Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-sh8wx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-20T21:02:45.378Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prevalence and severity of tail lesions as a possible welfare indicator for rabbit does

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

J Bill ,
SL Rauterberg ,
J Stracke ,
N Kemper  and
M Fels
J Bill*
Affiliation:
Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15 (Building 116), D-30173 Hannover, Germany
SL Rauterberg*
Affiliation:
Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15 (Building 116), D-30173 Hannover, Germany
J Stracke
Affiliation:
Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15 (Building 116), D-30173 Hannover, Germany
N Kemper
Affiliation:
Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15 (Building 116), D-30173 Hannover, Germany
M Fels
Affiliation:
Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15 (Building 116), D-30173 Hannover, Germany
*
* Contact for correspondence: joana.bill@tiho-hannover.de/sally.rauterberg@tiho-hannover.de
* Contact for correspondence: joana.bill@tiho-hannover.de/sally.rauterberg@tiho-hannover.de
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The impact of behavioural disorders on animal welfare in modern animal husbandry has been much debated. While other abnormal behaviours have been explored at length, there are a paucity of studies on tail-biting in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). In the present study, severe tail lesions were observed in group-reared rabbit does on a commercial rabbit farm. In the subsequent investigations, the occurrence of tail lesions in 219 rabbit does from nine batches was compared between group- or singlehousing and a scoring system recording the severity of tail lesions was developed and verified. This five-grade scoring system was applied to evaluate the progression of prevalence and severity of tail lesions in 21 groups during rearing in two batches. The results revealed a significant difference in the score level between housing types with a higher prevalence of injured tails in group- (60.4%) compared to single-reared (4.0%) does. An increase in severity and frequency of tail lesions was observed in groups during the course of a rearing period. Furthermore, the established scoring system was characterised by adequate observer reliability. Overall, tail injuries occurred on a regular basis in the investigated rearing groups, indicating tail-biting to be a prevalent problem. This could be considered relevant in terms of animal welfare, both for the animal doing the biting and the individual being bitten. The findings draw attention to an inadequately described problem in rabbit husbandry. However, the search for preventive measures needs to scrutinise the role of single-housing, without failing to consider the gregarious nature of rabbits.

Keywords

animal welfarebehavioural disordergroup-housingrabbitsscoring systemtail-biting
Type
Articles
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 28 , Issue 4 , November 2019 , pp. 511 - 518
Copyright
© 2019 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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

Baumann, P, Bigler, L, Buchwalder, T and Huber-Eicher, B 2003 Recherche pour le bien-être de la volaille et des lapins. Magazine de l’OVF 1: 13–16. [Title translation: Research for the welfare of poultry and rabbits]Google Scholar
Baumans, V 2005 Environmental enrichment for laboratory rodents and rabbits: requirements of rodents, rabbits, and research. Institute for Laboratory Animal Research Journal 46(2): 162–170. https://doi.org/10.1093/ilar.46.2.162Google ScholarPubMed
Baumans, V and Van Loo, PLP 2013 How to improve housing conditions of laboratory animals: The possibilities of environmen-tal refinement. The Veterinary Journal 195(1): 24–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.09.023CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berthelsen, H and Hansen, L 1999 The effect of hay on the behaviour of caged rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Animal Welfare 8(2): 149–157Google Scholar
Bignon, L, Bouchier, M, Coutelet, G, Galliot, P, Souchet, C and Fortun-Lamothe, L 2012 Individual housing of young does in different sized cages: Impact on welfare, economic costs and productive data. Proceedings of the 10th World Rabbit Congress pp 1045–1049. 3-6 September 2012, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. World Rabbit Science Association: Valencia, SpainGoogle Scholar
Bozicovich, T, Moura, AS, Fernandes, S, Oliveira, A and Siqueira, E 2016 Effect of environmental enrichment and compo-sition of the social group on the behavior, welfare, and relative brain weight of growing rabbits. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 182: 72–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2016.05.025CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bradbury, G 2016 Managing conspecific overgrooming in rabbits. Veterinary Record 178(12): 298–299. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.i1563CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brummer, H 1975 Trichophagia in the domestic rabbit. Deutsche Tieraerztliche Wochenschrift 82(9): 350–351Google Scholar
Brummer, H 1986 Symptome des Wohlbefindens und des Unwohlseins beim Kaninchen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Ethopathien. In: Militzer, K (ed) Wege zur Beurteilung tiergerech-ter Haltung bei Labor-, Zoo- und Haustieren pp 44–53. Parey: Berlin/Hamburg, Germany. [Title translation: Symptoms of well-being and discomfort in the rabbit]Google Scholar
Chu, L, Garner, JP and Mench, JA 2004 A behavioral compari-son of New Zealand White rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) housed individually or in pairs in conventional laboratory cages. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 85: 121–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2003.09.011CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dantzer, R 1986 Behavioral, physiological and functional aspects of stereotyped behavior: a review and a re-interpretation. Journal of Animal Science 62: 1776–1786. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas1986.6261776xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Directorate-General (DG) for Health and Food Safety (European Commission) 2017 Overview Report of the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety on Commercial Rabbit Farming in the European Union. Publications Office of the European Union: Luxembourg City, LuxembourgGoogle Scholar
Drescher, B 2002 Tiergerechte Haltung von Kaninchen. In: Methling, W and Unshelm, J (eds) Umwelt- und tiergerechte Haltung von Nutz-, Heim- und Begleittieren pp 441–452. Parey: Berlin, Germany. [Title translation: Animal welfare of rabbits]Google Scholar
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) 2005 Scientific Opinion on the impact of the current housing and husbandry sys-tems on the health and welfare of farmed domestic rabbits. EFSA Journal 3(10): 1–31. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2005.267Google Scholar
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) 2007 The risks associated with tail biting in pigs and possible means to reduce the need for tail docking considering the different housing and husbandry systems?Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Animal Health and Welfare. EFSA Journal 5(12): 611. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2007.611CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graf, SBAB 2010 Aspekte des agonistischen Verhaltens weiblicher Zuchtkaninchen in der Gruppenhaltung. Doctoral Thesis, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany. [Title translation: Aspects of the agonistic behaviour of female breeding rabbits in group housing]Google Scholar
Gunn, D and Morton, DB 1995 Inventory of the behaviour of New Zealand White rabbits in laboratory cages. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 45(3): 277–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1591(95)00627-5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hansen, LT and Berthelsen, H 2000 The effect of environmen-tal enrichment on the behaviour of caged rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 68(2): 163–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(00)00093-9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hayes, AF and Krippendorff, K 2007 Answering the call for a standard reliability measure for coding data. Communication Methods and Measures 1(1): 77–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/19312450709336664CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Held, SDE, Turner, RJ and Wootton, RJ 2001 The behaviour-al repertoire of non-breeding group-housed female laboratory rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Animal Welfare 10(4): 437–443Google Scholar
Iglauer, F, Beig, C, Dimigen, J, Gerold, S, Gocht, A, Seeburg, A, Steier, S and Willmann, F 1995 Hereditary compulsive self-mutilating behaviour in laboratory rabbits. Laboratory Animals 29(4): 385–393. https://doi.org/10.1258/002367795780740140CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jordan, D, Luzi, F, Verga, M and Štuhec, I 2006 Environmental enrichment in growing rabbits. In: Maertens, L and Coudert, P (eds) Recent Advances in Rabbit Sciences pp 113–119. COST–ILVO Publication: Merelbeke, BelgiumGoogle Scholar
Jordan, D, Štuhec, I, Pečlin, G and Gorjanc, G 2003 The influ-ence of environmental enrichment on the behaviour of fattening rabbits housed in individual wire cages. Proceedings of the 13 Arbeitstagung über Haltung und Krankheiten der Kaninchen, Pelztiere und Heimtiere pp 119–126. 14-15 May 2003, Celle, Germany. German Branch of the World Rabbit Science Association: Abtsgemuend, GermanyGoogle Scholar
Kalle, G 1994 Aus der Schweizer Praxis: Kaninchen in Gruppenhaltung. Deutsche Gefluegelwirtschaft und Schweineproduktion 46(25): 16–20. [Title translation: From Swiss practice: rabbits in group housing]Google Scholar
Krippendorff, K 2004 Reliability in content analysis: Some com-mon misconceptions and recommendations. Human Communication Research 30(3): 411–433. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2004.tb00738.xGoogle Scholar
Lebas, F, Coudert, P, Rouvier, R, de Rochambeau, H and Thébault, RG 1997 The rabbit: husbandry, health and production. FAO Animal Production and Health Series No 21: Rome, ItalyGoogle Scholar
Lehmann, M 1987 Interference of a restricted environment, as found in battery cages, with normal behaviour of young fattening rabbits. In: Auxilia, T (ed) Rabbit Production Systems Including Welfare pp 257–268. Commission of the European Communities Publishing: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg and Brussels, BelgiumGoogle Scholar
Lidfors, L 1997 Behavioural effects of environmental enrichment for individually caged rabbits. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 52(1): 157–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(96)01141-0CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luzi, F, Ferrante, V, Heinzl, E and Verga, M 2003 Effect of environ-mental enrichment on productive performance and welfare aspects in fattening rabbits. Italian Journal of Animal Science 2(1): 438–440Google Scholar
Maertens, L and De Groote, G 1984 Influence of the number of fryer rabbits per cage on their performance. Journal of Applied Rabbit Research 7(4): 151–155Google Scholar
Mason, GJ 1991 Stereotypies: a critical review. Animal Behaviour 41(6): 1015–1037. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(05)80640-2CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mason, GJ 1994 Tail-biting in mink (Mustela vison) is influenced by age at removal from the mother. Animal Welfare 3: 305–311Google Scholar
Metz, JHM 1987 Behavioural problems of rabbits in cages. In: Auxilia, T (ed) Rabbit Production Systems Including Welfare pp 221–230. Commission of the European Communities Publishing: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg and Brussels, BelgiumGoogle Scholar
Moinard, C, Mendl, M, Nicol, CJ and Green, LE 2003 A case control study of on-farm risk factors for tail biting in pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 81(4): 333–355. https://doi.org/10.1016 S0168-1591(02)00276-9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morisse, JP and Maurice, R 1997 Influence of stocking density or group size on behaviour of fattening rabbits kept under inten-sive conditions. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 54(4): 351–357. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(96)01188-4CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morton, DB, Jennings, M, Batchelor, GR, Bell, D, Birke, L, Davies, K, Eveleigh, JR, Gunn, D, Heath, M, Howard, B, Koder, P, Phillips, J, Poole, T, Sainsbury, AW, Sales, GD, Smith, DJA, Stauffacher, M and Turner, RJ 1993 Refinements in rabbit husbandry: Second report of the BVAAWF/FRAME/RSPCA/UFAW joint working group on refine-ment. Laboratory Animals 27(4): 301–329. https://doi.org/10.1258/002367793780745633CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Myers, K and Poole, WE 1961 A study of the biology of the wild rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L), in confined populations II. The effects of season and population increase on behaviour. CSIRO Wildlife Research 6(1): 1–41. https://doi.org/10.1071/CWR9610001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mykytowycz, R and Rowley, I 1958 Continuous observations of the activity of the wild rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L), during 24 hour periods. CSIRO Wildlife Research 3(1): 26–31. https://doi.org/10.1071/CWR9580026CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nevalainen, TO, Nevalainen, JI, Guhad, FA and Lang, CM 2007 Pair housing of rabbits reduces variances in growth rates and serum alkaline phosphatase levels. Laboratory Animals 41: 432–440. https://doi.org/10.1258/002367707782314247CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Olivas, I and Villagrá, A 2012 Aggressiveness testing of breeding rabbit does. Proceedings of the 9th International Livestock Environment Symposium pp 727–730. 8-12 July 2012, Valencia, Spain. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers: St Joseph, USA. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.41599CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Podberscek, AL, Blackshaw, JK and Beattie, AW 1991 The behaviour of group penned and individually caged laboratory rab-bits. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 28: 353–363. https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-1591(91)90167-VCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Princz, Z, Orova, Z, Nagy, I, Jordan, D, Štuhec, I, Luzi, F, Verga, M and Szendrő, Z 2007 Application of gnawing sticks in rabbit housing. World Rabbit Science 15: 29–36. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2007.607Google Scholar
Rommers, J, Kemp, B, Meijerhof, R and Noordhuizen, J 1999 Rearing management of rabbit does: a review. World Rabbit Science 7(3): 125–138. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.1999.390Google Scholar
Rooney, NJ, Blackwell, EJ, Mullan, SN, Saunders, R, Baker, PE, Hill, JM, Sealey, CE, Turner, MJ and Held, SDE 2014 The current state of welfare, housing and husbandry of the English pet rabbit population. BioMed Central Research Notes 7: 942. https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-7-942Google ScholarPubMed
Schrøder-Petersen, DL and Simonsen, HB 2001 Tail biting in pigs. The Veterinary Journal 162(3): 196–210. https://doi.org/10.1053/tvjl.2001.0605CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Siloto, EV, Zeferino, CP, Moura, ASAMT, Fernandes, S, Sartori, JR and Siqueira, ER 2008 Temperature and cage floor enrichment affect the behavior of growing rabbits. Proceedings of the 9th World Rabbit Congress pp 1245–1249. 10-13 June 2008, Verona, Italy. World Rabbit Science Association: Valencia, SpainGoogle Scholar
Stauffacher, M 1992 Group housing and enrichment cages for breeding, fattening and laboratory rabbits. Animal Welfare 1: 105–125Google Scholar
Szendrő, Zs and McNitt, JI 2012 Housing of rabbit does: Group and individual systems: A review. Livestock Science 150: 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2012.09.017CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, NR, Main, DCJ, Mendl, M and Edwards, SA 2010 Tail-biting: A new perspective. The Veterinary Journal 186(2): 137–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2009.08.028CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trocino, A, Filiou, E, Tazzoli, M, Bertotto, D, Negrato, E and Xiccato, G 2014 Behaviour and welfare of growing rabbits housed in cages and pens. Livestock Science 167: 305–314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2014.05.035CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trocino, A and Xiccato, G 2006 Animal welfare in reared rab-bits: a review with emphasis on housing systems. World Rabbit Science 14(2): 77–93. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2006.553Google Scholar
Verga, M, Luzi, F and Carenzi, C 2007 Effects of husbandry and management systems on physiology and behaviour of farmed and laboratory rabbits. Hormones and Behavior 52(1): 122–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.03.024CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Verga, M, Zingarelli, I, Heinzl, E, Ferrante, V, Martino, PA and Luzi, F 2004 Effect of housing and environmental enrichment on performance and behaviour in fattening rabbits. Proceedings of the 8th World Rabbit Congress pp 1283–1288. 7-10 September 2004, Puebla, Mexico. World Rabbit Science Association: Valencia, SpainGoogle Scholar
Vinke, CM, Eenkhoorn, NC, Netto, WJ, Fermont, PCJ and Spruijt, BM 2002 Stereotypic behaviour and tail biting in farmed mink (Mustela vison) in a new housing system. Animal Welfare 11: 231–245Google Scholar
Webster, AB, Fairchild, BD, Cummings, TS and Stayer, PA 2008 Validation of a three-point gait-scoring system for field assessment of walking ability of commercial broilers. The Journal of Applied Poultry Research 17(4): 529–539. https://doi.org/10.3382/japr.2008-00013CrossRefGoogle Scholar