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

Jordan, Dušanka (author), Gorjanc, Gregor (author), Kermauner, Ajda (author), Štuhec, Ivan (author)

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 SI KA 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.

• Language: English
• Keywords: growing rabbits, individual cages, animal behaviour, ethology, daily rhythms, environmental enrichment
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Year: 2011
• Number of pages: Str. 51-61
• Numbering: Letn. 98, št. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-385
• UDC: 636.92:591.5
• ISSN on article: 1581-9175
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2900104
• Publication date in RUL: 11.07.2014

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Acta agriculturae Slovenica
• Shortened title: Acta agric. Slov.
• Publisher: Biotehniška fakulteta
• ISSN: 1581-9175
• COBISS.SI-ID: 213840640

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian

Abstract

Proučevali smo povprečno trajanje in pogostost posameznih oblik obnašanja pri pitovnih kuncih ter možen vpliv obogatitve okolja z letvijo za glodanje na njihov dnevni ritem trajanja posameznih oblik obnašanja. V ta namen smo po 24 ur snemali 16 samcev slovenske mesne linije SIKA (očetovska linija) med 45. in 48., 58. in 61., 72. in 75. ter 86. in 89. dnem starosti. Kunci so bili uhlevljeni individualno v žičnih kletkah, opremljenih s krmilnikom na zalogo in kapljičnim napajalnikom. V polovico kletk smo kot obogatitev okolja namestili letev iz smrekovega lesa (Picea abies). Živali so imele krmo in vodo na razpolago po volji, trajanje osvetlitve je bilo 12 ur. Kunci so največ časa namenili mirovanju (59,03 %). Najdlje so ležali v trebušni (38,84 %) in trebušno-stranski legi (18,05 %). Od aktivnih oblik obnašanja so bile najbolj zastopane nega telesa (20,16 %), zauživanje krme (10,25 %) ter ovohavanje (4,60%). Kunci so na uro obnašanje spremenili od tri do 197-krat, v povprečju pa 53,55-krat. Razlika v dnevnem ritmu trajanja posameznih oblik obnašanja med kunci z letvijo in brez nje se je običajno pokazala v urah pred nastopom svetlega oziroma temnega dela dneva in po njem.

• Keywords: pitovni kunci, individualn uhlevitev, obnašanje živali, etologija, dnevni ritmi, obogatitev okolja