Wildlife

Wild Hare Welfare and Farming Systems

Brown hare populations are supported by sympathetic farming practices including reduced tillage, retention of field margins, and avoiding disturbance during the breeding season.

Key Facts

Brown hares rely on open farmland for foraging and cover throughout their range
Leverets are born above ground and are highly vulnerable to predation and agricultural operations
Early silage cuts kill significant numbers of leverets and can disrupt suckling
Agri-environment scheme margins provide essential cover and winter forage
Hare populations have recovered on farms with high-quality agri-environment management

Welfare Considerations

Brown hare welfare on farmland depends on management practices that avoid disturbance during the March to August breeding season and maintain appropriate habitat features. Individual hares killed during silage cuts or destroyed during intensive tillage operations represent preventable welfare harm. Supporting agri-environment participation by farmers creates the landscape-scale habitat needed for sustainable hare welfare.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment schemes providing hare-friendly habitat on farms
Advocate for pre-cut surveys in known hare breeding areas before silage operations
Choose food from farms engaged with hare-friendly farming practices
Participate in hare monitoring surveys tracking population trends
Engage with land managers about timing and methods of operations in hare habitat