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Valorisation of Rabbit Biodiversity for Meat Production: Live Performance, Carcass Traits, Meat Quality and Muscle
Antonella Dalle Zotte1, Cecilia Mugnai2, Bianca Palumbo1
1Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Agripolis, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy.
Rabbit genotype impacts production and meat quality. Burgundy Fawn and Vienna Blue crosses show potential for rural farming due to resilience and adaptability compared to commercial hybrids.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Genetics
- Food Science
Background:
- Rabbit biodiversity is vital for production, genetic diversity, and conservation.
- Understanding genotype differences is key for sustainable rabbit farming.
- This study evaluates performance and meat characteristics of distinct rabbit breeds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare live performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and muscle fiber characteristics of three rabbit genotypes.
- To assess the potential of Burgundy Fawn (BF) and Vienna Blue (VB) crosses versus commercial hybrids (C) in rabbit farming.
- To provide insights into genotype-specific traits for optimizing rabbit production systems.
Main Methods:
- Comparative study involving 45 weaned rabbits across three genotypes: commercial hybrids (C), Burgundy Fawn crosses (BF), and Vienna Blue crosses (VB).
- Rabbits were raised to a uniform live weight (approx. 2800 g) for slaughter.
- Analysis included live performance, carcass dissection, hind leg physicochemical properties, and *longissimus lumborum* muscle evaluation (physical, histological, enzymatic).
Main Results:
- Genotypes showed varied slaughter ages; commercial hybrids had the fastest growth but comparable efficiency to VB crosses.
- Significant differences observed in perirenal fat and hind leg weight among genotypes.
- Meat quality showed minor variations: BF rabbits had higher ether extract, VB rabbits had higher n-6/n-3 ratio, and C rabbits had higher cholesterol.
- Muscle fiber characteristics and physical meat traits were largely similar, with some exceptions like *biceps femoris* L* in BF rabbits.
Conclusions:
- Burgundy Fawn and Vienna Blue rabbit genotypes offer significant potential for rural farming due to enhanced resilience and adaptability.
- These genotypes present valuable alternatives to commercial hybrids, contributing to sustainable rabbit production and biodiversity conservation.
- Further research into valorizing BF and VB genotypes in specific farming conditions is recommended.
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