Acknowledgements Book of abstracts - Publicaties - Vlaanderen.be

Daniela Zucca presents Poster 29 during the poster sessions in the Aula.
Session theme 3: Improving animal welfare by adapting animals to their environment
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Poster 29
EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT AND HANDLING ON
DOES AND THEIR LITTER
D. Zucca 1 , V. Bonazza 3 , E. Heinzl 1 , F. Luzi 1 , C. Ricci 2 , M. Verga 1
1 Dipartimento di Scienze Animali, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Milano, Italy
2 Istituto di Statistica Medica e Biometria, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Milano, Italy
3 Osservatorio Epidemiologico Veterinario della Regione Lombardia - Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale
della Lombardia e dell' Emilia Romagna,Brescia, Italy
The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of two different types of environmental
enrichment on the performance and behaviour of does and the effects of regular daily handling in
pups, during the first week after birth, on their fear reaction towards a new environment and
humans.
Thirty-six commercial hybrid rabbit does and their litters (9 pups each, chosen randomly) were
used. The cages were enriched with a wooden stick (Robinia pseudoacacia) (n=12), or with a plastic
slatted floor mat for paw-rest, that covered half of the floor (n=12), or without enrichment (n=12).
Half litters were handled and the others ones were not handled (control group). Behaviours of the
does were video recorded 3 days before and 3 days after parturition, 24 hours/day. The weight gain
of the pups was recorded during the pre-weaning period. The fear of pups towards a new
environment and towards humans was assessed through two behavioural tests: emergence and tonic
immobility test carried out at the ages of 14 and 33 days. The results have been evaluated by a
Generalized Linear Model for repeated measures, by interpolation of a Multinomial Model and by
Principal Components Analysis of correlation matrix.
As regards the does, the environmental enrichment affected some behavioural characteristics; the
principal components analysis shows that the enrichment with the wooden stick is associated to
locomotion reduction, to increase lying activity and self grooming. Concerning the litters, we found
no difference among the two groups regarding their weight gain and the tonic immobility test.
During the emergence test a statistical significant difference (p