Farmed rabbits are among the least regulated of all commercial livestock species despite suffering significant welfare problems in conventional cage systems.
Farmed rabbits occupy a peculiar position in the animal welfare landscape — significant in scale and welfare impact, yet almost entirely absent from public debate and regulatory attention. The conditions in conventional rabbit farms represent among the most severe welfare restrictions of any farmed species: tiny cages that prevent the locomotion, exploration, and social interaction that rabbits are highly motivated to perform. The result is chronic frustration, stereotypic behaviour, fear responses, and high disease rates. The disparity between the welfare requirements well-established for companion rabbits and those accepted for identical species in farming contexts is stark. Consumer awareness of farmed rabbit welfare is very low, limiting the market pressure that has driven improvements in other species.