ABSTRACT The effects of three egg-turning regimes during the pre-incubation storage period on egg weight loss, hatchability, embryonic mortality, chick weight at hatching and incubation length of red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) compared with unturned eggs were investigated. Two hundred eggs were allocated to four 50-egg batches stored at 15ºC and 80% RH that being turned one, four and 24 times a day or remaining unturned, respectively. Eggs were incubated at 37.8ºC and 55% RH during the first 21 days and at 37.5ºC and 75% RH until hatching. Fertility was 70.5% and a good hatchability performance was obtained, characterised by 81.6% hatchability of fertile eggs, and weight losses of 0.78% during storage and of 10.04% during the first 21 days of incubation, 13.6 ±0.1 g hatchling weight, and incubation length of 23.45 ± 0.07 days (mean ± SEM). Hatchability, embryonic mortality developmental stage, egg weight loss during storage and incubation, hatchling weight and length of the incubation period were not affected by the turning frequency or the absence of turning during storage. Higher hatching synchrony was observed for eggs turned four times a day compared with unturned eggs and eggs turned once a day. In conclusion, turning red-legged partridge eggs during medium-term storage periods does not improve egg viability compared with unturned eggs.

ABSTRACT This study aimed at investigating the effects of three incubation temperatures during the hatching period on egg weight loss, hatchability, chick weight at hatching and length of the incubation period of red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) under artificial incubation. One hundred and fifty eggs obtained from a red-legged partridge game farm were randomly allocated to three batches of 50 eggs each. Eggs were incubated at 37.8ºC during the first 20 days, and subsequently at 37.0, 37.4 or 37.8ºC until hatching. Fertility was 74.7% and a good hatching performance was obtained, characterized by 85.7% hatchability, 9.1% egg weight loss after 20 days of incubation, 13.8±0.1 g chick weight at hatching, and 23.2±0.1 days incubation length. Hatchability, egg weight loss after 20 days of incubation, and length of the incubation period were not affected by incubation temperature during the hatching period. However, hatching synchrony improved when the incubation temperature was increased from 37.0 to 37.8°C (p<0.05). Thus, hatching distribution became very leptokurtic and very positively skewed with the increase in incubation temperature during the hatching phase. In conclusion, higher hatching synchrony can be achieved in A. rufa when setting temperatures within the range 37.0 to 37.8ºC to incubate eggs during the hatching period. Consequently, incubation temperature management during the hatching phase may have a direct impact on hatching synchrony and hatchling management.

Amostras fecais de coelhos foram examinadas pela técnica de flutuação para a presença e contagem de oocistos do gênero Eimeria, de acordo com a técnica McMaster, em uma investigação com o objetivo de comparar um sistema alternativo não medicamentoso de criação de coelhos e sistemas convencionais com diferentes níveis de controle higiênico. A presença de oocistos nas diferentes explorações foi baixa, mas muito variável. As maiores concentrações de oocistos foram encontradas nas explorações cujas condições higiênicas não foram boas, independentemente do tratamento ou não com anticoccidiano, ou do sistema de criação. Os melhores resultados foram observados no sistema alternativo com boas condições higiênicas. Neste sistema, a concentração de oocistos nos láparos desmamados, que deveriam apresentar máxima susceptibilidade à infecção por Eimeria, foi muito baixa. Estes resultados indicam que o estrito respeito às condições higiênicas é suficiente para o controle da coccidiose e que a profilaxia farmacológica poderia ser evitada sempre que fossem adotadas altas condições higiênicas so sistema criatório ao ar livre, baseado em células subterrâneas exploráveis (tocas).

The aim of this study was to analyse the occurrence of neonatal cannibalism by individually outdoors cage-bred wild rabbit does (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Ninety eight parturitions that were gathered from 19 female cage-born wild rabbits during five consecutive years were monitored for cannibalism incidence. This alteration in maternal behaviour, which was exclusively limited to the peripartum period, had a high incidence (13.3% of parturitions) and was significantly associated with inadequate maternal behaviour such as not using straw or hair in nestbuilding or giving birth outside the nest box. In 84.6% of the parturitions with occurrence of cannibalism the does did not introduce hair into the nest boxes, and in 92.3% of the parturitions with cannibalised kits the does did not introduce straw into the nest boxes. Cannibalism was also associated with a large proportion of rabbits that gave birth outside the nest boxes (53.8%). It is discussed that cannibalism practiced by wild rabbit does in captivity is a manifestation of the failure of maternal behaviour, a consequence of the stress they experience in captivity.

El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la práctica de canibalismo neonatal por conejas silvestres (Oryctolagus cuniculus) alojadas individualmente en jaulas ubicadas al aire libre. Se controló la incidencia de canibalismo en 98 partos producidos durante cinco años consecutivos por 19 conejas silvestres nacidas en jaula. Esta alteración de la conducta maternal, que estuvo limitada exclusivamente al periparto, tuvo una elevada incidencia (13,3% de los partos) y estuvo asociada significativamente con una inadecuada conducta maternal, tal como la no introducción de pelo y paja en los nidales por parte de las conejas o los partos fuera del nidal. En el 84,6% de los partos en los que ocurrió canibalismo las conejas no introdujeron pelo en los nidales, y en el 92,3% de los partos con gazapos canibalizados las conejas no introdujeron paja en los nidales. El canibalismo también estuvo asociado con una gran proporción de conejas que parían fuera de los nidales (53,8%). Se discute que el canibalismo practicado por las conejas silvestres alojadas en jaula es una manifestación del fracaso en el desarrollo de la conducta maternal como consecuencia del estrés que experimentan en cautividad.