Culling and mortality in breeding rabbits

In this study, we determined culling and mortality in adult breeding rabbits on 130 commercial farms in Spain during 2000–2005. The median size of the farms was 595 does (minimum to maximum: 131–5500 does). The median culling age per doe was 14.9 months old and 6 kindlings. The median monthly removal risk (MMR) in does was 9.3%, with 3.4% dead and 5.7% culled (including euthanized does). The MMR was negatively correlated with the degree of intensification of the reproductive rhythm (r = −0.37), age at first mating (r = −0.31) and kindling interval (r = −0.36). The MMR in males was 5.8% (1.2% dead and 4.2% culled or euthanized).Our estimation of the causes of culling does was based on a population of 82,352 does, 50,834 of which were culled or euthanized. The highest causes, calculated using the median of the monthly cumulative incidence (MCI), were 1.3% low productivity (0.9% infertility and 0.4% other causes), 0.5% mastitis, 0.5% poor body condition and 0.3% sore hocks. The causes of culling males were estimated based a population of 6514 males, 5313 of which were culled. The highest causes were 2.0% MCI low productivity (0.9% infertility and 0.5% no libido); 0.3% abscesses, 0.3% sore hocks and 0.2% poor body condition. The mortality and culling risks after first kindling were 8.7% and 7%, respectively. The highest risks of mortality and culling in does occurred during the first three kindlings, but remained stable thereafter. The gestation stage affected mortality; the risk of mortality per day increased as pregnancy progressed. There was a bimodal distribution with a peak of dead females between days 10 and 15 of gestation (0.1–0.2% mortality risk per day (MD)) and another larger peak between days 25 and 33 (0.3% MD). In 1046 on-farm necropsies performed on females we found alterations of the respiratory and digestive tracts compatible with being causes of death in 29.4% and 27%, respectively.