Estimation of grass biomass consumed by rabbits housed in movable paddocks

Biomass allowance is a key feature in pasture-based rabbit production systems. It conditions not only the stock density (rabbits/m²) and/or number of grazing days, it also influences behaviour animals. When herbage restriction occurs, pelleted feed cereal intake goes up. Inadequate pasture management may impair biomass quantity and quality if overgrazing occurs. To avoid undesirable effects better manage pellet intake, information on both availability rabbits’ capacity are needed. Here, we present an adaptation rising plate meter method (developed for measures ruminants) use rabbit. this end, designed experiment where two groups 12 rabbits each were kept different fields: under apple orchard (AO) or fallow land (FL). We followed animals 5 consecutive weeks (from 45 to 80 d old). Rabbits lived 25 m² movable paddocks, every week new paddock location (called paddock-spot) was made available them. At paddock-spot, measured height inside paddocks performed samplings (i.e. cut after measurement) outside paddocks. From data estimated paddock-spot by fitting linear regression equations height. Overall, AO FL had access 1328±65.7 1386±58.6 kg dry matter (DM) per ha, respectively. In field lower than capacity; rule. Roughly, restricted allowance, ingested 45.2 g DM/d 43.4 DM/d. last (64 old), AL represented 26.4 23.5% total DM These values, however, does represent real growing rabbits. study, provide some advice sampling obtain reliable estimations mention methods handling influential observations regression.