Physical Characteristic Of Male Rex Rabbit At The Slaughtering Age
Husmy Yurmiati
Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Padjadjaran University Indonesia.
Abstract
Rex Rabbit is the best skin and smooth fur producer. It will give high sell price. To get that price, we need good physical characteristic of pelt. But the slaughtering age become an influential factor. To understand that, some research is done. It is “characteristic physical of male Rex Rabbit at the slaughtering age”. The purpose of this research is understanding and studying how influence the slaughtering age is and which age will give the best physical characteristic on pelt of Rex Rabbit. This research used experiment with completely randomized design, and the slaughtering age as a treatment (age P1= 90 days, age P2= 120 days, age P3= 159 days). Each treatment is repeated 6 times. To know the influence between treatments, continue it by Duncan test. The measureable variable are tear resistance (kg/cm2), stretch (%), elasticity (kg/cm2) and
tensile strength (kg/cm2). The result is the influence of slaughtering age increase physical
characteristic of pelt of rabbit Rex (tear resistance 83,20 -111,71 kg/cm2 ; stretch 37 – 42 % ;
elasticity 25,61 – 28,64 kg/cm2), but reduce tearing strength (185,85 – 155,79 kg/cm2). And
slaughtering age at 150 days will give the best physical characteristic of pelt of Rex Rabbit.
Keywords : Rex, Tear Resistance, Stretch, Elasticity, Tensile Strength
Introduction
Rabbit is an alternative livestock as a meat, fur and fertilizer producer, because it has a high ability of reproduction, efficient in utilizing forage and waste product but producing good meat and low fat. But in the development, many obstacles must be faced. Such as unpopular rabbit meat in society, high selling price, and lack of rabbit breed source. Another alternative is rabbits which produce good fur, which has good potential and high selling price as well. One of them is rex rabbit.
Rex rabbit is a rabbit which produces good fur but it growing speed is not as good as New Zealand White rabbit. Rex rabbit produces smooth fur, thick, the length of uniform is 1,27-1,59 cm, not easily fall of, the color is interesting, and its mature weight is 2,7 – 3,6 kg. Rex rabbit is well known by Indonesian people, with various color. But a fur seller love rex with black and white color better. Rex rabbit has better live in cold climate (16-18 oC). The climate in
Indonesia is various so that rex rabbit only live in certain place.
because it will always give higher income to animal husbandry to reimburse cost production. Beside as a fur producer, meat of rex rabbit could be consumed as an animal protein source. For having good quality of fur, some factors are influenced. There are the food, slaughtering age, the sex and the climate.
The main nutrition need of the livestock is for basic live, growing, and fur production (Wehr et.al, 1982), then nutririon is an important factor for fur growing and development, such as fat, mineral and protein. If nutrition is lack of fat, follicle degeneration and fur easily fall of will be happened. While mineral deficiency will make color changing and fur growing is late. Another factor is also influence the physical quality of fur. It is slaughtering age. Commercial slaughtering age to rabbit is in 8 – 10 weeks old, with weight 2 kg. It is because on that age, 95% consumers love the meat. In British, it is sold in 10,5 weeks old. But in Indonesia, it is slaughtered in 3 – 4 weeks old (Leach, 1979 ; Lang,1981; Sarwono 1981).
Delay in slaughtering make fur growth cycle change, so it will need slaughtering time in the next fur growth cycle. Yurmiati (1991) said that the best slaughtering age to rex rabbit is 5 months because in this phase fur will bound strongly to dermis layer, and in the telogen phase which fur is not fall off. Therefore, Stewart (1984) suggested that in slaughtering age, the quality of the rabbit fur should be checked intensively before slaughtering. Because age affect the fur quality. If the rabbit is too young, all it fur are not mature yet and the fur is not same with each other and easily fall off. Physical quality is also influenced by skin layers, such as dermis, because this layer has smooth fiber muscle, blood vessel, nerve cell, fat, and collagen fiber, elastine, and retikulin which have function as skin quality determinant (Trautman dan Febigers, 1957 ; Mann, 1966; Thakur dan Puranik, 1981; Yurmiati, 1991). Inside dermis layer, ther is papilar and retikuler which has elastin fiber and has responsibility in elasticity and tear resistance. Changes in dermis is influenced by age. The more old slaughtering age, the more thick collagen fiber. And it will make collagen syntheses and elasticity decrease, skin will be brittle and wrinkled. The purpose of this research is understanding and studying how influence the slaughtering age is and which age will give the best physical characteristic on pelt of Rex Rabbit.
Material and Research Method
The research used experiment with Completely Randomized Design and the slaughtering age as treatment (age P1 = 90 days, P2 = 120 days, P3 – 150 days), and each treatment is repeated 6 times. 18 post weaning of rex rabbits are used and each of them is put in an individual cage. Ransom is given in pellet with protein 16,86 % and energy 2293 kkal/kg, and add ad libitum in the ransom and the water. To know the influence between treatment, continue it by Duncan Test. The measureable variable are tear resistance (kg/cm2), Stretch (%), elasticity
(kg/cm2) and tensile strength (kg/cm2).
The research result can be seen in table 1. On the table, tearing strength is 155,97 - 185,85 (kg/cm2), tear resistance is 83,20 -111,71 (kg/cm2), stretch is 37,00 - 42,00 (%), and elasticity is
25,61 - 28,64 (kg/cm2).
Table 1. The average and Duncan test Result in the effect of Slaughtering age in Physicalcharacteristic in fur of rabbit rex during the research
Measurable Variable Slaughtering age treatment (days) 90 120 150
Tearing strength (kg/cm2) 185,85 (a) 184,31 (a) 155,97 (b)
Tear resistance (kg/cm2) 83,20 (a) 91,91 (b) 111,71 (c)
Stretch (%) 37,00 (a) 39,00 (b) 42,00 (c)
Elasticity (kg/cm2) 25,61 (a) 27,72 (b) 28,64 (c)
Description : The same letter to the rows show non significantly (P>0.05)
Data in table 1, showed that tearing strength of fur of rex rabbit, which is slaughtering in more than 150 days, is lower (P<0.05) than tear resistance of the rabbit fur which is slaughtering in 120 days and 90 days. But tear resistance between slaughtering age in 120 days and 90 days are non significantly. This is means that the more older of livestock, the more lower it tearing strength. This is because collagen fibers in dermis more thick. It is same as Juncuerra and Carneiro (1980) opinion that changes in dermis can be influenced by age and collagen fiber thickening which can cause lack of collagen synthesis and the increasing of elastine fibers. It makes skin become brittle, lost of it supple and it make tearing strength lower. Then Yurmiati (1991) said that on age 180 days, in histologist, fat fiber is many and it weave is bigger than age 90 days. This is reinforced by Herberger (1978) that thick and thin of collagen fiber is depend on animal type, age, sex and food.
The highest tear resistence of fur rabbit is in rabbit which is slaughtering in 150 days, then 120 days, and 90 days. This is means that the more older the age of the livestock, the more higher it tear resistance. This is reinforced by Purnomo et al (1984), that skin quality is depend on breed factor, sex, food and age.The higher stretch of Rex rabbit fur is in rabbit which is slaughtering in 150 days, then 120 days and 90 days and one of them is significantly different. This is means that the more older the age of livestock, the more higher of it stretch. This is because of thickening in dermis layer which cause many elastine fibers and it determine the skin strength (Kanagy, 1977). Furthermore, Roody (1978) said that skin physical characteristic is influenced by collagen, elastine, keratin, and retikulin.
Mann (1966) said that corium consisted solid binding fiber which is composed by collagen fiber, elastine, retikulin, blood vessel, fat tissue, and nerves tissue. This fibers determined leather’s quality.
Conclusion
The result is the influence of slaughtering age increase physical characteristic of pelt of rabbit Rex (tear resistance 83,20 – 111,711 kg/cm2 ; stretch 37 -42 % ; elasticity 25,61- 28,64
kg/cm, but reduce tearing strength (185,85-155,97 kg/cm2) and slaughtering age at 150 days will
give the best physical characteristic of pelt of Rex rabbit.
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