The rabbit industry in Europe

1. The rabbit industry in Europe The rabbit industry in France The French breeding program CSIRO Chiswick Field day 6 April 2002

2. The European rabbit meat production FINLAND DANEMARK IRELAND HOLLAND GREAT BRITAIN 8 000 T GERMANY BELGIUM PORTUGAL SPAIN ITALY GRECE World production : 1 300 000 T Europe : 700 000 T

3. Intensive production areas : average 500-1000 breeding does per farm Specialized breeding The west of France, Italy, Mediterranean Spain, Portugal, Holland 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 Low production areas : Many small rural farms “Rabbit’s desert” : Rabbit production is almost null Germany, the east and centre of France, the south of Spain England and northern Europe Several production levels areas in Europe

4. Malta Italy Spain France Belgium Holland Portugal Danemark Germany Grece The rabbit meat consumption in Europe (kg/person/year) Main rabbit meat consumers countries : Italy, France, Ukraine, Spain, China, Russia

5. 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 international rabbit meat trade

6. The rabbit marketing Traditional carcass weight in different countries and European regions

7. The rabbit industry in France

8. THE FRENCH RABBIT PRODUCTION RECORDED SLAUGHTERING 56 000 T dressed 343 abattoirs RABBIT FOOD 610 000 T IMPORT 9800 T dressed EXPORT 6600 T dressed FAMILY PURCHASE 68 000 T 67 % in Supermaket SELF-CONSUMPTION 12 000 T CATERING 10 000 T RATIONAL PRODUCTION 100 000 T (live weight) FAMILIAL PRODUCTION 50 000 T (live weight) NATIONAL MARKET 90 000 T dressed

9. Meat consumption in France in 2000 (Thousands Tonnes dressed)

10. Evolution of the meat consumption 2000\1999

11. Evolution of rabbit price +2%/ year + 6.7 %

12. 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) Rabbit reproduction Artificial insemination has become the main reproduction technique in rabbit

13. Single Batch, AI every 42 days AI 1 Birth 1 AI 2 Wean.1 Days 1 42 2 Batches, AI every 21 days AI 1 Birth 1 AI 2 Wean.1 Batch 1 AI 1 Birth 1 AI 2 Wean.1 Batch 2 Days 1 21 42 63 Doe management

14. 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

15. The French breeding program

16. Staff Resources National scheme Ministry of agriculture 1968 SOLAM SOLAF 1961 SNEALC 1952 INRA Myxomatosis The rabbit selection :a breeders request 1972

17. Bingo ! 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%)

18. SELECTION A : litter size at birth B : litter size at weaning INRA MULTIPLICATION A B Associated breedings c PRODUCTION ABC : Rabbit for meat Commercial breedings A B c 1972: A B a three way crossbreeding program is set up A B

19. 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 !!!

20. A A B A B B 1984:The « over-mutiplication »or the « associated selection » sélection A B INRA An additionnal floor Associated breedings Similar line A Similar line B A B MULTIPLICATION A B PRODUCTION C

21. 1996 :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 to answer the breeders request

22. 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 Crossbred or composite line 1672 453.3 49 2.36 Vitaline30 12.7 53 2.38 Hyplus780INRA 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

23. 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

24. Survival analyse of reproductive females (V.Ducrocq) Study of a selection for canalisation of native weight (M. San Cristobal) Experiment to evaluate the genetic resistance to enterocolitis (H. de Rochambeau)

25. In 2001, what is the program result ? : France is number 1for rabbit selectionin the world7 rabbits out of 10 eaten in France come from the INRA breeding scheme