Rabbit farming for meat and fur produces hundreds of millions of animals annually in conditions that typically involve wire-floored battery cages causing chronic welfare problems, with enriched and park housing systems offering significant improvements.
Battery cage rabbit farming causes endemic welfare problems: the inability to perform natural locomotion causes muscle weakness and bone fragility; wire floors cause chronic foot injuries; the lack of social housing prevents normal social behavior. High mortality rates indicate systemic health problems related to housing conditions. France's legislative ban on barren cage farming represents a significant welfare advance. Park housing systems that allow group living, platform use, and hiding behavior substantially improve welfare outcomes, though management challenges including aggression require attention. The transition from cage to alternative systems requires investment but produces measurable welfare improvements.