The AGRI committee of the European Parliament requested EFSA to assess the welfare of rabbits
farmed in different production systems, including organic production, and to update its 2005 scientific
opinion about the health and welfare of rabbits kept for meat production. Considering reproducing
does, kits and growing rabbits, this scientific opinion focusses on six different housing systems, namely
conventional cages, structurally enriched cages, elevated pens, floor pens, outdoor/partially outdoor
systems and organic systems. To compare the level of welfare in the different housing systems and
rabbit categories, welfare impact scores for 20 welfare consequences identified from the literature
were calculated, taking their occurrence, duration and severity into account. Based on the overall
welfare impact score (sum of scores for the single welfare consequences), obtained via a 2-step expert
knowledge elicitation process, the welfare of reproducing does is likely (certainty 66–90%) to be lower
in conventional cages compared to the five other housing systems. In addition, it is likely to extremely
likely (certainty 66–99%) that the welfare of kits is lower in outdoor systems compared to the other
systems and that the welfare is higher in elevated pens than in the other systems. Finally, it is likely to
extremely likely (certainty 66–99%) that the welfare of growing rabbits is lower in conventional cages
compared to the other systems and that the welfare is higher in elevated pens than in the other
systems. Ranking of the welfare consequences allowed an analysis of the main welfare consequences
within each system and rabbit category. It was concluded that for reproducing does, as well as
growing rabbits, welfare consequences related to behavioural restrictions were more prominent in
conventional cages, elevated pens and enriched cages, whereas those related to health problems were
more important in floor pens, outdoor and organic systems. Housing in organic rabbit farming is
diverse, which can result in different welfare consequences, but the overall welfare impact scores
suggest that welfare in organic systems is generally good.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio