Short communication: Assessment of activity patterns of growing rabbits in a flux-controlled chamber

Irene Olivas; Andres Rodriguez-Latorre; Fernando Estellés; Salvador Calvet; Arantxa Villagrá

doi:10.4995/wrs.2013.1187

Authors

Irene Olivas Centro de Tecnología Animal CITA-IVIA, Segorbe, Castellón
Andres Rodriguez-Latorre Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València
Fernando Estellés Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València
Salvador Calvet Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València
Arantxa Villagrá Centro de Tecnología Animal CITA-IVIA, Segorbe, Castellón

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2013.1187

Keywords:

rabbit, behaviour, flux chamber, rearing

Abstract

Flux-controlled and metabolic chambers are often used for nutritional and environmental studies. However, the potential alterations of animal behaviour and welfare are so far not fully understood. In consequence, this study had 2 main objectives: to assess potential alterations of animal activity pattern and time budget inside a flux chamber, and to assess the importance of the “rearing up” behaviour. To this end, 10 growing rabbits of different ages (from 1 to 5 wk of the growing period) were housed inside a flux chamber. Their activity was continuously recorded and assessed, determining the frequency and duration of 8 different behaviours: lying, sleeping, sitting, eating, drinking, walking, rearing up and others. Nocturnal rabbit behaviour and time budget were not altered inside the chamber if compared to previously described rabbit activity under conventional cages. In addition, rabbits in this experiment presented a tendency to perform “rearing up” when housed inside the flux chamber.

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