Effect of heat stress and feed restriction on performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of growing rabbits

IF 1.9 3区农林科学 Q2 AGRICULTURE, DAIRY & ANIMAL SCIENCE

Livestock Science Pub Date : 2025-10-11 DOI:10.1016/j.livsci.2025.105836

Emanuele Pontalti , Marco Cullere , Zsolt Szendrő , Zsolt Matics , Zsolt Gerencsér , Bianca Palumbo , Antonella Dalle Zotte

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The effects of heat stress and feed restriction were evaluated on a total of 180 weaned rabbits divided into three experimental groups (60 animals/group): 2 groups were fed ad libitum and reared under different temperatures (20 °C – 20AD and 30 °C – 30AD), while a third group was housed under controlled temperature (20 °C) but pair-fed to 30AD rabbits, thus feed restricted (20FR). During the trial, both 30AD and 20FR groups exhibited reduced growth performance, including body weight and daily weight gain (both, P < 0.001), although feed conversion ratio improved (P = 0.016). The reference carcasses of 20FR and 30AD rabbits were lighter and leaner (both, P < 0.001) than that of 20AD rabbits, while the slaughter yield decreased only in 20FR rabbits (P = 0.001). Regarding meat physical traits, 20FR rabbits exhibited the highest pHu (P < 0.001) and the lowest total losses (P < 0.001), whereas the meat-to-bone ratio decreased in both 20FR and 30AD groups (P = 0.007). As for meat proximate composition, protein and lipid contents were lower (P = 0.008 and P = 0.0002, respectively) in 20FR and 30AD rabbits, while water content was greater (P < 0.001) compared to 20AD rabbits. At the lipid level, higher TBARS (P = 0.001) were found in both 20FR and 30AD groups. The 20FR and 30AD groups showed some differences in their carcass and meat quality traits, however the majority of changes induced by chronic heat stress were mostly attributed to the reduced feed intake.

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热应激和限饲对生长兔生产性能、胴体性状和肉品质的影响

研究热应激和限饲对180只断奶家兔的影响，将其分为3个实验组（每组60只）：2组自由饲养，在不同温度（20℃- 20 ad和30℃- 30 ad）下饲养，第三组在控制温度（20℃）下饲养，对30 ad的家兔进行配对饲养，即限饲（20 fr）。试验期间，30AD和20FR组的生长性能（包括体重和日增重）均有所降低（P < 0.001），但饲料系数有所提高（P = 0.016）。20FR和30AD家兔的参考胴体比20AD家兔更轻、更瘦（均P <； 0.001），而只有20FR家兔的屠宰产量下降（P = 0.001）。在肉质性状方面，20FR组的pHu最高（P < 0.001），总损失最低（P < 0.001），而肉骨比在20FR组和30AD组均有所降低（P = 0.007）。肉质成分方面，20FR和30AD兔的蛋白质和脂肪含量低于20AD兔（P = 0.008和P = 0.0002），水分含量高于20AD兔（P < 0.001）。在脂质水平上，20FR组和30AD组的TBARS均较高（P = 0.001）。20FR和30AD组胴体和肉质性状有一定差异，但慢性热应激引起的变化主要是采食量的减少。

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来源期刊

Livestock Science 农林科学-奶制品与动物科学

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

5.60%

发文量

237

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Livestock Science promotes the sound development of the livestock sector by publishing original, peer-reviewed research and review articles covering all aspects of this broad field. The journal welcomes submissions on the avant-garde areas of animal genetics, breeding, growth, reproduction, nutrition, physiology, and behaviour in addition to genetic resources, welfare, ethics, health, management and production systems. The high-quality content of this journal reflects the truly international nature of this broad area of research.