Disease prevention through vaccination and biosecurity is essential for maintaining rabbit colony welfare, as social housing increases pathogen transmission risk.
Rabbit colony disease management requires investment in prevention infrastructure that pays welfare dividends through reduced morbidity and mortality. The shift from individual to colony housing creates genuine biosecurity challenges that many producers underestimate. Vaccination programs are highly effective when compliance is maintained, but lapse rates are high in commercial operations without systematic vaccine administration records. Building disease prevention into standard operating procedures — rather than treating it as discretionary — characterizes the farms with best welfare outcomes in rabbit colony systems.