Rabbits farmed for meat and fur have complex behavioural needs that are rarely met in intensive production systems. Enrichment providing hiding, gnawing, and platform opportunities significantly improves their welfare.
Farmed rabbits in barren battery cages live in a state of chronic deprivation — unable to hide, gnaw, explore, or rest comfortably on wire floors. This deprivation causes chronic stress measurable through cortisol levels and stereotypic behaviours including repeated bar-biting. Enriched colony systems with hiding boxes, platforms, gnawing material, and appropriate group sizes dramatically improve welfare outcomes. The economic costs of enrichment are modest relative to the welfare gains, and some enriched systems show comparable productivity to intensive methods.