Unit RABBIT BREEDING MANAGEMENT
- Course
- Veterinary medicine
- Study-unit Code
- 85053901
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Gabriele Brecchia
- Teachers
-
- Gabriele Brecchia
- Hours
- 16 ore - Gabriele Brecchia
- CFU
- 1
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2013
- Offered
- 2017/18
- Learning activities
- A scelta dello studente
- Area
- A scelta dello studente
- Academic discipline
- VET/02
- Type of study-unit
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Contents
- The course provides knowledge about the reproductive physiology of the rabbit both male and female, the factors most strongly influencing the reproductive performance of this species and describes the techniques of management to increase the fertility and productivity of the rabbit farm, referring also to the research activities of the teacher.
- Reference texts
- “Coniglicoltura. L’allevamento professionale del coniglio da carne ed affezione”. Angeli Gamberini edited by Edagricole.
“Ferrets, rabbits and rodents”. J.W. carpenter, K Quesenberry edited by Saunders (W.B.) Ltd.
"Recent advances in rabbit scienze" edited by L. Maertens and P. Coudert ILVO 2006
Material provided by the teacher during the lectures and it will be make available also online. The teacher is available to receive students on Mondays and Thursdays from 11 to 13 for explanations and insights concerning the topics of the program. - Educational objectives
- The course takes into consideration the rabbit, an animal species that is rarely treated in veterinary medicine courses, with the aim of improve the basic theoretical knowledge and practical capacites regarding the management of the rabbit farm and specifically that of the reproduction of this specie.
- Prerequisites
- In order to understand and know how to apply the knowledge and techniques described in the teaching, the student must have knowledge of anatomy, physiology of reproduction, nutrition, infectious and parasitic diseases and of management of the breeding.
- Teaching methods
- The course is organized in 4 consecutive days, for a total of 16 hours as follows:
- Lectures on alll subjects of the course carried out at the didactical center of the Department of Veterinary Medicine concerning:
- Introduction to the course (30 min)
- Production of the rabbit meat in the world and Europe (30 min);
- Management of rabbit farm (2 hs);
- Handling and examination of the animals (1h).
- Anatomical and physiological characteristics of rabbit, in particular relating the reproductive systems and animal welfare (2hs and 30 min);
- Infectious and parasitic diseases that affect the fertility of the rabbit (30 min).
- Practical activities will carried out at the experimental farm of the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Science of the University of Perugia. Students will be divide in group (maximum 10 students group) and will perform the followed practical activities:
- semen collection and its evaluation (1h and 30 min);
- assessment of sexual receptivity of the female and evaluation of the estrous cycle (1h);
- artificial insemination and natural mating (1h and 30 min);
- pregnancy diagnosis by abdominal palpation and untrasound (1h);
- blood samples for hormone assessments (2hs);
- evaluation of the nutritional state of animals by BCS and measurement of the thickness of the perirenal fat by ecography (1h). - Learning verification modality
- There is no final exam for the course, but an ongoing evaluation is carried out on the learning and subsequent putting into practice of the topics discussed. It is evaluated the approach to reproductive management and the acquisition of practical skills inherent the reproduction of rabbit.
- Extended program
- The course is organized in 16 hours of theoretical and practical activities as follows:
Theoretical lessons (8 hs):
- Introduction to the course (30 min);
- Production of rabbit meat in the world and Europe (30 min)
- Management of rabbit farm (3hs):
a) types of farming, subdivision of spaces in the farm, animal categories, types of cages (30 mins);
b) Microclimate (temperature, humidity, light, ventilation, density, feed) (30 min);
c) Sanitary management (control of unwanted animals, control of persons and means of transport, hygiene and cleaning of rooms and equipment, staff training, control of drug administration, control of movement of animals, elimination of waste and dead animals, Role of veterinarian) (1h);
d) Management of reproduction (hormonal treatments, semen collection and evaluation, artificial insemination and natural mating, diagnosis of pregnancy by abdominal palpation and ecography, nest preparation, nursing, fostering, lactation, weaning, reproductive rhythms in rabbit breeding) (1h).
- Techniques for handling and to perform the clinical examination of animals (1h);
- Anatomy and physiology of the rabbit's reproductive system (2hs and 30 min):
A) Anatomy and reproductive physiology of the doe (gonadal axis, oestrus cycle, placenta, factors affecting fertility, parental care) (1h and 30 min);
B) Male anatomy and reproductive physiology (gonadal axis, semen evaluation) (1h).
- Infectious and parasitic diseases that cause abortion and / or affect the fertility of the rabbit; (30 min).
Practical activities in the farm (8hs):
- Semen collection and evaluation (1h and 30 minutes);
- Evaluation of the sexual receptivity of the doe and sexual libido of the buck (1h);
- Artificial insemination and natural mating (1h and 30 min);
- Diagnosis of pregnancy by abdominal palpation and ecography (1h);
- Blood sampling for hormonal evaluations (2hs);
- Evaluation of the nutritional status of the animal by BCS and ecographycal evaluation of the perianal fat thickness (1h).