Physical Characteristic Of Male Rex Rabbit At The Slaughtering Age.
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/cm 2 ; stretch 37 – 42 % ;
elasticity 25,61 – 28,64 kg/cm2), but reduce tearing strength (185,85 – 155,79 kg/cm 2). 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 1,271,59 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.
The main source of rex rabbit is fur, which is usually produce by wild animal or raising
animal such as Mink, Fox, Chinchila dan Linx. Today their number is decrease because the
increasing of wild animal protection. In some cases, rabbit fur has higher value than carcass,
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/cm 2), Stretch (%), elasticity
(kg/cm2) and tensile strength (kg/cm2).
Result and Discussion
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
Tear resistance (kg/cm2)
83,20
(a)
91,91
(b)
111,71
Stretch (%)
37,00 (a)
39,00
(b)
42,00
Elasticity (kg/cm2)
25,61 (a)
27,72
(b)
28,64
Description : The same letter to the rows show non significantly (P>0.05)
(b)
(c)
(c)
(c)
Data in table 1, showed that tearing strength of fur of rex rabbit, which is slaughtering in more
than 150 days, is lower (P
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/cm 2 ; stretch 37 – 42 % ;
elasticity 25,61 – 28,64 kg/cm2), but reduce tearing strength (185,85 – 155,79 kg/cm 2). 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 1,271,59 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.
The main source of rex rabbit is fur, which is usually produce by wild animal or raising
animal such as Mink, Fox, Chinchila dan Linx. Today their number is decrease because the
increasing of wild animal protection. In some cases, rabbit fur has higher value than carcass,
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/cm 2), Stretch (%), elasticity
(kg/cm2) and tensile strength (kg/cm2).
Result and Discussion
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
Tear resistance (kg/cm2)
83,20
(a)
91,91
(b)
111,71
Stretch (%)
37,00 (a)
39,00
(b)
42,00
Elasticity (kg/cm2)
25,61 (a)
27,72
(b)
28,64
Description : The same letter to the rows show non significantly (P>0.05)
(b)
(c)
(c)
(c)
Data in table 1, showed that tearing strength of fur of rex rabbit, which is slaughtering in more
than 150 days, is lower (P