Rabbits are farmed in large numbers for meat and fur, yet welfare standards lag far behind other livestock species. Understanding their specific needs is essential for improvement.
Farmed rabbits suffer considerably in conventional wire battery cages, which prevent natural behaviours, cause wire floor injuries, and provide no hiding space despite rabbits being prey species with strong hiding instincts. Enriched park systems with hay, hiding structures, elevated resting platforms, and more floor space dramatically improve welfare indicators including lower corticosterone levels, fewer injuries, and more natural activity budgets. Mortality remains a key challenge: digestive disease (epizootic rabbit enteropathy) can kill 10–20% of a commercial batch. Antibiotic reduction programmes depend on better management rather than chemical prophylaxis. Stunning at slaughter — typically electrical — must be properly implemented to ensure rapid unconsciousness. Breeding doe welfare is a particular concern: does in intensive systems are often permanently caged and managed on tight reproductive cycles, leaving little time for social interaction or recovery between litters.