their interaction as fixed effects, and pen as random effect (collective data). Doe milk production (244 g/d vs 262 g/d, P=0.10) and litter growth (131 g/d vs 142 g/d, P=0.05) from 3 d to 19 d were lower in C than in I pens. Thus, C litters were lighter at 19 d (2,741 g vs 2,914 g; P<0.10) and at weaning (7,281 g vs 7,916 g, P<0.05). Does re-grouped 2 d after kindling and with variable group composition showed the lowest milk production from 3 d to 12 d (192 vs 214 g/d on average; re-grouping time × group composition interaction, P<0.10). Their litters had the lowest weights at 19 d (2,584 vs 2,794 g on average; P<0.10), but differences disappeared at weaning (33 d after kindling). In conclusion, under our conditions, collective housing impaired litter performance; grouping time and composition had weak effects on doe and litter performance.