Main objective of the project
The main overall aim is to improve rabbit health and welfare as well as to reduce the number of treatments with antimicrobials.
- To reach this goal, the major triggering factors leading to health issues in Swiss meat rabbit production need to be identified.
- To identify these factors, analysis of comprehensive data on the structure of the farms (e.g. no. of animals/farm, breeding or fattening, animal traffic) as well as key performance indicators (e.g. no. of sucklings born, no. of sucklings weaned, average daily gain, feed conversion etc.), mortality rates, treatment records (reason for treatment, frequency, drugs used) and causes of disease (infectious and other) over time and season is necessary.
- Further information will be obtained by analyzing details on housing systems, barn climate, rearing and fattening management, hygiene and biosecurity measures, animal traffic, feeding protocols and weather data in connection with animal losses .
- With the obtained findings, focused management improvements and specific prevention strategies will be determined. These improvements and strategies will be formulated as recommendations for the producers.
Further objectives of the project
- A further aim of the study is to make the benefit of collecting and analyzing data as well as regular diagnostic investigations visible for the farmers. Farmers will receive their data and will have the opportunity to compare their data with anonymized data of other farms.
- An intensified collaboration with rabbit producers, integraters, marketers, retailers, Vetsuisse and private veterinarians will help develop and strengthen a network inside the rabbit production branch.
