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Growth Performance, Carcass and Meat Quality Traits of Three Rabbit Lines Under Heat Stress Conditions
Emanuele Pontalti1, Zsolt Matics2, Marco Cullere1
1Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy.
Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|November 13, 2025
Summary
Rabbit genotypes show varying resilience to heat stress (HS). The Pannon Large (PL) line demonstrated superior growth and meat quality under heat stress, offering a sustainable solution for future meat demand.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Genetics
- Environmental Physiology
Background:
- Increasing global temperatures and heat waves pose significant challenges to the livestock sector.
- Rabbits are highly sensitive to heat stress (HS), yet research on genetic responses to HS is limited.
- Understanding rabbit genotype responses to HS is crucial for meeting future meat demand, especially in developing countries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of chronic heat stress on growth performance, slaughter traits, and meat quality.
- To compare the resilience of three Hungarian rabbit genotypes (Pannon Large-PL, Pannon White-PW, Pannon Ka-PK) to elevated environmental temperatures.
Main Methods:
- 360 rabbits across three genotypes were housed under two temperature conditions (Control-20 °C; High-28 °C) from 5 to 11 weeks of age.
- Evaluated growth performance (weight gain, feed conversion ratio), slaughter traits (carcass weight, yield), and meat quality (water-holding capacity, lipid content, fatty acid profile).
Main Results:
- Pannon Large (PL) rabbits exhibited superior performance, with higher carcass weight and yield, and better meat water-holding capacity under heat stress.
- Pannon White (PW) rabbits showed the most significant reduction in weight gain, while Pannon Ka (PK) rabbits had the greatest reduction in fat content and increased polyunsaturated fatty acids, leading to higher lipid oxidation.
- PL rabbits demonstrated the best productive efficiency and satisfactory meat quality under chronic heat stress, indicating greater resilience compared to PW and PK genotypes.
Conclusions:
- Rabbit genotype significantly influences responses to heat stress, affecting performance and meat quality.
- The Pannon Large (PL) genotype shows promising adaptability to heat stress, suggesting its potential for sustainable meat production in challenging environments.
- Selection criteria and genetic background are key determinants of heat stress resilience in different rabbit lines.
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