article · Animals
An investigation into rabbit kit mortality across two breeding seasons evaluated 2,238 newborn V-Line rabbits to identify clinical, bacterial, and parasitic causes of death. Overall mortality reached 77.57 per cent, with 1,501 deaths occurring pre-weaning and 235 post-weaning. Pre-weaning deaths were driven largely by maternal and management issues, including insufficient milk supply (37.37 per cent), cannibalism (26.38 per cent), and doe mange infestation (22.20 per cent). In contrast, post-weaning mortalities resulted from a combination of pathogens and management challenges, prominently sudden death with general septicaemia (13.80 per cent) and enteritis (9.63 per cent). Furthermore, Escherichia coli was identified in all examined animals, Salmonella species were widely detected, and Eimeria infection accounted for 86.50 per cent of post-weaning diarrhoeic cases. Managing maternal welfare and controlling mixed microbial infections are critical to reducing kit losses.
Rabbit farming provides an important source of meat and income, but extremely high kit mortality severely threatens productivity. By detailing the specific maternal, parasitic, and bacterial causes behind pre-weaning and post-weaning losses, this work shows where interventions are most urgent. Farm managers and veterinarians can use these insights to target husbandry practices, improve doe care, and implement sanitation protocols to protect newborn stock.
This research identifies specific operational and disease bottlenecks for commercial rabbit breeders and veterinary practitioners. The findings point towards the need for improved housing protocols, doe management programmes, and targeted veterinary therapeutics such as coccidiosis treatments and bacterial control measures. Because this is observational diagnostic research, direct commercial deployment depends on animal health companies or farm advisory services developing and validating targeted husbandry kits or preventive treatment packages.
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This study was conducted to investigate the causes of mortality in young rabbits. A total of 110 V-Line breed female rabbits aged 5 m were used in this study. Rabbit kits were examined daily in pre- and postweaning stages to detect clinical disorders that caused death. The postmortem examination was carried out on dead kits. Furthermore, rabbits were examined for the probable bacteriological and parasitological causes of death. Fecal samples were collected from each dead kit and examined by standard microbiological procedures for bacterial pathogens and macroscopically and microscopically for the presence of endo- and ectoparasites. Throughout two breeding seasons, 2238 newborns were obtained, of which 1736 died, accounting for a 77.57% mortality rate. During preweaning (1st month of age) and postweaning (up to 3 months of age), 1501 (67.10%) and 235 (31.90%) deaths were recorded, respectively. A postweaning fecal examination revealed that 198 out of 229 (86.50%) were diarrheic rabbits due to <i>Eimeria</i> infection. <i>Cittotaenia</i> spp. eggs were detected in 4.37% of fecal samples, and mites (<i>Sarcoptis scabiei</i>) were present in 6.55%. <i>E. coli</i> was detected in 100% of examined animals during pre- and postweaning periods; however, <i>Salmonella</i> spp. were 97.22% and 43.67, respectively. Managemental risk factors were the main causes in preweaning mortality, including insufficient milk supply (37.37%), cannibalism (26.38%), mange infestation of a rabbit doe (22.20%), mastitis (4.30%), lack of doe care (5.00%), bronchopneumonia (2.13%), and enteritis (1.80%). However, risk factors in postweaning mortality included sudden death with general septicemia (13.80%), enteritis (9.63%), bronchopneumonia (5.43%), mange infestation (2.04%), and malnutrition (0.81%). In conclusion, the etiology of preweaning mortality in kits was related mainly to the doe, especially managemental risk factors. However, a combination of multiple pathogenic agents (parasites and bacteria) and managemental factors was reported in the postweaning stage. Careful attention must be paid to avoid these causes.
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DOI: 10.3390/ani10030537
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