Researchers at the Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM) have reached a milestone in Brazilian cuniculture by developing the country’s first national milking protocol for does and moving to produce an experimental artificial milk for kits. The innovation seeks to tackle high mortality at weaning while opening new commercial and welfare opportunities for producers.
Artificial rabbit milk Brazil and the challenge it addresses
The problem is stark: although a doe can give birth to litters of 12 or more kits, she typically has only eight teats. At the UEM Experimental Farm in Iguatemi, where a herd of roughly 600 animals is maintained, scientists noted mortality rates of about 20% between 30 and 40 days of age. That loss undercuts productivity and raises ethical concerns for producers and researchers alike.
Co-ordinator of cuniculture Leandro Castilha says the limited physical capacity of does to feed large litters is the primary constraint. To remedy this, the UEM team spent two years developing a controlled milking procedure capable of yielding laboratory quantities of rabbit milk, a fluid that is normally released only in response to stimulation by the kit.
Silvio Leite, professor in the Department of Animal Science and author of the protocol, explains that milk let-down in rabbits is triggered by a combination of temperature, suction and tongue movements from the young. Reproducing that precise stimulus in a controlled environment was essential to obtain not just the first drops, but volumes sufficient for full biochemical analysis.
Laboratory findings and formulation work
With the milking protocol established, researchers analysed the milk’s composition, including lactose, amino acids, fatty acids and vitamins. Those results are guiding the formulation of the first Brazilian artificial rabbit milk. While substitute milks exist in Europe, the United States and parts of Asia, there is currently no commercial product available in Brazil.
The team is now finalising the formula and moving into experimental production and acceptance trials with kits. The university also anticipates potential intellectual property protection for the methodology and the formulation, which could allow Brazilian manufacturers to supply a previously unmet market.
Economic and welfare implications
Researchers and local producers expect the supplement to offer both economic and animal-welfare benefits. Supplementation should increase the number of kits weaned in good health, improving profitability for smallholders while addressing an ethical concern by ensuring more animals survive to market or research use.
Cuniculture is regarded as a sustainable production system: it requires little land and few inputs, converts vegetable residues into high-value protein, and produces by-products such as pelts and manure. The rapid life cycle of rabbits — around 90 days from birth to slaughter — makes the sector attractive for small-scale and niche producers.
According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the state of Paraná holds the third-largest rabbit population in the country, about 33,000 animals. Brazil’s annual production is approximately 242,000 animals, with official slaughter figures of 15,000–20,000 rabbits per month. Scientists believe those numbers could rise significantly with access to a domestic artificial milk product.
The UEM team’s work has drawn national and international attention, positioning the university as a reference in applied research for sustainable animal production. Next steps include refining the formula, experimental manufacture, and wider field trials to confirm benefits for producers and kits across different herd sizes.
Key Takeaways:
- Researchers at Universidade Estadual de Maringá produced the first national milking protocol for does and are formulating experimental artificial rabbit milk Brazil to reduce kit mortality.
- Losses at weaning reach about 20%; a physical limitation—does have only eight teats—drives need for supplementation.
- Team obtained sufficient milk for biochemical analyses and aims to patent and pilot manufacture, potentially increasing producer income and animal welfare.
