Artificial rabbit breastfeeding and supplementary heating of nests as strategies to reduce rabbit kits mortality

Authors

  • Silvio Mayke Leite Zootecnista, mestrando em Zootecnia, Maringá, PR.
  • Vítor Magalhães de Mendonça Cunha Miranda Zootecnista, doutorando em Zootecnia, Maringá, PR.
  • Polyana Roeles Batista Zootecnista, técnica pelo Instituto de Métricas Agropecuárias (Inttegra), Maringá, PR.
  • Edson Massayuki Tokusumi Teotonho da Silva Graduando em Zootecnia, Maringá, PR.
  • Beatriz Lazaretti Ribeiro Zootecnista, técnica da Semix – Tecnologia em Produtos, Maringá, PR.
  • Leandro Dalcin Castilha Zootecnista, doutor em Zootecnia, professor adjunto da UEM, Maringá, PR.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35977/0104-1096.cct2022.v39.26935

Keywords:

rabbits, thermal comfort, milk replacer, milk substitute

Abstract

This review aimed to gather information about artificial rabbit breastfeeding, approaching the types of substitutes most used by producers and also the strategies used with the aid of supplementary heating in the nests to reduce the mortality of rabbit kits in the pre-weaning period. Currently, rabbit farming has mostly followed two different paths, meat production and the raising of rabbits as companion animals, the so-called pet rabbits, and both of them need a well-established breeding program to have rabbit kits for commercialization. However, the period from birth to weaning comprises the most critical phase and the one that most affects the kits during their period on the farm, which is associated with several causes and factors. Artificial rabbit breastfeeding is little used in rabbit farming, mainly because there is still no specific substitute for rabbits in Brazil, which, together with the supplementary heating of the nests, could represent an important strategy to reduce pre-weaning mortality of these animals.

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Published

2022-11-23

How to Cite

Leite, S. M., Miranda, V. M. de M. C., Batista, P. R., Silva, E. M. T. T. da, Ribeiro, B. L., & Castilha, L. D. (2022). Artificial rabbit breastfeeding and supplementary heating of nests as strategies to reduce rabbit kits mortality. Science & Technology Journals, 39(3), e26935. https://doi.org/10.35977/0104-1096.cct2022.v39.26935

Issue

Vol. 39 No. 3 (2022)

Section

Artigos

License

After publication of the work, the Authors are authorized to non-exclusively distribute the version of the published work (for example: publish in an institutional repository, as a book chapter, create links on electronic pages, etc.), as long as the authorship and initial publication in this journal are mentioned.