Welfare, Behavior, and Housing of Rabbits

Animal welfare is defined as the physical and mental state of an individual in relation to its environment. Currently, society’s increasing concern about animal welfare on farms calls for regulation. For this, it is important to determine the optimal requirements in rabbit production from the three fundamental spheres of welfare based on the response of the animals. The three spheres of animal welfare are biological functioning and health, affective states or cognitive judgment, and natural living. In recent years, there has been a shift from avoiding negative experiences to exploring positive experiences for animals. In addition, the welfare of rabbits is greatly influenced by the housing conditions in which they are kept. Therefore, scientific research is looking for a balance between welfare and productivity through new housing designs, prioritizing the ethology of the species. Different types of flooring, cage sizes, densities, and group sizes are studied depending on the physiological and psychological needs of the productive stage of the animal. Additionally, highlighting the different environmental enrichments that can be included in the housing. This chapter also focuses on the current trend of implementing alternative systems where the aim is to improve animal welfare.