Document type: scientific review published in Livestock Science
Author: Zsolt Szendrő
Preview: Aggression is a common form of behavior in animals living in groups, including wild rabbits. Animal welfare is a central issue in rabbit farming, including reducing aggressive behavior, stress, and injuries. Although experiments on rabbit behavior and improvements in housing conditions have been ongoing for decades, animal protection movements, often based on emotional grounds, have emerged as a new challenge. The purpose of this review is to present the knowledge gained in this field to researchers, farmers, and animal protectionists. In domestic rabbits, aggression begins at puberty. In a larger group of growing rabbits, more individuals are injured; however, providing chewable materials (e.g., gnawing sticks) significantly reduces aggressive behavior. When does are housed in groups, aggression has been an insoluble problem so far. If females are housed together continuously, their lifespan is shortened due to chronic stress, and many kits are injured, and several die due to the aggressive behavior of does. The part-time group-housing system was developed to eliminate this problem. Usually, 18 days after birth, the does and their offspring are in a common group. Fighting occurs when groups are formed, and 40–80% of the does are injured. None of the methods tested to reduce this problem (grouping at a young age, elevated platforms, wooden panel, PVC pipe, straw rack, and alfalfa block) has been effective. Currently, there is no better solution for animal welfare than individual housing of does.
