Effect of nursing method and stocking density on the performance of early weaned rabbits.

A 2 x 2 factorial experiment was performed to study the effect of the rearing method (one or two-phase method) and their milk supply until weaning (one or 2 mothers). Two hundred fifty eight early weaned young (21 days of age), previously nursed by 1 or 2 does were caged per 3 between 21 and 70 days of age (Group 3/3) or caged per 6 between 21 and 42 days of age and later 3/cage till 70 days of age (Group 6/3). The effect of number of nursing does was significant on the feed intake (85 or 81 g/days; P<0.05) and on the weight at 70 days of age (2093 or 2005 g; P<0.05) for rabbits nursed by 2 or 1 does, respectively. The difference in favour of the higher density caging is ascribed to the fact that these young could reach easier the nipple drinkers. Moreover, when previously nursed by 2 does their weight was higher at weaning and by consequence they could also more easily reach the drinkers. But the rearing method had no effect on the overall weight gain between the age of 21 and 70 days, on the body weight, feed intake and feed conversion. The effect of stocking density was significant on kit mortality between days 21 and 70, its value was 36 and 18% for the group 3/3 and group 3/6, respectively. Rearing the rabbits in two phases, 6 rabbits/cage between 21 -42 days and 3 kits/cage between 42-70 days of age was found to be economically advantageous since more rabbits were housed in a cage or in a building matched with lower mortality and without any negative influence on the other traits.