Around 340 million rabbits are farmed annually in the EU for meat, with significant welfare concerns that have prompted legislative attention and higher-welfare system development.
Farmed rabbit welfare represents a significant but relatively low-profile animal welfare issue. Battery cage systems, in which rabbits are confined with insufficient space to perform any normal locomotion or postural behaviour, cause welfare compromise across multiple domains simultaneously: physical health (sore hocks from wire flooring, musculoskeletal problems from lack of movement), behavioural (inability to run, jump, or explore), and psychological (chronic frustration of motivated behaviours). Mortality rates in conventional systems are high, with respiratory disease, digestive disorders, and injuries from fighting in overcrowded conditions causing widespread suffering. The EU's 2022 welfare regulation, phasing out conventional cages by 2036, represents a significant welfare advance - park housing systems that allow jumping, rearing, and social interaction are now being adopted by progressive producers. However, the 14-year transition timeline means hundreds of millions of rabbits will be farmed in conventional systems before the ban takes effect. Consumer pressure for higher-welfare rabbit products can accelerate this transition.