The rabbit industry in Europe

The rabbit industry in France

The French breeding program

CSIRO Chiswick Field day 6 April 2002

The European rabbit meat production

SPAIN ITALY

GRECE

IRELAND

GREAT BRITAIN 8 000 T

PORTUGAL

FINLAND

DANEMARK

HOLLAND

GERMANYBELGIUM

World production : 1 300 000 T Europe : 700 000 T

Several production levels areas in Europe

Intensive production areas : average 500-1000 breeding does per farm

Specialized breeding The west of France, Italy, Mediterranean Spain, Portugal, Holland

Low production areas : Many small rural farms Germany, the east and centre of France, the south of Spain

Medium intense production areas : smaller farms

rabbit breeding are often part of the farm activity The South of France, the north of Spain, the south of Portugal

“Rabbit’s desert” : Rabbit production is almost null England and northern Europe

The rabbit meat consumption in Europe

MaltaItaly

SpainFrance

BelgiumHolland

PortugalDanemarkGermany

Grece

Main rabbit meat consumers countries : Italy, France, Ukraine, Spain, China, Russia

(kg/person/year)

The international rabbit meat trade

80 % of the world import are made by the European Union

Main importer countries : Italy, Belgium, France, Germany

Main exporter countries : China, Eastern Europe countries

The rabbit marketing

Country Carcass weight (kg)

Italy (Piemont) 1,6 - 1,8

Germany 1,6 - 1,8

Italy (Venetie) 1,4 - 1,5

France 1,3 – 1,4

Greece 1,0 - 2,0

Portugal 1,0 - 1,3

Italy (Campanie) 1,0 - 1,2

Spain 1,0 - 1,2

Traditional carcass weight in different countries and European regions

The rabbit industry in France

RATIONAL PRODUCTION100 000 T (live weight)

NATIONAL MARKET90 000 T dressed

RECORDED SLAUGHTERING56 000 T dressed 343 abattoirs

FAMILIAL PRODUCTION50 000 T (live weight)IMPORT

9800 T dressed

EXPORT6600 T dressed

RABBIT FOOD610 000 T

CATERING10 000 T

FAMILY PURCHASE68 000 T

67 % in Supermaket

SELF-CONSUMPTION12 000 T

THE FRENCH RABBIT PRODUCTION

Meat consumption in France in 2000(Thousands Tonnes dressed)

1476

2247

1546

29732.7

728

382188

51.4 58.9

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Evolution of the meat consumption 2000\1999

-6.80%

-0.50%-2.10%

1.00% 1.10%

4.60%

-2.10%-2.80%

Beef Sheep Pork All Poultry

Turkey Duck Chicken Rabbit

Evolution of rabbit price

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

AUS $/ kg live

+2%/ year+ 6.7 %

Rabbit reproduction

31%

69%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Natural mating Artificial insemination

Artificial insemination has become the main reproduction technique in rabbit

A large number of doe can be bred at one time (time gain)

Provides large batches of kits at uniform age

Allow all-in all-out system (cleaning and disinfection are easier)

Doe management

10%

24%

66%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

ClassicalManagement

2 Batches Single Batch

Single Batch, AI every 42 days

1Days

AI 1 Birth 1 AI 2

42

Wean.1

2 Batches, AI every 21 days

1Days

AI 1 Birth 1 AI 2

42

Wean.1

AI 1 Birth 1 AI 2 Wean.1

21 63

Batch 1

Batch 2

Current production situation in France (1997)

• Number of kindling/doe/year : 7• Replacement rate : 117 %• Doe mortality : 30 %

• Fertility : 75 %• Litter size born : 9.8 kittens

• Mortality birth to weaning : 15 %• Mortality weaning to market : 14 %• Number of Kittens/doe/year : 44

• Live weight at slaughter : 2.4 kg (10 weeks)• Average rabbit price (AUS $) : 2.7 • Average food price (AUS $) : 0.32

• Income after accounting for food cost/doe/year (AUS $) : 156

The French breeding program

The rabbit selection :a breeders request

Myxomatosis

19521952SNEALC

19611961

19721972

Staff

Resource

sMinistry

of agriculture

INRA

19681968

Nationalscheme

From 1968 to 1972

• 9 lines were used in cross-breeding experiments

2 lines have been chosen :Californian

New Zealand

• High heterosis effects have been shown for fertility (8%)

et la prolificacy (15%)

Bingo

!

1972:

a three way crossbreeding program is set up

A

A B

BSELECTIONSELECTIONA : litter size at birthA : litter size at birth

B : litter size at weaningB : litter size at weaning

INRA

PRODUCTIONPRODUCTION

ABC : Rabbit for meatABC : Rabbit for meat

Commercial breedings

MULTIPLICATIONMULTIPLICATION Associated breedings

cA B

A Bc

In 1975: INRA provide the breeders with 2500 pure breed 1077 does (B type)

• Which represent a potential of 37 500 crossbred females in breedings

• Which soon become insufficient !!!

1984: The « over-mutiplication »

or the « associated selection »

A

A

A

B

B

B

C

An additionnal floor

AA B A BB

Similar line A Similar line B

INRA

Associatedbreedings

1996 :introduction of a new selection criterion1996 :introduction of a new selection criterion

Weight at 63 days

• The line 1077 (A type) is selected from this date on : litter size and weight at 63 days

Parental does breeds used in France (1994)

Breed Number Number of Doe Number of rabbit Average com. of farm (thousands) per doe per year live weight

Pure Breed 272 25.7 43 2.37

New-Zealand 94 13.6 47 2.35 Califonian 37 2.2 39 2.51

Crossbredor composite line 1672 453.3 49 2.36 Vitaline 30 12.7 53 2.38 Hyplus 780 INRA 236.5 51 2.36 Solaf 47 9.4 50 2.38

Hyla 532 130.6 47 2.36 Hycole 122 33.2 47 2.36 Zika 33 4.8 41 2.72

Other 492 67 40 2.37

Total 2 308 519.9 48 2.37

The new requests of breeders

. Culling and mortality of reproductive females are high

. In high size litters, kittens remain weak and the heterogeneity of weights at slaughter is a problem for selling animals

.In 1997 the enterocolitis causes high mortality in rabbit farms and oblige the breeders to use antibiotics

Study of a selection for canalisation of native weight (M. San Cristobal)

Experiment to evaluate the genetic resistance to enterocolitis (H. de Rochambeau)

Survival analyse of reproductive females (V.Ducrocq)

France is number 1for rabbit selection

in the world

7 rabbits out of 10 eaten in France come from the INRA breeding scheme

In 2001, what is the program result ? :