Policy Statements

The RWA&F does not support the breeding of rabbits. There is a welfare crisis in the UK and there are large numbers of rabbits in rescue or rehoming centres.

However, we are often asked how many litters we think is ‘ethical’ to breed from a single doe each year. The obvious answer to this is zero until the welfare crisis is resolved, however in the interest of participating in this debate our thoughts are as follows:

Ethical breeding involves a lot more than purely the number of litters that each doe has per year. Consideration should be given to other factors, most notably the 5 welfare needs stipulated under the Animal Welfare Act.

These include providing adequate space and enrichment for the rabbits to fulfil their natural behaviours. Traditional breeding cages do not normally satisfy these requirements.

Another of the welfare needs is for rabbits to have companionship. Entire (unneutred) breeding rabbits are kept alone.

As well as the provision of veterinary care, diet is also crucial to ensure the breeding rabbits and their young are healthy. Muesli diets should be avoided both for breeding stock and for the offspring that will be offered for sale. Muesli diets are proven to cause a number of health problems and weaning kits on to this diet could cause problems that will never be rectified.

A strict cleaning protocol should be in place, to ensure that disease (E. cuniculi etc) cannot be spread. Breeding rabbits should be selected for health and temperament, avoiding genetic diseases and exaggerated features and care should be given to ensure that they are handled and socialised properly so that they are confident and sociable pets.

The BSAVA Manual of Rabbit Medicine advises the following:

• A breeding doe should have a MAXIMUM of 2-3 litters each year.
• She should not start breeding until sexually mature.
• A breeding doe should stop breeding at approximately 2.5 to 3 years.
• If a breeding doe shows reproductive difficulties, then breeding should be stopped and the doe, after consultation with a vet, should be neutered to prevent any further problems (the RWA&F would suggest that rehoming might best meet their welfare needs at this time).

The housing of breeding rabbits should be part of the ethical considerations: keeping males and females together outside of actual mating may lead to trauma, and separation by visual barriers only may lead to stress due to their ability to detect the opposite sex by smell.

It is important that any ethical breeding policy considers the whole lifetime of the breeding animals. It is also important that the supply of young animals from breeder to point of sale is considered, and all aspects of their welfare (e.g. transport) are taken into account. Unnecessary transport should be avoided.

To be truly ethical, rabbits should only be bred if there is a proven demand, and if they are going to be sold or re-homed in accordance with current welfare guidelines:

• Kept in neutered and vaccinated compatible pairs or groups
• Housed in a secure accommodation of a minimum size of 3m x 2m x 1m high
• Fed on a predominantly forage based diet

Responsibility must be taken for the whole life of the rabbits. This means that if there is any reason that the rabbits become unwanted, they can be returned to the store or seller to re-home responsibly in accordance with welfare guidelines, rather than placing a burden on rehoming centres.

Ideally all rabbits would be micro chipped so that they can be traced back to the breeder or store. Strategies should be implemented to avoid impulse purchases, and the store or seller should ensure that the correct environment, diet and health care will be provided before any rabbits leave the store.