Colony housing for farmed rabbits improves welfare compared to individual cages but introduces specific health management challenges that require proactive attention.
Colony housing welfare gains are real but not automatic - they require investment in design and management. Inadequately designed colony systems can produce worse welfare outcomes than individual cages through disease transmission, aggression and inadequate monitoring. The welfare-optimal colony system provides adequate space per animal, stable social groups, enrichment and health monitoring that identifies problems rapidly. The evidence supports colony housing when properly implemented.