The welfare of farmed rabbits is severely compromised by conventional wire cage systems. Reform movements are driving transition to park housing and enriched alternatives providing dramatically better welfare.
The farmed rabbit is among the least considered farm animals in welfare policy, yet its welfare in standard cage systems is profoundly poor. Wire floors cause chronic pain through pododermatitis — a condition affecting the majority of caged rabbits. The inability to perform any species-typical locomotor behaviour in the confined cage space creates sustained frustration. Park housing reform, while requiring management skill to prevent aggression, provides the foundation for welfare-positive rabbit production. Consumer markets demanding cage-free rabbit products are emerging in some European countries, creating commercial impetus for housing reform. The ethical argument for reform is clear — the challenge lies in demonstrating that welfare-positive production is economically viable.