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Communication Dans Un Congrès Année : 2022

Digital breeding and assisted management in organic rabbit farming: the first results

Résumé

The development of organic production is growing significantly, but the organic rabbit farming remains a niche market in France. This lack of technical references is an obstacle to the development of the ‘alternative’ rabbit sector. A smartphone application GAELA combining decision support (breeding management) and performance recording (single, direct and secure entry on a public server) for rabbit farming using individual monitoring of breeders was created. Performance of reproduction were compiled for 6 farms over 3 years of production (2018-2021). Preliminary results indicated that the livestock size averaged 30 does and varied largely among the farms. With 3.9 matings, 2.6 parturitions per female/year were obtained (fertility rate averaged 66.8%). Total number of kits born by parturition averaged 7.8 and total number of kits born alive averaged 7.1. At weaning, a low survival rate was recorded (69.3%). If it could be increased to 85%, the sales revenue could increase 3,564 euros for a farm having 50 females producing 3 litters per year (based on an average of 1.6 kg carcass/rabbit at 15€/kg). The result confirmed the existence of a progress margin in the management of the maternity unit, by improving the survival rate before weaning (housing management, prophylaxy, etc.), while reducing the parturition interval, and without impairing the survival rate after weaning. This first study validated the usefulness of GAELA and highlighted the potentialities of organic rabbit farming. GAELA will be updated in 2022, with more features for daily management of rabbits, and data management. Moreover, a new web service ‘GAELA-Web’ will be available in late 2022, to provide performances analysis for breeders. In 2023, GAELA intends to provide animal prophylaxis and genealogy tracking. Thanks to GAELA, a national reference system for all ‘non-conventional’ rabbit farming is now in progress.
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hal-04359957 , version 1 (21-12-2023)

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Yayu Huang, Marie Gigou, Jp Goby, Davi Savietto, Thierry Gidenne. Digital breeding and assisted management in organic rabbit farming: the first results. 73rd Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science, Sep 2022, Porto, France. pp.509, ⟨10.3920/978-90-8686-937-4⟩. ⟨hal-04359957⟩
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