The Pattern of Behaviour of Rabbit Pups in the Nest

Abstract

Domestic rabbit pups (22 litters of 6 pups each) were raised in plexiglass nest boxes, and their behaviour was studied under various experimental conditions during the first 14 days of life. 1. Rabbit pups show a stereotyped pattern of behaviour closely associated with the once daily nursing visit of the doe until they start to leave the nest on day 13. 2. One to two hours before nursing pups group tightly together and become exposed from the nest material. In young litters these behaviours appear to improve access to the doe's belly and to shorten the time the doe spends in the nest. 3. Rabbit pups are unusual in that they display a vigorous burst of post-nursing activity, i.e. simultaneous urination followed by digging and burrowing around the nest. This activity is triggered by the nursing act and appears to contribute to thermoregulatory efficiency as an insulating cover is quickly regained. 4. Within about 30 minutes pups reaggregate and remain well covered until the next nursing time. 5. The anticipatory uncovering appears to represent a circadian rhythm, and not to be simply due to hunger, as demonstrated in isolated litters deprived of one nursing. 6. Presumably the less time wild does spend in the nursery burrow the less chance there is of predators trapping them or finding the young. The ability of the pups to anticipate the nursing and the their thermoregulatory self-sufficiency may contribute to shortening the time rabbit does must spend in the nest.

Impact of rearing mangement on health in domestic rabbits: a review

“…During the first 10-12 postnatal days, the kits have only a limited capacity for independent thermoregulation (Poczopko, 1969;Hull, 1973 and typically huddle together and actively cover themselves with the nest material by crawling under it (Hudson and Distel, 1982;Bautista et al, 2008). On about postnatal day 17-20, the kits emerge from their breeding burrow and start to explore the environment (Broekhuizen et al, 1986).…”

“…Comparison of the environmental conditions and the diet of wild rabbit and domestic rabbit kits during early development. [Zarrow et al (1965); Hudson and Distel (1982); Broekhuizen et al (1986);Gibb (1993); Hudson et al (1996a);Rödel (unpubl. ) A further possible reason for maladaptive behaviour in breeding does is that they are usually constantly exposed to acoustic and olfactory cues emitted by the kits when a permanently open nest box is used.…”

Endogenous clock gene expression in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of previsual newborn rabbits is entrained by nursing

“…This, together with all other available information, strongly suggests that rabbit pups have a functional circadian system from birth, which enables them to anticipate and to prepare behaviorally and physiologically for the once-daily nursing characteristic for this species (Hudson and Distel, 1982;reviewed in Hudson and Distel, 1989;Jilge and Hudson, 2001). Nevertheless, in vitro experiments lasting more than the 72 h that it is possible to maintain rabbit pups in zeitgeber-free conditions are necessary to demonstrate the sustained persistence of these rhythms.…”

“…Pups were weighed and the litters randomly assigned to one of two groups: a control group in which mothers were brought to the pups to be nursed every 24 h from P1 to P9, and a fasted group raised in the same way as the controls except that nursing was eliminated on P8 and P9. Even under normal conditions in the nest, pups often miss feeds and survive (Hudson and Distel, 1982;Drummond et al, 2000), making it possible to investigate natural patterns of gene expression across two diurnal cycles free from direct maternal influence. In both groups, on P9 five or six randomly selected pups from at least three litters were killed and their brains removed and processed at each of the following times: 1 h before nursing (08:30 h), at the scheduled nursing time (09:30 h), and 2, 9, and 21 h after nursing.…”

“…In response to imposed nursing schedules they display diurnal rhythms in a range of behavioral and physiological parameters, several of which have been shown to persist endogenously even when pups are fasted for up to 72 h, a procedure they readily survive (review in Jilge and Hudson, 2001). Moreover, these rhythms appear adaptive, preparing pups for the highly competitive scramble for nipples accompanying the brief once-daily nursing (Hudson and Distel, 1982;Bautista et al, 2005; reviews in Hudson and Distel, 1989;Jilge and Hudson, 2001). …”