Effect of solid intake stimulation of suckling rabbit on survival and growth performance Sylvie Combes1, Sylia Ikken1,3, Thierry Gidenne1, Elodie Balmisse2, Patrick Aymard2, Angélique Travel3 Sylvie.Combes@inra.fr 1GenPhySE,INRA, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France 2PECTOUL, INRA, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France 3ITAVI, URA, l’Orfrasière, 37380 Nouzilly, France EAAP 28 August – 1st September 2017, Tallinn

Alternative solutions Context In monogastrics such as rabbit and pig, digestive diseases occur around weaning Administration of antimicrobial is often use to control incidence of digestive disease Emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistant bacteria in livestock, human and ecosystem Reduce treatment efficacy (livestock and human) Reduce the use is a priority for EU and France To preserve health through the control of digestive microbiota implantation using an early nutritional leverage Alternative solutions

Assumptions - Coprophagia - In the burrow Rabbit kits are able to express an early feeding behavior (Kovács et al., 2006 ; Combes et al., 2014; Gidenne et al., 2015; Matics et al., 2017) Nb of pelleted feed ingested - Coprophagia Kits’ stomach (d14) - In the burrow Age (days) BUT they cannot express it under conventional breeding conditions - In experimental farm

Assumptions Rabbit kits are able to express an early feeding behavior (Kovács et al., 2006 ; Combes et al., 2014 Gidenne et al 2015 Matics et al 2017) Microbiota implantation is dependent on solid feed intake (Padilha et al 1999, Combes et al., 2008) Early solid feed intake Simpson index Solid feed Control microbiota implantation Intake (g/d/rabbit) Milk Age (days)

Rabbit kits are able to express an early feeding behavior (Kovács et al., 2006 ; Combes et al., 2014 Gidenne et al 2015 Matics et al 2017) Microbiota implantation is dependent on solid feed intake (Padilha et al 1999, Combes et al., 2008) Digestive immune system is under microbiota control (Stepankova et al., 1980 ; Hanson et Lanning 2008) Assumptions Intake (g/d/rabbit) Age (days) Nest Feeding Early feed intake stimulation Optimize GI immune system development Control microbiota implantation

Experimental design Objective: Promote solid ingestion of suckling rabbits Either by providing pellet feed in the nest from 8d on Or by modifying protein / starch ratio Pro+Starch-   Pro-Satrch+ Digestible protein % 13,5 9.9 Starch% 6.8 8.9 Digestible energy (Kcal/kg) 2234 2246 Feed: Rabbits 51 litters divided en 3 groups 2 d after birth Group 1 Group 2 Group 3

Experimental design Objective: Promote solid ingestion of suckling rabbits Either by providing pellet feed in the nest from 8d on Or by modifying protein / starch ratio Digestibility trail d35 – d39 N=187 rabbits Feed in the nest  12 pellets / d Feed in the feeder d8 d18 d35 d42 d70 Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Feed Pro+starch- Feed Pro-starch+ Commercial feed Restriction 77 % ad lib weaning

Experimental design Housing: Separate feeder for doe and kits 1 2 Young rabbits Nest Doe feeder Feeder Experimental design Housing: Separate feeder for doe and kits 12 pellets Wood shaving Carded cotton Doe’s Feces Initial Nest 1 2 Nest Preparation 4 3

Results Group 1 Suckling rabbits were able to ingest solid feed Pro+starch- Pro+starc- Pro-starc+ Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Results Group 1 Suckling rabbits were able to ingest solid feed Pelleted feed Maternal feces Age (days) 0.75 pellet/ rabbit /d (Min: 0.25 – Max: 1.02) Which represents 0.06 % of milk intake

Milk production effect Maternal feces ingestion effect Pro+starch- Pro+starc- Pro-starc+ Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Results Suckling rabbit growth From d1 to d15 LS-means Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group Effect Milk production effect Maternal feces ingestion effect Live weight 1d 77.2 76.2 72.9 NS - Live weight 8d 157.6 155.3 <0.001 Live weight 15d 265.7 270.1 267.3 ADG 1d-15d 13.5 13.8 13.9 Early feed intake : NS Protein / starch : NS

Milk Production effect Pro+starch- Pro+starc- Pro-starc+ Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Results Suckling rabbit growth From d18 to d35 LS-means Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group effect Milk Production effect Live Weight 22d (g) 393 380 390 NS 0.001 Live weight 29d (g) 578 574 593 Live weight 35d (g) 855 843 847 Feed intake 18-35d (g/rabbit) 339 388 383  0.88 ADG 22-35d (g/j) 35.6 35.3 35.2 0.56 Early feed intake : NS Protein / starch : NS

Results Ad libitum and 77% restricted feed intake From 35d to 70d Pro+starch- Pro+starc- Pro-starc+ Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Results Group 1 Ad libitum and 77% restricted feed intake From 35d to 70d Group 2 Ad libitum intake Group 3 Group 1 Group 2 Restricted intake Group 3 The restriction calculation was made from the ad libitum consumptions of contemporary rabbits of each group Group 2 had the lowest feed intake

Results Ad libitum and 77% restricted feed intake From 35d to 70d 855  LS-means Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group Effect Milk intake effect Live weight 35d (g) 855 843 847 NS 0.001 Live weight 70d (g) 2211 2169 2220 Intake 35-42d (g/d/rabbit) 90 86 91 (77% from ad libitum) Intake 42-70d (g/d/rabbit) 128 120 126 ADG 35-42d (g/d) 38.3b 38.9b 45.9a FCR 35-42d 2.43a 2.30a 2.07b 0.02 ADG 35-70d (g/d) 38.8ab 37.6b 39.5 a 0.01 0.10 FCR 35-70d 3.13 3.02 3.07 0.007 Ad libitum and 77% restricted feed intake From 35d to 70d Early feed intake tend to increase 35-70 d growth Prot-starch+ vs Prot+starch- : improve growth Related to an highest intake

Early ingestion effect (J8 vs J18) Ratio Protein/starch from d18 Pro+starch- Pro+starc- Pro-starc+ Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Conclusion Group 1 vs Group 2 Group 2 vs Group 3 Early ingestion effect (J8 vs J18) Ratio Protein/starch from d18 Health Good sanitary condition  2.8% between 8 and 35 days, and 0.4% between 35 and 70 days Suckling period No Effect on doe’s milk production from 8 to 18 d -- No effect on intake and growth Fattening period Slight increase in ADG to be related to and increase in feed intake Prot-Starch+: increase in ADG to be related to and increase in feed intake What’s next? The implications on microbiota and immune system maturation are currently being analyzed.

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