Part-time collective housing systems for reproducing rabbit does have raised concerns for aggression among animals and occurrence of injuries and lesions. Within this framework, the present study addressed social interactions among does in a part-time collective system based on negative (such as aggression) and positive (affiliative, resting, comfort) behaviors. Videos were recorded at −11 days before kindling – when does were first grouped in 18 collective parks containing 3 or 4 does (F3, F4) – and at +25 days after kindling – after individual housing from −2 days before until +18 d after kindling, with litter size standardized at 9, 10, and 11 kits. Behaviors were scored for each pen in the first 30 minutes of an hour. At the first grouping (−11 d), the number of interactions “seek-escape from the mate” was lower than “seek-remain with the mate” without differences between groups, as was the number of aggressive events (bites per doe: 0.620 vs. 0.500 in F3 vs. F4 parks; P>0.10). During resting, the does were found mainly with a crouched body, in pairs or alone. At +25 d after kindling, observations of does resting in pairs and/or in groups were higher than at −11 days before kindling; a higher number of observations of pair-resting with crouched body was recorded in F4 compared to F3 parks (1.108 vs. 0.760; P<0.05), whereas no significant effect of litter size was recorded. Based on the first results, under our conditions, reproducing does were observed seeking each other and resting together, which deserves further investigation to balance the negative and positive sides of group housing. Acknowledgement: The study has been funded by European Union – Next Generation EU, Project PRIN “No cage system for rabbits: indoor and outdoor scenarios – RABBINOUT” (Cod. 2022JAX4TZ; CUP: C53D23005340006).
Quality of relationships in reproducing does kept in a part-time collective housing system
Tolini C.;Xiccato G.;Birolo M.;Pirrone F.;Molin M.;Trocino A.
2025
Abstract
Part-time collective housing systems for reproducing rabbit does have raised concerns for aggression among animals and occurrence of injuries and lesions. Within this framework, the present study addressed social interactions among does in a part-time collective system based on negative (such as aggression) and positive (affiliative, resting, comfort) behaviors. Videos were recorded at −11 days before kindling – when does were first grouped in 18 collective parks containing 3 or 4 does (F3, F4) – and at +25 days after kindling – after individual housing from −2 days before until +18 d after kindling, with litter size standardized at 9, 10, and 11 kits. Behaviors were scored for each pen in the first 30 minutes of an hour. At the first grouping (−11 d), the number of interactions “seek-escape from the mate” was lower than “seek-remain with the mate” without differences between groups, as was the number of aggressive events (bites per doe: 0.620 vs. 0.500 in F3 vs. F4 parks; P>0.10). During resting, the does were found mainly with a crouched body, in pairs or alone. At +25 d after kindling, observations of does resting in pairs and/or in groups were higher than at −11 days before kindling; a higher number of observations of pair-resting with crouched body was recorded in F4 compared to F3 parks (1.108 vs. 0.760; P<0.05), whereas no significant effect of litter size was recorded. Based on the first results, under our conditions, reproducing does were observed seeking each other and resting together, which deserves further investigation to balance the negative and positive sides of group housing. Acknowledgement: The study has been funded by European Union – Next Generation EU, Project PRIN “No cage system for rabbits: indoor and outdoor scenarios – RABBINOUT” (Cod. 2022JAX4TZ; CUP: C53D23005340006).
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