Welfare concerns in rabbit farming and the case for higher-standard alternatives.
Farmed rabbit welfare receives far less public and regulatory attention than pig, poultry, or cattle welfare, despite significant welfare concerns in standard production systems. Rabbits are active, social animals whose natural behavior includes running, jumping, and living in complex underground social groups. Conventional cage farming denies all of these behaviors, creating chronic stress conditions that contribute to high disease rates and stereotypic behaviors. The park housing systems increasingly adopted by higher-welfare European producers demonstrate that commercially viable alternatives exist that substantially improve welfare. Consumer awareness of farmed rabbit welfare — and demand for higher welfare alternatives — is essential for driving the market changes that incentivize better systems.