With recent news that battery farming of rabbits could return to Britain for the first time in 15 years, more people are thinking about rabbit welfare issues and whether rabbits are, in fact, an acceptable source of meat. .
Most people are opposed to battery farming of any animal; There have been many campaigns recently against battery chickens and it seems like a step in the wrong direction to reintroduce it for rabbits. The UK only consumes around 3,000 tonnes of rabbit meat a year, but supermarkets are reporting a huge increase in demand thanks to the endorsement of some celebrity chefs, this is clearly changing. However, does the public want battery farmed rabbit, or even domestic rabbit meat?
There is a clear difference between battery farms and free range farms, as the latter allow for more natural behavior such as digging, foraging, running, and hiding. However, all rabbit farms produce a lot of waste and cost money and energy to run. There is another option right under our noses, one that is a considerable (and costly) pest for farmers; is a sustainable and organic source, in short, a very respectful option with the environment: the wild rabbit. Why not use this natural resource, help farmers and produce a win-win situation?
For me, however, the farm rabbit theme runs deeper. Rabbits have been kept as pets in the UK since Victorian times and domestic rabbits in this country far outnumber farm or laboratory research rabbits. Our domestic rabbits have evolved from their origins as a source of food and fur and deserve the same respect and treatment as dogs and cats. This is essential to improve the welfare of domestic rabbits; Until the public understands that domestic rabbits need much more than a cage and a carrot from time to time, the suffering of British rabbits will only increase. Seeing them relegated once again to small cages on a battery farm can only add to the general perception that rabbits are silly animals who are happy to sit still 24/7 and calmly await their fate. The truth is that thousands of domestic rabbits are suffering across Britain right now at the hands of owners who don’t know any better; who haven’t taken the time or trouble to discover what suffering lies beneath that calm, stoic face.
Rabbits are pets loved by many people, they live freely in their homes and in the heart of the family. But they have come a long way to get there; let’s not undo all that good work now.