Farmed rabbits are among the least welfare-regulated livestock in most countries. Standard battery cage systems prevent most natural behaviors and cause chronic stress in animals with complex social and locomotion needs.
Farmed rabbit welfare represents one of the larger gaps in livestock welfare regulation. Battery cage systems confine animals so severely that they cannot perform basic locomotion behaviors. The resulting chronic frustration manifests as stereotypies, aggression, and self-mutilation. Alternative systems including park housing — where rabbits live in larger groups on littered floors — allow more natural behavior expression but require better management of aggression and disease. The EU welfare improvements in pig and laying hen systems have not yet extended meaningfully to rabbits in most jurisdictions. Consumer awareness of rabbit farming conditions remains low, limiting market pressure for improvement.