Rabbits are the third most farmed land animal worldwide, yet welfare legislation for them lags far behind pigs and poultry.
Farmed rabbits in conventional battery cages suffer from multiple welfare failures simultaneously. Inability to stand fully upright damages their skeletal system. Lack of company causes psychological distress and abnormal repetitive behaviors. Wire flooring causes hock sores. High stress combined with poor hygiene drives disease transmission. Rabbits are prey animals with strong fear responses that are chronically activated in barren, high-density environments. Improved systems with enrichment, group housing, and solid flooring significantly improve welfare outcomes.