Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T13:13:30.208Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Influence of cage or pen housing on carcass traits and meat quality of rabbit

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 October 2009

S. Combes ,
G. Postollec ,
L. Cauquil  and
T. Gidenne
S. Combes*
Affiliation:
INRA, UMR1289 Tissus Animaux Nutrition Digestion Ecosystème et Métabolisme, F-31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France Université de Toulouse, INPT ENSAT, UMR1289 Tissus Animaux Nutrition Digestion Ecosystème et Métabolisme, F-31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France ENVT, UMR1289 Tissus Animaux Nutrition Digestion Ecosystème et Métabolisme, F-31076 Toulouse, France
G. Postollec
Affiliation:
AFSSA, BP 53, 22440 Ploufragan, France
L. Cauquil
Affiliation:
INRA, UMR1289 Tissus Animaux Nutrition Digestion Ecosystème et Métabolisme, F-31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France Université de Toulouse, INPT ENSAT, UMR1289 Tissus Animaux Nutrition Digestion Ecosystème et Métabolisme, F-31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France ENVT, UMR1289 Tissus Animaux Nutrition Digestion Ecosystème et Métabolisme, F-31076 Toulouse, France
T. Gidenne
Affiliation:
INRA, UMR1289 Tissus Animaux Nutrition Digestion Ecosystème et Métabolisme, F-31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France Université de Toulouse, INPT ENSAT, UMR1289 Tissus Animaux Nutrition Digestion Ecosystème et Métabolisme, F-31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France ENVT, UMR1289 Tissus Animaux Nutrition Digestion Ecosystème et Métabolisme, F-31076 Toulouse, France
*
†E-mail: Sylvie.Combes@toulouse.inra.fr
Get access

Abstract

Carcass traits and meat quality of rabbits reared in conventional cages (0.385 m2), small pens (0.662 m2) or large pens (4.052 m2) at a similar stock density of 15 rabbits/m2 were compared (n = 30 per group). Pens contained an elevated platform. Slaughter weight (SW; P < 0.01) and cold carcass weight (P < 0.05) decreased in the order of Cage < Small pen < Large pen groups. SW and cold carcass weight were 7% lower in rabbits housed in large pens than in cages. Dressing out and meat-to-bone ratio were not influenced by the housing system. Percentage of fat deposits was highest in caged rabbits (+0.15 point for scapular fat and +0.26 point for perirenal fat compared to rabbits reared in large pens P < 0.05). Rabbits housed in large pens had a bigger proportion of hind part (+1 point), and meat colour was shifted towards greater a* values (P < 0.01) compared to caged rabbits. Water holding capacity and shear test parameters in longissimus lumborum muscle, lipid content and shear test parameters of abductor cruralis cranialis, biceps femoris and semitendinosus muscles were not affected by the housing system. Tibia and femur bone moment of inertia increased in the order of Cage < Small pen < Large pen groups (P < 0.05), whereas elastic modulus, which is a measure of intrinsic stiffness, was highest in caged rabbits. This study showed that large pen housing altered carcass traits independently and increased meat redness and fracture resistance of tibia and femur.

Keywords

rabbitshousing conditionsmeat qualitycarcass quality
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 4 , Issue 2 , February 2010 , pp. 295 - 302
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aubret, JM, Duperray, J 1992. Effect of cage density on the performance and health of the growing rabbit. Journal Applied of Rabbit Research 15, 656–660.Google Scholar
Blasco, A, Ouhayoun, J 1993. Harmonization of criteria and terminology in rabbit meat research. World Rabbit Science 4, 93–99.Google Scholar
Castellini, C, Dal Bosco, A, Bernardini, M, Cyril, HW 1998. Effect of dietary vitamin E on the oxidative stability of raw and cooked meat. Meat Science 50, 153–161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Combes, S, Larzul, C, Jehl, N, Cauquil, L, Gabinaud, B, Lebas, F 2007. Abitily of physico-chemical measurements to discriminate rabbit meat from three different productive processes. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 87, 2302–2309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Combes, S, Lebas, S 2003. Les modes du logement du lapin en engraissement: Influence sur la qualité des carcasses et des viandes. In 10èmes Journées de la Recherche Cunicole, Paris (France), pp. 185–200.Google Scholar
Crenshaw, TD, Peo, ER, Lewis, AJ, Moser, BD 1981. Bone strength as a trait for assessing mineralization in swine: a critical review of techniques involved. Journal of Animal Science 53, 827–835.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dal Bosco, A, Castellini, C, Bernardini, M 2000. Productive performance and carcass and meat characteristics of cage- or pen-raised rabbits. In 7th World Rabbit Congress, Valencia (Spain), pp. 579–584.Google Scholar
Dal Bosco, A, Castellini, C, Mugnai, C 2002. Rearing rabbits on a wire net floor or straw litter: behaviour, growth and meat qualitative traits. Livestock Production Science 75, 149–156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dalle Zotte, A, Princz, Z, Metzger, S, Szabó, A, Radnai, I, Biró-Németh, E, Orova, Z, Szendro, Z 2009. Response of fattening rabbits reared under different housing conditions. 2. Carcass and meat quality. Livestock Science 122, 39–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ducomps, C, Mauriege, P, Darche, B, Combes, S, Lebas, F, Doutreloux, JP 2003. Effects of jump training on passive mechanical stress and stiffness in rabbit skeletal muscle: role of collagen. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 178, 215–224.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Farm Animal Welfare Council 1991. First Press Notice. 5/12 MAFF, London.Google Scholar
Folch, J, Lees, M, Sloane Stanley, GH 1957. A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipides from animal tissues. Journal of Biological Chemistry 226, 497–509.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gondret, F, Hernandez, P, Remignon, H, Combes, S 2009. Skeletal muscle adaptations and biomechanical properties of tendons in response to jump exercise in rabbits. Journal of Animal Science 87, 544–553.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gondret, F, Larzul, C, Combes, S, De Rochambeau, H 2005. Carcass composition, bone mechanial properties, and meat quality traits according to growth rate in rabbits. The Journal of Animal Science 83, 1526–1535.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Honikel, KO 1998. Reference methods for the assessment of physical characteristics of meat. Meat Science 49, 447–457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hulot, F, Ouhayoun, J 1999. Muscular pH and related traits in rabbits: a review. World Rabbit Science 7, 15–36.Google Scholar
Jehl, N, Meplain, E, Mirabito, L, Combes, S 2003. Influence de trois modes de logement sur les performances zootechniques et la qualité de la viande de lapin. In 10èmes Journées de la Recherche Cunicole, Paris (France), pp. 181–184.Google Scholar
Lambertini, L, Vignola, G, Zaghini, G 2001. Alternative pen housing system for fattening rabbits: Effects of group density and litter. World Rabbit Science 9, 141–147.Google Scholar
Lebas, F, Lamboley-Gaüzere, B, Delmas, D, Auvergne, A 1998. Incidence du taux de phosphore alimentaire sur la croissance des lapins, leur caractéristiques à l’abattage et la résistance mécanique des os. In 7èmes Journées de la Recherche Cunicole en France, Lyon, France, pp. 171–174.Google Scholar
Lebret, B 2008. Effects of feeding and rearing systems on growth, carcass composition and meat quality in pigs. Animal 2, 1548–1558.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maertens, L, De Groote, G 1988. Influence of the number of fryer rabbits per cage on their performance. Journal Applied of Rabbit Research 7, 151–155.Google Scholar
Maertens, L, Van Oeckel, MJ 2001. Effet du logement en cage ou en parc et de son enrichissement sur les performances et la couleur de la viande des lapins. In 9èmes Journées de la Recherche Cunicole en France, Paris, France, pp. 31–34.Google Scholar
Martrenchar, A, Boilletot, E, Cotte, JP, Morisse, JP 2001. Wire-floor pens as an alternative to metallic cages in fattening rabbits: Influence on some welfare traits. Animal Welfare 10, 153–161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Millet, S, Hesta, M, Seynaeve, M, Ongenae, E, De Smet, S, Debraekeleer, J, Janssens, GPJ 2004. Performance, meat and carcass traits of fattening pigs with organic versus conventional housing and nutrition. Livestock Production Science 87, 109–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morisse, JP 1998. Le bien-être chez le lapin: Rapport de synthèse. In 7èmes Journées de la Recherche Cunicole en France, Lyon (France), pp. 205–214.Google Scholar
Ouhayoun, J 1998. Influence of the diet on rabbit meat quality. In The nutrition of the rabbit (ed. C De Blas and J Wisemann), pp. 177–195. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.Google Scholar
Ouhayoun, J 1989. La composition corporelle du lapin: Facteurs de variation. INRA Productions Animales 2, 215–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patterson, PH, Cook, ME, Crenshaw, TD, Sunde, ML 1986. Mechanical properties of the tibiotarsus of broilers and poults loaded with artificial weight and fed various protein levels. Poultry Science 65, 1357–1364.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Postollec, G, Boilletot, E, Maurice, R, Michel, V 2008. The effect of pen size and an enrichment structure (elevated platform) on the performances and the behaviour of fattening rabbits. Animal Welfare 17, 53–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
R Development Core Team 2008. R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria, URL: http://www.R-project.org.Google Scholar
Rommers, J, Meijerhof, R 1998. Effect of group size on performance, bone strength and skin lesions of meat rabbits housed under commercial conditions. World Rabbit Science 6, 299–302.Google Scholar
Trocino, A, Xiccato, G 2006. Animal welfare in reared rabbits: a review with emphasis on housing systems. World Rabbit Science 14, 77–93.Google Scholar