Behaviour and Growth Performances of New Zealand White Rabbit Kits Weaned at Three Different Ages under Tropical Climate

Abstract

Artificial weaning has been identified as one of the critical management practices as it induces psychological, physical and nutritional stresses in kits. Therefore, present study was conducted to investigate the behaviour and leucocyte response (White blood cell (WBC) count and Neutrophil:Lymphocyte (N:L) ratio) to artificial weaning in order to detect the level of stress and to study the growth performances of New Zealand white rabbit kits under tropical climate. Fifteen New Zealand White rabbit does were divided in to three treatment groups (n = 5) corresponding to the different weaning ages and designated as T l= weaning at 21 days; T2= weaning at 35 days and T3 = weaning at 49 days. The experiment was conducted for three consecutive parities of a doe and altogether 15 litters per treatment were studied. Drinking and feeding behaviours were significantly increased in T1 kits while lying was significantly decreased just after weaning (P<0.05). Grooming and sitting were significantly (P<0.05) increased in T2 kits. Moving, grooming and drinking were increased (P<0.05) while lying, feeding and sleeping were decreased (P<0.05) in T3 kits after weaning. Crouching and rearing were significantly (P<0.05) increased in all three treatments just after weaning. WBC count and N:L ratio were significantly (P<0.05) increased in T l kits while only the N:L ratio was increased (P<0.05) inT2 kits just after weaning. Irrespective of parity, the growth rate of the rabbit kits among three treatments, was significantly (P<0.05) affected during the weeks 4, 5 and 7 and there was no significant difference in 8th and 9th weeks.