Maternal behaviour and welfare of the domestic and wild rabbit doe and its litter

The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), in addition to its faunal interest in the western Mediterranean, is a relevant species which in several European countries is the basis of a meat-oriented, industrial livestock subsector, while in many developing countries rabbits are raised under alterna...

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Main Authors: Gonzalez-Redondo, P., Gonzalez-Mariscal, G., Lopez, M., Fernandez-Carmona, J., Finzi, A., Villagrá, Arantxa
Format: article
Language:Inglés
Published: 2017
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/5326
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author Gonzalez-Redondo, P.
Gonzalez-Mariscal, G.
Lopez, M.
Fernandez-Carmona, J.
Finzi, A.
Villagrá, Arantxa
author_browse Fernandez-Carmona, J.
Finzi, A.
Gonzalez-Mariscal, G.
Gonzalez-Redondo, P.
Lopez, M.
Villagrá, Arantxa
author_facet Gonzalez-Redondo, P.
Gonzalez-Mariscal, G.
Lopez, M.
Fernandez-Carmona, J.
Finzi, A.
Villagrá, Arantxa
author_sort Gonzalez-Redondo, P.
collection ReDivia
description The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), in addition to its faunal interest in the western Mediterranean, is a relevant species which in several European countries is the basis of a meat-oriented, industrial livestock subsector, while in many developing countries rabbits are raised under alternative systems aimed at income integration and food security. In addition to meat production, other productive ori-entations exist that generate a variety of rabbit production systems. This paper reviews the ethology of maternal behaviour of the breeding doe and her litter, including its endocrine regulation, both in wild animal and in industrial and alternative farming systems, and its relation to management factors, productivity and performance as well as the welfare of the species. It also discusses the implications of the regulations concerning animal welfare on housing, management and satisfaction of behavioural needs of breeding does and their litters, which in some countries tend to provide more space and environmental enrichment in cages.
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institution Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA)
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spelling ReDivia53262025-04-25T14:42:04Z Maternal behaviour and welfare of the domestic and wild rabbit doe and its litter Gonzalez-Redondo, P. Gonzalez-Mariscal, G. Lopez, M. Fernandez-Carmona, J. Finzi, A. Villagrá, Arantxa The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), in addition to its faunal interest in the western Mediterranean, is a relevant species which in several European countries is the basis of a meat-oriented, industrial livestock subsector, while in many developing countries rabbits are raised under alternative systems aimed at income integration and food security. In addition to meat production, other productive ori-entations exist that generate a variety of rabbit production systems. This paper reviews the ethology of maternal behaviour of the breeding doe and her litter, including its endocrine regulation, both in wild animal and in industrial and alternative farming systems, and its relation to management factors, productivity and performance as well as the welfare of the species. It also discusses the implications of the regulations concerning animal welfare on housing, management and satisfaction of behavioural needs of breeding does and their litters, which in some countries tend to provide more space and environmental enrichment in cages. 2017-06-01T10:12:09Z 2017-06-01T10:12:09Z 2015 2015 article publishedVersion Gonzalez-Redondo, P., Gonzalez-Mariscal, G., Lopez, M., Fernandez-Carmona, J., Finzi, A., Villagra, A. (2015). Maternal behaviour and welfare of the domestic and wild rabbit doe and its litter. Itea-Informacion Tecnica Economica Agraria, 111(4), 326-347. 1699-6887 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/5326 10.12706/itea.2015.021 en openAccess Impreso
spellingShingle Gonzalez-Redondo, P.
Gonzalez-Mariscal, G.
Lopez, M.
Fernandez-Carmona, J.
Finzi, A.
Villagrá, Arantxa
Maternal behaviour and welfare of the domestic and wild rabbit doe and its litter
title Maternal behaviour and welfare of the domestic and wild rabbit doe and its litter
title_full Maternal behaviour and welfare of the domestic and wild rabbit doe and its litter
title_fullStr Maternal behaviour and welfare of the domestic and wild rabbit doe and its litter
title_full_unstemmed Maternal behaviour and welfare of the domestic and wild rabbit doe and its litter
title_short Maternal behaviour and welfare of the domestic and wild rabbit doe and its litter
title_sort maternal behaviour and welfare of the domestic and wild rabbit doe and its litter
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/5326
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