Resumen de Growth and some carcass traits of adult rabbits under high ambient temperature

M. Pla, J. Fernández Carmona, E. Blas, Concepción Cervera Fras

• Forty-two medium sized crossbred rabbits, born and kept at a constant temperature (30ºC), were divided into two groups. The first group remained under the same conditions, while the second group was allocated at weaning to a conventional building with an average mínimum temperature of 20ºC. The rabbits were weighed at 70, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 280 days, at which point they were slaughtered. The growth of the animals reared under the higher temperature was lower throughout the observation period. Their carcasses were lighter and thinner than the carcasses of the control group. The differences between other carcass traits were due to differences in liveweight or carcass weight.