Cuban Journal of Agriculltural Science 49(2): 205-209, 2015, ISSN:2079-3480

Rabbit researches at the Instituto de Ciencia Animal

Las investigaciones cunícolas en Instituto de Ciencia Animal

M. Valdivié,^I Raquel Ponce de León,^I

ABSTRACT

Rabbit researches at the Instituto de Ciencia Animal (ICA) from the Republic of Cuba began to develop between 1967 and 2014, with an emphasis on genetic improvement, use of food produced in Cuba, Physiology and the study of rabbit gastrointestinal tract. For more than 40 years, ICA has been an adviser in studies of genetic improvement in Cuba, and has recommended the use of different forages containing between 14 and 32 % of crude protein, as well as some other food of national production, which are used by an important amount of medium and small producers of rabbits, with positive results. The institute also selected a system of equations for estimating digestible energy of food destined to rabbits. ICA also designed a program that formulates rations destined to rabbits, with all types of food. During this period, the institute participated on the training of rabbit producers and the graduation of six PhD students of Veterinary Sciences and seven Masters in Science. During this period, a manual on rabbit rearing and a book about their feeding were written.

Key words: rabbits, feeding, management.

RESUMEN

Las investigaciones cunícolas en el Instituto de Ciencia Animal (ICA) de la República de Cuba comenzaron a desarrollarse entre 1967 y 2014, con énfasis en el mejoramiento genético, la utilización de alimentos de producción nacional, la fisiología y el estudio del tracto gastrointestinal del conejo. Durante más de 40 años, el ICA asesoró el trabajo de mejoramiento genético en Cuba, recomendó la utilización de diversos forrajes que contienen entre 14 y 32 % de proteína bruta, como de otros alimentos de producción nacional, empleados por un número importante de pequeños y medianos productores cunículas con resultados positivos. El Instituto seleccionó además, un sistema de ecuaciones para estimar la energía digestible de los alimentos destinados a conejos. Diseñó además, un programa para formular raciones destinadas a conejos con alimentos de todo tipo. En esta etapa, el ICA participó en la capacitación de los productores de conejos y en la formación de seis Doctores en Ciencias Veterinarias y siete Maestros en Ciencias. Se escribió también en este período un manual acerca de la crianza de conejos y un libro sobre su alimentación.

Palabras clave: conejos, alimentación, manejo.

INTRODUCTION

Rabbit researches at the Instituto de Ciencia Animal (ICA) from the Republic of Cuba began in 1967, in the facilities of the institute, very close to Zaragoza town. Back then, a group of young researches, including Raquel Ponce de León, Miriam Ribas, Carmen Rico and Francisco Diéguez, and led by Marcon B Willis, PhD, started their studies on rabbit genetics (ICA 1973 and ICA 1985).

In 1972, a poultry unit of ICA was remodeled to carry out researches on rabbit feeding and nutrition. Raquel Ponce de León, Rolando Romero and Rena Pérez (ICA 1973 and ICA 1985) worked in this facility.

After 1974, the institute decided to reduce researches on rabbits and those facilities were dismantled. Then, the researches were oriented towards rabbit genetic improvements, which were developed in the facilities of “Empresa Cunícola de La Habana” and those of the “Empresa de Especies Menores” from Santiago de Cuba. After that, the institute assumed the advising of the National Program of Rabbit Genetic Improvement in Cuba, in which Raquel Ponce de León, PhD (ICA1975 and ICA 1985) had an important role.

During the 90´s and at the beginning of 2000, researches were carried out in two small rabbit units, temporarily equipped for this purpose at ICA, after the studies on rabbit feeding and nutrition were retaken, with the use of alternative feeds of national production (Ponce de León and Larduet 1999 and Ponce de León et al. 1999).  During this stage, there were also researches on bio-physiology of the gastrointestinal tract (Dihigo et al. 2001, Dihigo 2004 and Dihigo et al. 2004).

From September 2014, studies on rabbit feeding and nutrition were carried out in other two small units, with 80 female reproducers and capacity for their offsprings. These facilities were located at Finca Guayabal, which is an area of research, training and production that belongs to the ICA.

NUTRITION, FEEDING AND DIGESTIVE PHYSIOLOGY OF RABBITS

Between 1967 and 1985, researchers determined that the use of between 14 and 16 % of crude protein in feedstuffs destined to fattening rabbits, plus the supplementation of high quality fresh forage, like ramie (Boehmeria nivea), allowed to sacrifice White Semi-Giant, California, New Zealand and Chichilla, after 91 days of age and between 2.0 and 2.2 kg of liveweight (Rico and Menchaca 1973). Researches also confirmed that the inclusion of 3% of zeolite on pelletized feedstuffs for feeding rabbits improved the quality of pellets.

Reproductive performance of does with diets containing between 17 and 20 % of crude protein was considered as excellent, and allowed to wean bunnies with 35 d after parturition (Ribas 1973 and ICA 1985).

In order to replace alfalfa meal included in diets for rabbits, which is imported at very high prices in the international market, ICA carried out studies on forages that have a satisfactory growth and reproduction in Cuba, and contain between 14 and 30 % of protein. These researches are sometimes performed with fresh forages, and, some other times, with their meals that are included on diets (table 1) used by small and medium producers of rabbits in Cuba.

Other national foods were evaluated as cereals substitutes. Soybean meal, lipid sources, crude protein and fiber favored the obtaining of good results, which were generalized by small producers of rabbits in Cuba. There were also studies on distillery grains from maize, which were dried and mixed with solubles. These grains are internationally known as DDGS and as Norgold in Cuba (table 2).

Díaz (2005), with the assistance of Raquel Ponce de León, designed a system with several equations, for estimating digestible energy in conventional and nonconventional foods. This system came along with a table with energy contributions of an increased amount of all kinds of foods for rabbits, which are used by feedstuff formulators.

Another important study was developed by Ponce de León and Larduet (1999), which was a program called ALIMCONEJOS that allowed ration formulation for rabbits with different alternative or traditional foods available in Cuba and other countries from tropical and subtropical areas.

RABBIT GENETICS

Most of the genetic studies on rabbits at ICA have been carried out by Raquel Ponce de León, PhD, from 1967 up to this moment (Ponce de León 1977, Ponce de León and Menchaca 1985, Ponce de León et al. 1999b, 2001, 2002b, 2002c, 2003a, 2003b, 2004). After 2003, Yoleisy García, PhD., joins this research field (García 2005, García et al. 2008, García et al. 2010, García et al. 2011, García et al. 2012 and García 2014). It is important to highlight the advice given by the institute to farms belonging to rabbit program in Cuba, which work on genetic improvements, technically designed by Raquel Ponce de León, PhD.

The main studies on genetic improvement were performed with pure breeds and their lines, rotational crossings, gene pool, and some other methods of genetic improvement, with the application of genetic and non-genetic indicators. Breeds used were White Semigiant, California, Chinchilla and New Zealand (ICA 1973, ICA 1975, Ponce de León 1977, ICA 1985 and García 2014), and new synthetic rabbit breed Caoba (Ponce de León et al. 1999b, 2001).

The studies on rabbit genetic improvement carried out at the institute are published in a review article of this same volume of the Cuban Journal of Agricultural Science. 

TRAINING OF DOCTORS AND MASTERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCES

The Instituto de Ciencia Animal has contributed to the training of six PhD in Veterinary Sciences for the work with rabbits in Cuba, a Doctor in Sciences and seven Master in Sciences, which represent the highest number of students trained for this purposes. This training has had national and international recognition in the field of genetics, feeding and digestive physiology of rabbits.

These highly qualified specialists work as teachers, researchers and producers at the   Instituto de Ciencia Animal and at universities like Granma University, University of Havana and Guantánamo University, as well as at enterprises like Empresa de Ganado Menor de Cuba (EGAME).

The institute also published two books related to rabbits: "Manejo y explotación del conejo”, written by Riverón et al.  (2003), edited by the Cuban Association of Animal Production (ACPA, initials in Spanish), and "Alimentación de aves, cerdos y Conejos”, written by Valdivié and Bernal (2012), and edited by the editorial from Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León in Mexico.

DEPARTMENTS OF THE ICA RELATED TO RABBIT REARING

There are four research departments at ICA that combine their work with rabbit researches: Department of Genetics, which started and has been developing the highest amount of researches on rabbits; the Department of Feeding and Management of Non-ruminant Animals, which has the responsibility of feeding rabbits and, to a lesser extent, to manage them; and the Department of Bio-physiological Sciences, which has characterized the nutritional value of most of the food produced at the ICA, and has developed studies on the physiology of the gastrointestinal tract of rabbits. The fourth department is the Department of Engineering, which has also worked on the building of an equipment for pressing rabbit food
(miniblocks)  

CONCLUSIONS

Rabbit researches at Instituto de Ciencia Animal has allowed to advise the genetic imrpovement in Cuba for more than 40 years. Thanks to the work of the institute, several forages have been used, which contain between 14 and 32 % of crude protein, as well as other foods of national production that are used by an important amount of medium and small producers of rabbits, with positive results.

ICA produced a system of equations for estimating digestible energy of food destined to rabbits and a system for formulating rations with all types of foods.

Between 1967 and 2015, the institute has also participated in the training of rabbit producers, six PhDs in Veterinary Sciences and seven Masters in Sciences, which work with rabbits in Cuba.

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Received: January 1, 2015
Accepted: February 1, 2015

M. Valdivié, Instituto de Ciencia Animal, Apartado Postal 24, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba. Email: mvaldivie@ica.co.cu