EFFECT OF DOE-LITTER SEPARATION ON MATERNAL BEHAVIOR AND SERUM CORTISOL LEVELS IN RABBITS

Document Type : Research article

Authors

Dept. of Animal Hygiene, Fac. Vet. Med., Assiut University.

Abstract

The effects of transient doe-litter separation for 4,8 and 24 hours on maternal behaviour and litter traits in female New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits were studied, in order to determine the effect of this factor, on
some doe-traits and cortisol levels,maternal behaviour, serum
and reproductive productive
on effectiveness
its consequently performance of lactating does. Diurnal changes in serum levels of cortisol were examined in pregnant, lactating and control does. The
obtained results revealed that; a) diurnal changes of rabbits serum cortisol level were significantly higher at 9 a.m than that recorded at 2 p.m.; b) Serum cortisol level in pregnant and lactating rabbit was high during the last ten days of pregnancy and first fourteen days of lactation. The transient doe-litter separation induced significant increase only in serum cortisol levels in does subjected to 24 hours separation. c) no significant effects of doe-litter separation either for 4, 8 or 24 hours on post-partum behaviours could be achieved; d) abnormal behaviours, such as vigorous burrowing and dugging in the floor of the cage was significantly higher after 24 hours than that after 4 or 8 hours of separation or in control groups; e) complete eye opening and ear opening as well as time of nipple food were significantly different from the control group only after 24 hours of separation.

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