Rabbits are the third most farmed mammal globally by number, yet their welfare standards lag far behind those for cattle, pigs, and poultry. Understanding the welfare challenges in rabbit farming supports meaningful improvement.
Farmed rabbit welfare represents one of the largest gaps between welfare standards and welfare science in modern food animal production. Rabbits are among the most behaviorally complex small farm animals: they are social, exploratory, motivated for digging and hiding, and capable of experiencing fear, pain, and psychological distress. Individual wire cage housing prevents virtually every natural rabbit behavior simultaneously — social contact, locomotion, digging, hiding, and postural diversity. The wire floor causes chronic foot pathology in a significant proportion of housed animals. Yet regulatory protection for farmed rabbits has historically been far weaker than for cattle, pigs, or poultry, reflecting both the relatively low public attention given to rabbit farming and the economic power of producers in key producing countries. The development of park or group housing systems for rabbits demonstrates that welfare-positive alternatives to wire cages are technically and economically feasible. Consumer demand for certified welfare standards and regulatory pressure are the primary drivers available to accelerate the transition.