Effetti della numerosità del gruppo e dell’aggressività intraspecifica sulle prestazioni produttive in conigli allevati in parchetti collettivi.

The performances of fattening rabbits in different housing systems were investigated. Two hundred and twelve rabbits, 32 days old, were raised in three housing conditions: conventional bicellular cages, groups of 15 in wire netted pens and groups of 30 in wire netted pens, at the same density (15 rabbit/m2). The trial lasted 50 days. Differences in weight gain among rabbits pen housed at the higher number (30) and those traditionally or at the lower number (15) appeared significantly (P<0,001) after 10 weeks of age, particularly as a consequence of aggressiveness between males. On the contrary, pen housing system with low group size never differ from conventional cages.