Providing enrichment for farmed rabbits in group housing systems significantly improves their welfare. Understanding what rabbits need and how to provide it in commercial settings is key to welfare improvement.
Enriched rabbit housing transforms welfare outcomes compared to barren wire cage systems. The provision of hiding places reduces social stress by allowing subordinate animals to withdraw from dominant individuals. Elevated platforms satisfy the natural tendency to seek high ground for security. Gnawing material addresses the dental wear drive and reduces the frustration-based bar-biting that damages teeth and indicates poor welfare. Hay provision that engages foraging motivation for extended periods replaces the hours of foraging activity that defines rabbit behaviour in nature. These enrichments are not luxury additions but reflect fundamental behavioural needs that when unmet cause chronic welfare compromise. Commercial systems implementing these improvements see reduced mortality and injury rates alongside welfare improvement.