Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T23:36:39.740Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of season and stocking density during transport on live weight and biochemical measurements of stress, dehydration and injury of rabbits at time of slaughter

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

J. de la Fuente ,
M. I. Salazar ,
M. Ibáñez  and
E. González de Chavarri
J. de la Fuente
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
M. I. Salazar
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
M. Ibáñez
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
E. González de Chavarri*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
*
†E-mail address:[email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The effects on rabbit welfare of transport in two seasons (summer and winter) and at two stocking densities (high stocking density: 12 rabbits per cage; low stocking density: 8 rabbits per cage) were studied. The loss of live weight during transport was calculated. At slaughter, blood samples were obtained and some physiological parameters related to stress were analysed: cortisol, creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), lactate, glucose, packed cell volume (PCV), osmolarity, and albumin and globulin concentrations. In addition, liver and muscle samples were taken and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen for subsequent glycogen measurements.

Season significantly affected the live-weight losses and plasma concentrations of cortisol (P < 0.01), CK, LDH, lactate (P < 0.001) and glucose (P < 0.01), as well as osmolarity (P < 0.001). Liver and muscle glycogen concentration were also affected by the season (P < 0.001). The loss of live weight was higher in rabbits transported in winter than in summer. The plasma concentrations of cortisol, lactate and glucose, CK and LDH activity, and osmolarity, as well as liver and muscle glycogen concentrations were higher in rabbits transported in summer than in winter. Stocking density had no effect on the analysed parameters. The high levels of the analysed blood parameters, which are related to stress, lead to the conclusion that the welfare of the rabbits transported in summer was more affected than those transported in winter.

Keywords

animal welfarerabbitsseasonsstocking densitystresstransport
Type
Non-ruminant nutrition, behaviour and production
Information
Animal Science , Volume 78 , Issue 2 , April 2004 , pp. 285 - 292
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abdelatif, A. M. and Modawi, S. M. 1994. Effects of hyperthermia on blood constituents in the domestic rabbits. Journal of Thermal Biology 19: 357–363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Adams, C. E. and Stephens, D. B. 1980. Observations of the effects of simulated transport stress on pregnancy, parturition and respiration in the rabbit. Applied Animal Ethology 6: 390–392.Google Scholar
Ashby, B. H., Ota, H., Bailey, A., Whitehead, J. A. and Kindya, W. G. 1980. Heat and weight loss of rabbits during simulated air transport. Transcription of American Society of Agricultural Engineers 23: 162–164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Balcells, A. 1995. Examen de sangre. Química hemática. In Clínica y Laboratorio, 15th edition, pp. 57–143. Massan-Salvat, Barcelona.Google Scholar
Batchelor, G. R. and Giddins, G. 1995. Bodyweight changes in laboratory rabbits subjected to transport and difference housing conditions. Animal Technology 46: 89–95.Google Scholar
Broom, D. M. 2000. Welfare assessment and problem areas during handling and transport. In Livestock, handling and transport, second edition (ed. Grandin, T.), pp. 43–61. CAB International, Wallingford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broom, D. M., Gooder, J. A., Hall, S. J. G., Lloyd, D. M. and Parrott, R. F. 1996. Hormonal and physiological effects of 15 hour journey in sheep: comparison with the responses to loading, handling and penning in the absence of transport. British Veterinary Journal 152: 593–604.Google Scholar
Camps, J. 1997. Importancia de la etología para mejorar el manejo de los conejos. Cunicultura 10: 247–251.Google Scholar
Collins, J. R. 1993. Welfare in transit. Pig Veterinary Journal 30: 23–29.Google Scholar
Coppings, R. J., Ekhator, N. and Ghodrati, A. 1989. Effects of antemortem treatment and transport on slaughter characteristics of fryer rabbits. Journal of Animal Science 67: 872–880.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dreiling, C. E., Brown, D. E., Casale, L. and Kelly, L. 1987. Muscle glycogen: comparison of iodine binding and enzyme digestion assays and application to meat samples. Meat Science 20: 167–177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fordham, D. P., Lincoln, G. A., Seswannyana, E. and Rodway, R. G. 1989. Plasma β-endorphin and cortisol concentrations in lambs after handling, transport and slaughter. Animal Production 49: 103–107.Google Scholar
Fuente, J. de la. 1998. Factors that affect the inside temperature during commercial transport of pigs. M. Sc. thesis, University of Aberdeen.Google Scholar
Garbus, J., Highman, B. and Altland, P. D. 1967. Alterations in serum enzymes and isoenzymes in various species induced by epinephrine. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 22: 507–516.Google Scholar
Gross, W. B. and Siegel, P. B. 1993. General principles of stress and welfare. In Livestock, handling and transport, first edition (ed. Grandin, T.), pp. 21–34. CAB International, Wallingford.Google Scholar
Hails, M. R. 1978. Transport stress in animals: a review. Animal Regulations Studies 1: 289–343.Google Scholar
Hansen, L. T. and Berthelsen, H. 2000. The effect of environmental enrichment on the behaviour of caged rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 68: 163–178.Google Scholar
Hulot, F. and Ouhayoun, J. 1999. Muscular pH and related traits in rabbits: a review. World Rabbit Science 7: 15–36.Google Scholar
Ibáñez, M., Fuente, J. de la, Thos, J. and Gónzalez, de Chavarri, E. 2002. Behavioural and physiological responses of suckling lambs to transport and lairage. Animal Welfare 11: 223–230.Google Scholar
Jolley, P. D. 1990. Rabbit transport and its effects on meat quality. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 28: 119–134.Google Scholar
Knowles, T. G., Brown, S. N., Warriss, P. D., Phillips, A. J., Dolan, S. K., Hunt, P., Ford, J. E., Edwards, J. E. and Watkins, P. E. 1995. Effects on sheep of transport by road up to 24 hours. Veterinary Record 136: 421–438.Google Scholar
Kola, J., Awosanya, B. and Adebua, B. A. 1994. The effects of preslaughter withholding of feed and water from rabbits on their carcass yield and meat quality. Nigerian Journal of Animal Production 21: 164–169.Google Scholar
Lambooy, E. 1988. Road transport of pigs over a long distance: some aspects of behaviour, temperature and humidity during transport and some effects of the last two factors. Animal Production 46: 257–263.Google Scholar
Lambooy, E., Hel, W. van der, Hulsegge, B. and Brandsma, H. A. 1987. Effect of environmental temperature and air velocity two days preslaughtering on heat production, weight loss and meat quality in non-fed pigs. In Energy metabolism in farm animals: effects of housing, stress and disease. Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht.Google Scholar
Lebas, F. and Colin, M. 1992. World rabbit production and research: situation in 1992. Journal of Applied Rabbit Research 15A: 29–54.Google Scholar
Lidfors, L. 1997. Behavioural effects of environmental enrichment for individually caged rabbits. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 52: 157–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
López, M. 2001. Etología y bienestar en la especie cunícola (II). Lagomorpha 114: 13–22.Google Scholar
Luzi, F., Heinzl, E., Crimella, C. and Verga, M. 1994. Influence des conditions de transport sur la qualité des carcasses. Cuniculture 120: 277–279.Google Scholar
Manjoo, M., Burger, F. J. and Kielblock, A. J. 1985. A relationship between heat load and plasma enzyme concentration. Journal of Thermal Biology 10: 221–225.Google Scholar
Masoero, G., Riccioni, L., Bergoglio, G. and Napolitano, F. 1992. Implications of fasting and of transportation for a high quality rabbit meat product. Journal of Applied Rabbit Research 15B: 841–847.Google Scholar
Mitchell, M. A. and Kettlewell, P. J. 1998. Physiological stress and welfare of broiler chickens in transit: solutions not problems! Poultry Science 77: 1803–1814.Google Scholar
Mitchell, M. A., Kettlewell, P. J. and Maxwell, M. H. 1992. Indicators of physiological stress in broiler chickens during road transportation. Animal Welfare 1: 92–103.Google Scholar
Morisse, J. P., Boilletot, E. and Martrenchar, A. 1999. Preference testing in intensively kept meat production rabbits for straw on wire grid floor. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 64: 71–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nicol, C. and Saville-Weeks, C. 1993. Poultry handling and transport. In Livestock, handling and transport, first edition (ed. Grandin, T.), pp. 273–287. CAB International, Wallingford.Google Scholar
Purdue, D. 1984. The effect of transport and fasting on physiological indices of stress and subsequent meat quality of the rabbit. MSc. Thesis, University of Bristol.Google Scholar
Randall, J. M. 1993. Environmental parameters necessary to define comfort for pigs, cattle and sheep in livestock transporters. Animal Production 57: 299–307.Google Scholar
Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare. 1999. Standards for the microclimate inside animal transport road vehicles. Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General, European Commission, Brussels.Google Scholar
Statgraphics Plus. 1994. Statgraphics Plus: reference manual, version 4. Statistical Graphics Corporation, Maryland, USA.Google Scholar
Warriss, P. D., Brown, S. N., Edwards, J. E., Anil, M. H. and Fordham, D. P. 1992. Time in lairage needed by pigs to recover from the stress of transport. Veterinary Record 131: 194–196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Warriss, P. D., Knowles, T. G., Brown, S. N., Edwards, J. E., Kettlewell, P. J., Mitchell, M. A. and Baxter, C. A. 1999. Effect of lairage time on body temperature and glycogen reserves of broiler chickens held in transport modules. Veterinary Record 145: 218–222.Google Scholar
Weeks, C. A., Webster, J. F. and Wyld, H. M. 1997. Vehicle design and thermal comfort of poultry in transit. British Poultry Science 38: 464–474.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed