Rabbit housing science has advanced significantly, showing that group housing systems with appropriate design can meet farmed rabbit welfare needs far better than individual cages.
Group housing represents the future of welfare-conscious rabbit farming, but transitioning from individual cages requires significant investment and management skill. The welfare benefits are clear: rabbits in group systems show more natural social behaviour, better muscle condition from exercise, and lower levels of stereotypic behaviour. The management challenges are real too: disease can spread faster in groups, aggression requires careful monitoring, and pen design must prevent dominant animals from blocking access to resources. Research has developed effective group housing systems that address these challenges while achieving markedly better welfare outcomes. The EU regulatory push toward group housing, if implemented, would represent one of the most significant farmed rabbit welfare improvements in decades.