Performance, health and slaughter traits of group-housed rabbits submitted to different time-based feed restriction programs

Growth performance, health and slaughter traits were measured in 320 crossbreed rabbits housed in 40 open-top pens (8 rabbits/pen) from weaning to slaughter (34–70 d of age) to evaluate the effects of the different feeding programs: AL, ad libitum feeding; DF, daylight access to feed with fast and complete refeeding; NF, night access to feed with fast and complete refeeding; NS, night access to feed with slow and complete refeeding; NI, night access to feed with very slow and incomplete refeeding. In restricted rabbits, the feeding time decreased from 14 to 9 h/d during the 1st week, remained stable (8 h/d) during the 2nd week, and increased from the beginning of the 3rd week according to three refeeding programs: i) fast until ad libitum (+4 h/d until 24 h/d); ii) slow until ad libitum (+1 h/d until 24 h/d); iii) very slow and still restricted until the end of fattening (+30 min/d until 12 h/d). In the restricted rabbits, feed intake (-3.7%) and feed conversion (–5.6%) were lower compared to AL ones (P