Rearing and breeding in parks as an alternative to the use of cages in rabbit and meat production (PARCCUN)
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Starting date:
01/12/2021
End date:
17/06/2024
Programme:
Animal Breeding and Genetics
Principal investigator:
Financing entities:
Actividad financiada a través de la operación 01.02.01 de Transferencia Tecnológica del Programa de desarrollo rural de Cataluña 2014-2022.
Rabbit meat production has traditionally been carried out on an industrial scale in wire cages. The effect of these cages on animal welfare has been questioned in recent years and their use in animal production in Europe is expected to be banned from 2027. The alternative housing systems proposed in rabbit farming seek to improve the negative aspects of cages by producing in roofless housing, avoiding wire on the floor, and in a group system. These facilities could increase aggression between animals, leading to a worsening of health status, welfare and production, and could involve heavy capital investments in the acquisition of new facilities and changes in the farm structure. The general objective of the activity is to show and evaluate alternative prototypes to cages that improve animal welfare, avoiding aggressions between animals, lower production and high investments in installation.
