Commercial rabbit farming produces approximately 1 billion rabbits for meat annually worldwide. Welfare in conventional systems is poor, with individual cages denying social, behavioral, and physical needs.
Commercial rabbit farming welfare represents one of the largest overlooked farmed animal welfare issues. The scale - 1 billion animals - rivals broiler chicken production, yet public awareness is minimal. Conventional battery cage systems deny rabbits the social contact, locomotion, and behavioral expression that welfare science shows are fundamental to their wellbeing. The contrast with how companion rabbits are increasingly kept (in large social groups with enrichment) highlights the ethical inconsistency. Welfare-positive rabbit farming systems exist and produce animals with measurably better welfare outcomes - but their adoption requires market signals from informed consumers.