Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems

Søren Saxmose Nielsen; Julio Alvarez; Dominique Joseph Bicout; Paolo Calistri; Klaus Depner; Julian Ashley Drewe; Bruno Garin‐bastuji; Jose Luis Gonzales Rojas; Christian Gortázar Schmidt; Virginie Michel; Miguel Ángel Miranda Chueca; Helen Clare Roberts; Liisa Helena Sihvonen; Hans Spoolder; Karl Stahl; Antonio Velarde Calvo; Arvo Viltrop; Stephanie Buijs; Sandra Edwards; Denise Candiani; Olaf Mosbach‐schulz; Yves Van Der Stede; Christoph Winckler

doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5944

Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems

Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Julio Alvarez, Dominique Joseph Bicout, Paolo Calistri, Klaus Depner, Julian Ashley Drewe, Bruno Garin‐bastuji, Jose Luis Gonzales Rojas, Christian Gortázar Schmidt, Virginie Michel, Miguel Ángel Miranda Chueca, Helen Clare Roberts, Liisa Helena Sihvonen, Hans Spoolder, Karl Stahl, Antonio Velarde Calvo, Arvo Viltrop, Stephanie Buijs, Sandra Edwards, Denise CandianiOlaf Mosbach‐schulz, Yves Van Der Stede, Christoph Winckler

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

34 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Article number	5944
Number of pages	96
Journal	EFSA Journal
Volume	18
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5944
Publication status	Published - 21 Nov 2019

Keywords

animal welfare
housing system
organic farming
rabbit
reproducing doe

Access to Document

10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5944Licence: CC BY-ND

Cite this

Saxmose Nielsen, S., Alvarez, J., Bicout, D. J., Calistri, P., Depner, K., Drewe, J. A., Garin‐bastuji, B., Gonzales Rojas, J. L., Gortázar Schmidt, C., Michel, V., Miranda Chueca, M. Á., Roberts, H. C., Sihvonen, L. H., Spoolder, H., Stahl, K., Velarde Calvo, A., Viltrop, A., Buijs, S., Edwards, S., ... Winckler, C. (2019). Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems. EFSA Journal, 18(1), [5944]. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5944

@article{557a7831c44243479081f89b159806ff,

title = "Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems",

abstract = "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.",

keywords = "animal welfare, housing system, organic farming, rabbit, reproducing doe",

author = "{Saxmose Nielsen}, S{\o}ren and Julio Alvarez and Bicout, {Dominique Joseph} and Paolo Calistri and Klaus Depner and Drewe, {Julian Ashley} and Bruno Garin‐bastuji and {Gonzales Rojas}, {Jose Luis} and {Gort{\'a}zar Schmidt}, Christian and Virginie Michel and {Miranda Chueca}, {Miguel {\'A}ngel} and Roberts, {Helen Clare} and Sihvonen, {Liisa Helena} and Hans Spoolder and Karl Stahl and {Velarde Calvo}, Antonio and Arvo Viltrop and Stephanie Buijs and Sandra Edwards and Denise Candiani and Olaf Mosbach‐schulz and {Van Der Stede}, Yves and Christoph Winckler",

year = "2019",

month = nov,

day = "21",

doi = "10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5944",

language = "English",

volume = "18",

journal = "EFSA Journal",

issn = "1831-4732",

publisher = "Wiley",

number = "1",

}

Saxmose Nielsen, S, Alvarez, J, Bicout, DJ, Calistri, P, Depner, K, Drewe, JA, Garin‐bastuji, B, Gonzales Rojas, JL, Gortázar Schmidt, C, Michel, V, Miranda Chueca, MÁ, Roberts, HC, Sihvonen, LH, Spoolder, H, Stahl, K, Velarde Calvo, A, Viltrop, A, Buijs, S, Edwards, S, Candiani, D, Mosbach‐schulz, O, Van Der Stede, Y & Winckler, C 2019, 'Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems', EFSA Journal, vol. 18, no. 1, 5944. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5944

TY - JOUR

T1 - Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems

AU - Saxmose Nielsen, Søren

AU - Alvarez, Julio

AU - Bicout, Dominique Joseph

AU - Calistri, Paolo

AU - Depner, Klaus

AU - Drewe, Julian Ashley

AU - Garin‐bastuji, Bruno

AU - Gonzales Rojas, Jose Luis

AU - Gortázar Schmidt, Christian

AU - Michel, Virginie

AU - Miranda Chueca, Miguel Ángel

AU - Roberts, Helen Clare

AU - Sihvonen, Liisa Helena

AU - Spoolder, Hans

AU - Stahl, Karl

AU - Velarde Calvo, Antonio

AU - Viltrop, Arvo

AU - Buijs, Stephanie

AU - Edwards, Sandra

AU - Candiani, Denise

AU - Mosbach‐schulz, Olaf

AU - Van Der Stede, Yves

AU - Winckler, Christoph

PY - 2019/11/21

Y1 - 2019/11/21

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - animal welfare

KW - housing system

KW - organic farming

KW - rabbit

KW - reproducing doe

U2 - 10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5944

DO - 10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5944

M3 - Article

SN - 1831-4732

VL - 18

JO - EFSA Journal

JF - EFSA Journal

IS - 1

M1 - 5944

ER -

Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this