Rabbit farming, primarily for meat production, involves keeping highly social and active animals in barren wire cages that prevent natural movement, social behaviour and exploration.
Farmed rabbits are among the least welfare-protected of all common farmed species. Wire mesh flooring causes hock sores and prevents natural digging. Overcrowded conditions prevent the social hierarchy negotiation that rabbits need. High-density housing creates stress-related aggression and disease. Female rabbits are kept in individual cages, depriving them of social contact. The combination of barren environment, inappropriate flooring and social deprivation makes standard rabbit farming a severe welfare failure. Enriched colony systems, while not perfect, represent a significant welfare improvement and are becoming more common in progressive operations.