{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,28]],"date-time":"2026-10-28T18:08:52Z","timestamp":1793210932076,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,18]],"date-time":"2024-07-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1721260800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Understanding the farming system impact on animals is crucial for evaluating welfare. Rabbits exhibit distinct behaviours influenced by their surroundings. The conditions in which they are raised directly influence behaviour and stress responses, emphasizing the importance of providing an optimal environment for their overall well-being and growth. In this study, we assessed the behaviour and welfare of two Italian local rabbit populations, namely the grey rabbit of Carmagnola and the grey rabbit of Monferrato. These rabbits are not yet officially recognized as breeds, but they are commonly used in Italy for meat production and represent a distinctive phenotype and local heritage among farmers and consumers. We analysed the behavioural patterns, physiological responses, and blood parameters of the animals to assess the influence of both age and three distinct housing systems (traditional single cages, group farming, and a mixed system) on rabbits\u2019 welfare. In this study, 294 weaned males with 35 days old were divided into three housing systems with seven replicates each until reaching slaughtering age (100 days of age). A traditional single cage system, a group farming with 10 animals each replicate and a Mixed pilot system with 10 rabbits initially grouped, then transferred to single cages. The findings from the behavioural analysis and the evaluation of salivary and hair corticosterone levels demonstrate that both the housing system and the age of the rabbits exerted significant effects on their welfare. Rabbits in group housing displayed a wider range of behavioural patterns, including increased kinetic activities such as running, walking, and exploration. However, this housing system was associated with higher levels of both salivary and hair corticosterone, indicating a high acute and chronic stress condition. The single cage system was associated with higher levels of acute stress and a low frequency of kinetic activities and social interactions, with a predominant behaviour of turning on themselves. The age factor significantly influenced the occurrence of behaviours, with younger rabbits exhibiting higher levels of kinetic activities, while social behaviours such as attacks and dominance were more prevalent as the rabbits reached sexual maturity (around 80\u201385 days of age). Moreover, the attainment of sexual maturity coincided with an increase in salivary corticosterone levels. We found a significant association between attack behaviours, escape attempts, and elevated corticosterone levels, by demonstrating that these behaviours can be used as indicators of decreased animals\u2019 well-being. Our findings underscore the importance of considering both the housing environment and the temporal dimension in the study of behaviour and welfare. This enables a comprehensive assessment of appropriate rearing management techniques. By understanding the social dynamics and stress sources within housing systems, farmers can implement measures to enhance animal welfare and create a conducive environment for the health and behaviour of rabbits.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0307456","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,18]],"date-time":"2024-07-18T17:54:56Z","timestamp":1721325296000},"page":"e0307456","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Behaviour and welfare assessment of autochthonous slow-growing rabbits: The role of housing systems"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Laura","family":"Ozella","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefano","family":"Sartore","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elisabetta","family":"Macchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7110-0960","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Isabella","family":"Manenti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Silvia","family":"Mioletti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Barbara","family":"Miniscalco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Riccardo","family":"Crosetto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Patrizia","family":"Ponzio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0173-1118","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Edoardo","family":"Fiorilla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0172-4978","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Cecilia","family":"Mugnai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0307456.ref001","author":"FAO","journal-title":"FAOSTAT, food and agriculture data."},{"key":"pone.0307456.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"137","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meatsci.2018.04.029","article-title":"Rabbit meat production and consumption: State of knowledge and future perspectives","volume":"143","author":"M Cullere","year":"2018","journal-title":"Meat Science"},{"key":"pone.0307456.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105047","DOI":"10.1016\/j.applanim.2020.105047","article-title":"A multifactorial evaluation of different reproductive rhythms and housing systems for improving welfare in rabbit does","volume":"230","author":"C Munari","year":"2020","journal-title":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science"},{"key":"pone.0307456.ref004","first-page":"1","article-title":"Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems","volume":"18","author":"S Saxmose Nielsen","year":"2020","journal-title":"EFSA Journal"},{"key":"pone.0307456.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"227","DOI":"10.4995\/wrs.2019.11540","article-title":"Performance of rabbit does housed in collective pens and individual cages","volume":"27","author":"L Machado","year":"2019","journal-title":"World Rabbit Science"},{"key":"pone.0307456.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100850","DOI":"10.1016\/j.animal.2023.100850","article-title":"Effects of group size and cage enrichment on social behaviour and skin injuries of breeding rabbits housed part-time in group","volume":"17","author":"L Van Damme","year":"2023","journal-title":"animal"},{"key":"pone.0307456.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"537","DOI":"10.3390\/ani9080537","article-title":"The Use of Environmental Enrichments Affects Performance and Behavior of Growing Rabbits Housed in Collective Pens.","volume":"9","author":"A Trocino","year":"2019","journal-title":"Animals"},{"key":"pone.0307456.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"295","DOI":"10.21521\/mw.6541","article-title":"Effect of tonic immobility induction on selected physiological parameters in Oryctolagus cuniculus f. 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