How can housing system affect growth and carcass traits, meat quality and muscle fiber characteristics in biceps femoris and mineral content of tibia and femur bones in growing rabbits?

•Penned rabbits and males had bigger hind part to reference carcass ratio•Penned males had the largest αR muscle fiber cross-sectional area and βR diameter•The higher content of ash and Mg was in the tibia and femur bones of penned rabbits•Bone fracture toughness was higher in penned rabbits in the tibia and femur bones