1. 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
1GenPhySE,INRA, Castanet Tolosan, France 2PECTOUL, INRA, Castanet Tolosan, France 3ITAVI, URA, l’Orfrasière, Nouzilly, France
EAAP 28 August – 1st September 2017, Tallinn

2. 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

3. 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

4. Assumptions
Rabbit kits are able to express an early feeding behavior (Kovács et al., 2006 ; Combes et al., 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)

5. Rabbit kits are able to express an early feeding behavior (Kovács et al., 2006 ; Combes et al., 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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 d growth
Prot-starch+ vs Prot+starch- : improve growth
Related to an highest intake

14. 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.

15. Thanks for your attention