In rabbit farms, quantitative feed restriction in the post-weaning period is widely used with the aim of reducing the impact of digestive diseases, whereas less information is available about feed restriction strategies based on the reduction of access time to feeders in different housing systems. This study compared morbidity, mortality, growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of 368 crossbred rabbits fed ad libitum (L) or subjected to a time-based feed restriction programme (R) and housed from 31 to 73 days of age in cages or pens with different dimensions and group sizes, that is, eight conventional cages (0.33 m2, six rabbits/cage), eight small open-top pens (0.50 m2, eight rabbits/pen), eight medium open-top pens (1.00 m2, 16 rabbits/pen) and four large open-top pens (2.00 m2, 32 rabbits/pen). Feed restriction was attained by progressively reducing the access time to feeders in the 1st week from 14 to 8 h/day, maintaining 8 h in the 2nd week and then by increasing access time by 1 h/day during the 3rd and 4th week up to 24 h/day. In the first 2 weeks, R rabbits showed a lower (P ≤ 0.001) daily weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion as compared with L rabbits. During the 3rd and 4th weeks, R rabbits exhibited a greater daily weight gain and better feed conversion (P ≤ 0.001). In the last 2 weeks of trial, daily weight gain tended (P = 0.06) to be greater in the R than L rabbits. In the whole trial, R rabbits manifested a lower daily weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion, as well as lower final live weight and the carcass dressing percentage at slaughter (0.05 ≤ P ≤ 0.01). During feed restriction, R rabbits did not show digestive problems, which, however, appeared in the following 2 weeks of refeeding. Thus, R rabbits had a higher health risk index in the whole trial as compared with L rabbits (P ≤ 0.05). The housing system did not affect growth performance, characteristics at slaughter, and carcass and meat quality. Mortality tended to increase with group size (P = 0.06). In conclusion, the time-based feed restriction significantly improved feed efficiency of growing rabbits housed collectively but had somewhat negative effects on characteristics at slaughter and on morbidity and mortality rate.

中文翻译：

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时间限制饲料对集体系统饲养的成年兔子的发病率，死亡率，性能和肉品质的影响。

在家兔农场，广泛使用断奶后的定量饲料限制以减少消化系统疾病的影响，而基于减少不同房屋系统中的饲养者接触时间的饲料限制策略的信息较少。这项研究比较了31只至73天大的随意饲养（L）或受时间限制饲料（R）饲养的368头杂交兔的发病率，死亡率，生长性能，car体特征和肉品质。具有不同尺寸和组大小的围栏，即八只常规笼子（0.33平方米，每只兔子六只），八只小型敞顶式围栏（0.50平方米，八只兔子/笔），八只中型敞顶式围栏（1.00平方米， 16只兔子/笔）和四只大型开放式围栏（2.00平方米，32只兔子/笔）。通过将第1周对接驳员的接触时间从14天逐渐减少到8小时/天，在第2周保持8小时，然后在第3周和第4周将接触时间增加1小时/天，直至达到饲喂限制24小时/天。在头2周，R兔的日增重，采食量和饲料转化率均低于L兔（P≤0.001）。在第3周和第4周，R兔的日增重更高，饲料转化率更高（P≤0.001）。在试验的最后2周中，R组的每日体重增加倾向于（L = 0.06）大于L组。在整个试验中，R兔表现出较低的日增重，采食量和饲料转化率，以及较低的最终活体重和屠宰时the体覆盖率（0.05≤P≤0.01）。在进食限制期间，R兔没有显示消化问题，但是在接下来的两周喂食中出现了。因此，在整个试验中，R兔的健康风险指数高于L兔（P≤0.05）。住房制度不影响生长性能，屠宰特性以及car体和肉质。死亡率倾向于随着小组人数的增加而增加（P = 0.06）。总之，基于时间的饲料限制显着提高了集体饲养的成年兔子的饲料效率，但对屠宰时的性状，发病率和死亡率产生了负面影响。屠宰的特性，car体和肉质。死亡率倾向于随小组人数的增加而增加（P = 0.06）。总之，基于时间的饲料限制显着提高了集体饲养的成年兔子的饲料效率，但对屠宰时的性状，发病率和死亡率产生了负面影响。屠宰的特性，car体和肉质。死亡率倾向于随小组人数的增加而增加（P = 0.06）。总之，基于时间的饲料限制显着提高了集体饲养的成年兔子的饲料效率，但对屠宰特性以及发病率和死亡率产生了一些负面影响。