P. I. Queaque

Bio: P. I. Queaque is an academic researcher from University of Padua. The author has contributed to research in topics: Weaning & Starch. The author has an hindex of 10, co-authored 19 publications receiving 455 citations.

Effect of postweaning feeding on the performance and energy balance of female rabbits at different physiological states

Abstract: The feeding of a high-fiber and low-energy diet to young rabbit does from weaning to the first kindling was used to modify their body reserves, stimulate their energy intake, and reduce the energy deficit during the first lactation. Rabbits (53 per group) were given ad libitum access to either a control or high-fiber diet (CP, 17.6 vs 15.8% of DM; crude fiber, 15.5 vs 19.9% of DM; digestible energy, 2,565 vs 2,261 kcal/kg of DM, respectively) from weaning to their first kindling. During lactation, both groups received the same diet, which contained 19.3% CP, 16.5% crude fiber, and 2,634 kcal/kg digestible energy (dry matter basis). Four comparative slaughters were performed to estimate the chemical and energy balance of rabbit does at different physiological states: at the beginning of the trial (12 rabbits, 45 d of age), at mating (10 rabbits per group, 136 d), at kindling (10 rabbits per group, 167 d), and at the end of lactation (12 and 11 rabbits for the control and the high-fiber group, 197 d). Large changes in body weight and composition were observed between slaughters. From 45 d to mating, doe body fat and energy increased 7.93 and 4.64 times the initial content, respectively. During pregnancy, body protein concentration decreased from 203 to 186 g/kg. At the end of lactation, body fat and energy concentration were reduced to values close to those measured at 45 d of age. Dietary treatment affected body chemical and energy balance during pregnancy and lactation but not reproductive and lactational performance. The high-fiber diet stimulated feed intake from weaning to the first kindling but not dietary energy intake. During lactation, the rabbits fed the high-fiber diet ate 10 kcal.d -1 .kg live weight -.75 more and lost less body fat (-405 vs -504 g) and body energy (-3,628 vs -4,294 kcal) than the does fed the control diet (P < .001). In the same period, all does showed water and protein retention (185 and 45 g, on average) regardless of dietary treatment. In conclusion, feeding young does a high-fiber diet until their first kindling reduced the chemical and energy body deficit at the end of the first lactation.

Effect of weaning diet and weaning age on growth, body composition and caecal fermentation of young rabbits

Abstract: Two weaning diets (C and S) and three weaning ages (21, 25, and 28 days) were compared in a two factorial arrangement to evaluate their effect on growth performance, body composition and caecal fermentation activity of young rabbits. One hundred litters born the same day from multiparous does were used. Sixty litters were early weaned at 21, 25 and 28 days of age (20 litters per weaning age), put in collective cages (nine kits per cage) (W21, W25, and W28 litters) and offered the control diet C (crude protein (CP) : 175 g/kg dry matter (DM); ether extract : 20 g/kg DM; starch : 157 g/kg DM; acid-detergent lignin (ADL) : 60 g/kg DM; digestible energy (DE) : 11·08 MJ/kg DM) or the starter diet S (CP : 173 g/kg DM; ether extract : 41 g/kg DM; starch : 112 g/kg DM; ADL : 51 g/kg DM; DE : 11·31 MJ/kg DM). At 32 days of age, 180 early weaned rabbits (three rabbits from each of the 60 litters above) were selected : 60 animals were slaughtered; 120 animals were placed into individual cages and offered a fattening diet (CP : 166 g/kg DM; ether extract : 23 g/kg DM; starch : 177 g/kg DM; ADL : 49 g/kg DM; DE : 11·26 MJ/kg DM) from 32 to 56 days of age. At 56 days of age, another 60 representative rabbits were slaughtered. The administration of diet S to the early weaned rabbits increased litter weight at 32 days (6160 v. 6027 g; P 0·05) of weaning age was recorded on growth performance or caecal fermentation traits, but EB protein remained lower in the earliest weaned rabbits (P <0·05). In conclusion, feeding a high-fat low-starch diet to early weaned rabbits stimulated growth and body fat and energy retention of kits at 32 days of age with no effect on caecal fermentation. The early weaning successfully performed at 21 days of age strongly stimulated caecal fermentation but reduced body protein reserves.

Group housing of growing rabbits: effect of stocking density and cage floor on performance, welfare, and meat quality

Abstract: Three hundred twenty rabbits weaned at 29 d (LW: 618 ± 65 g) were housed in group to evaluate the effect of stocking density and type of cage floor on behaviour, health status, growth performance, carcass and meat quality. Rabbits were put in groups of 8 in 40 cages of two sizes (110 x 60 cm and 100 x 50 cm) allowing two stocking densities (D12, 12.1 rabbits/m 2 vs D16, 16.0 rabbits/m 2 ). Within density, two types of cage floor were compared (wire net vs slat) according to a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement with ten replications (cages). The rabbits were fed one single diet (CP: 17.6% DM, ADL: 5.7% DM, DE: 10.7 MJ/kg DM). No antibiotic was added to feed or water. Rabbit reactivity was controlled by tonic immobility and open-field tests at 51 and 66 d of age. Rabbit behaviour was video-recorded at 57 and 68 d of age for 24 h. Rabbits were slaughtered at 71 d to evaluate carcass and meat quality. The dimensions and the resistance to fracture of femur and tibia were measured. Sanitary status and growth performance were highly satisfying in all treatments. Mortality was 1.6% during the trial. Daily growth rate averaged 48.5 g/d and live weight at 71 d 2655 g, with a feed efficiency of 0.327. Carcass and meat quality, and bone fracture resistance were unaffected by housing system. The highest stocking density stimulated daily weight gain during the first two weeks of trial (51.4 vs 52.9 g/d in D12 and D16 rabbits; P<0.05) but tended to reduce feed intake in the last two weeks (185 vs 179 g/d, P=0.06). Video recording, however, showed no difference in behaviour between stocking densities. Although stocking density had no overall effect on final weight or feed intake, feed efficiency was higher in D16 rabbits (P=0.05). During the open field test, the D16 rabbits spent more time moving than the D12 rabbits (P=0.04), whereas no difference in rabbit reactivity was observed during the immobility test. The effect of the type of cage floor was weak and limited to a slight reduction in feed intake during the last two weeks of trial, and therefore an improvement in feed efficiency throughout the study (P=0.01), by rabbits reared on the wire net floor in comparison with rabbits reared on the slatted floor (179 vs 185 g/d; P=0.08). During the open field test, rabbits reared in cages with wire net floor showed higher exploration activity (P<0.01) without any difference in reactivity during the immobility test.

Recommendations and guidelines for applied nutrition experiments in rabbits.

Abstract: The aim of this paper was to draw up a set of recommendations for applied nutrition and feeding trials with rabbits, in relation to certain aspects such as determining the nutritive value of raw materials or diets in growing or reproducing animals, studying digestive physiology and obtaining growth and reproduction parameters. We deal first with animals, size of the sample, housing conditions, diets, handling, measurements, and the data analyses relevant to the design of the experiment are described. Secondly, we give a list of recommended items and include some comments.