Rearing of germfree rabbits and establishment of an SPF rabbit colony

Abstract

Baby rabbits hysterectomy-derived from conventional Japanese white rabbits were reared under aseptic condition by feeding with 4 types of artificial diets. Rabbit milk for the artificial diet was obtained from conventional dams at 7--25 days after delivery. The artificial diets was given by stomach tube twice a day. The total volumes of diet given (ml per day) were Y = 2.3X + a (1 to approximately 14 days of age), Y = 32.2 + a (l5 to approximately 25 days of age), or Y = (32.2 + a) - 37.5 (X - 25) (26 to approximately 34 days of age), (X = age in days, a = volumes fed at 0 day of age). After 14 days of age young animals were also fed freely sterilized commercial pellets and weaned at 35 days of age. Out of 155 rabbits, 130 were aseptically reared till 36 approximately 40 days of age, and no difference on weaning rate was seen between the 4 groups of rabbits. Thereafter, they were exposed to a barriered room of SPF rabbitry outside the isolators. The best growth was seen in animals given by artificial diet containing rabbit milk at 40%. The SPF breeding colony of rabbits was found to be free of Pasteurella pneumotropica, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Salmonella spp., Eimeria spp., Encephalitozoon cuniculi and Acaritic otistis.