The behaviour of individually housed growing rabbits and the influence of gnawing sticks as environmental enrichment on daily rhythm of behavioural patterns duration

Authors

  • Dušanka JORDAN Univ. of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Animal Science, Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, Slovenia
  • Gregor GORJANC Univ. of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Animal Science, Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, Slovenia
  • Ajda KERMAUNER Univ. of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Animal Science, Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, Slovenia
  • Ivan ŠTUHEC Univ. of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Animal Science, Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, Slovenia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14720/aas.2011.98.1.14597

Keywords:

growing rabbits, individual cages, animal behaviour, ethology, daily rhythms, environmental enrichment

Abstract

The aim of our study was to examine average duration and frequency of behaviour of growing rabbits and possible influence of gnawing sticks as environmental enrichment on their daily rhythm of behavioural patterns duration. For this purpose 16 males of Slovenian sire line SIKA for meat production were recorded 24 hours per day, between 45 and 48, 58 and 61, 72 and 75, and 86 and 89 days age of rabbits. Animals were housed individually in wire-mesh cages equipped with a feeder and a nipple drinker. Half of the cages were enriched with wooden sticks of Norway spruce (Picea abies). Animals had free access to the feed and water; the daily duration of lighting was 12 hours. Rabbits spent a major proportion of time resting (59.03%). They were lying most of the time in abdominal (38.84%) and abdominal – lateral position (18.05%). The most common active behavioural patterns were body care (sum of grooming and scratching; 20.16%), feeding (10.25%) and sniffing (4.60%). Rabbits changed their behaviour on average 53.55-times, from three to 197-times per hour. The difference in daily rhythm of individual behavioural pattern duration between rabbits in enriched and control cages was mostly expressed around the time lights were turned on or off.

Author Biography

  • Dušanka JORDAN, Univ. of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Animal Science, Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, Slovenia

    This article is part of a M.Sc. thesis entitled “Effect of gnawing wood as environmental enrichment on ethological, production and carcass traits of individually housed rabbits”, issued by Dušanka Jordan, supervisor Prof. Ivan Štuhec, Ph.D.

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Published

27. 07. 2011

Issue

Section

Original Scientific Article

How to Cite

JORDAN, D., GORJANC, G., KERMAUNER, A., & ŠTUHEC, I. (2011). The behaviour of individually housed growing rabbits and the influence of gnawing sticks as environmental enrichment on daily rhythm of behavioural patterns duration. Acta Agriculturae Slovenica, 98(1), 51–61. https://doi.org/10.14720/aas.2011.98.1.14597

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