Rabbit meat production receives little welfare attention despite significant welfare problems in intensive systems. Farmed rabbits share behavioral needs with companion rabbits, including space and social requirements.
Farmed rabbit welfare represents a significant and underappreciated animal welfare problem. Rabbits kept in bare wire cages cannot express natural behaviors including running, jumping, burrowing, and social interaction with conspecifics. The welfare deprivation is comparable to the battery cage conditions for laying hens that most European countries have now banned. The irony is that companion rabbit welfare standards in many countries (requiring much larger housing and social companionship) far exceed farmed rabbit standards for the same species. A welfare-centered approach to rabbit farming provides group housing with appropriate space, enrichment including hiding areas and gnawing material, and solid or partial flooring to prevent foot sore. Consumer demand for welfare-certified rabbit products is limited but growing.