title: Transitory disturbances in growing lactating rabbits after transient doe-litter separation.
abstract: To determine the effect of a transient doe-litter separation (48 h) on milk production and feed intake from 1 to 21 days post-partum, a control group (C) in which litters had free access to nursing, and a biostimulated group (B) in which litters were separated from their does from d 9 to d 11 post-partum were used. Total milk production was higher in (C) than in (B) does (5090+/-1.1 g vs. 4593+/-150 g, P < 0.05). On days 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the lactation period, milk production was 40% (P < 0.0001), 18% (P < 0.05), 15% (P < 0.05), and 15% (P < 0.01) higher in (C) than in (B), respectively. No significant differences were observed in feed intake during the period studied (7961+/-352 g in (C) does, and 7834+/-329 g in (B) does). After fasting, 11-day-old kits showed lower gut weight, body weight, empty stomach relative weight (RW), stomach content RW and small intestine RW (P < 0.05), but the differences disappeared at 21 days of age. A reduction in villous height (P < 0.065) was observed in separated kits at 11 days old compared to 9- and 11 -day-old control kits (579.0+/-28.4 vs. 664.64+/-27.6, and 724.33+/-24.1 microm, respectively), but no differences were observed at either 16 or 21 days of age. Specific jejunal lactase activity increased significantly in 11-day-old separated kits (P < 0.05). A significant increase in sucrase activity at 21 days in both groups (P < 0.05) was detected. In conclusion, a fasting period of 48 h at 9 days of age does not compromise the subsequent development of certain digestive parameters of young rabbits.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Producción Animal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain. prebollar@pan.etsia.upm.es
authors.forename: Pilar García
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Rebollara
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Espinosaa
authors.forename: Pedro Luis
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Lorenzo
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carabaño
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling / Q000254:growth & development; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development*; D043322:Lactase / Q000378:metabolism; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism*; D009929:Organ Size; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011817:Rabbits / Q000502:physiology*; D013393:Sucrase / Q000378:metabolism; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D043322:Lactase; D013393:Sucrase