Rabbits are Europe second most farmed species after chickens, with around 280 million killed annually, yet they receive far less welfare attention than other farmed animals.
Farmed rabbits suffer from cage confinement that prevents all natural behaviors including jumping, running, and binkying. Wire-floored cages cause sore hocks and foot problems. Social isolation in individual cages prevents normal social interaction. Continuous breeding through hormone induction or natural mating causes significant physiological stress. Slaughter methods including manual cervical dislocation may not always achieve immediate insensibility. Despite being highly sentient mammals with complex behavioral needs, rabbits have no EU-level welfare protection and minimal national legislation in most producing countries. The European Coalition for Farm Animals has campaigned extensively for rabbit welfare legislation. Alternative higher-welfare systems including group housing on litter are available but rarely implemented.