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 reprodu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2020-01-01
|
| Series: | EFSA Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5944 |
| _version_ | 1818573912408064000 |
|---|---|
| author | EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) 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 |
| author_facet | EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) 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 |
| author_sort | EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:19:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0450848dbdc44ecfac3fce03c242e526 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1831-4732 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:19:15Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | EFSA Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-0450848dbdc44ecfac3fce03c242e5262022-12-21T22:42:22ZengWileyEFSA Journal1831-47322020-01-01181n/an/a10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5944Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systemsEFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW)Søren Saxmose NielsenJulio AlvarezDominique Joseph BicoutPaolo CalistriKlaus DepnerJulian Ashley DreweBruno Garin‐BastujiJose Luis Gonzales RojasChristian Gortázar SchmidtVirginie MichelMiguel Ángel Miranda ChuecaHelen Clare RobertsLiisa Helena SihvonenHans SpoolderKarl StahlAntonio Velarde CalvoArvo ViltropStephanie BuijsSandra EdwardsDenise CandianiOlaf Mosbach‐SchulzYves Van der StedeChristoph WincklerAbstract 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.https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5944animal welfarerabbitreproducing doehousing systemorganic farming |
| spellingShingle | EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) 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 Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems EFSA Journal animal welfare rabbit reproducing doe housing system organic farming |
| title | Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems |
| title_full | Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems |
| title_fullStr | Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems |
| title_short | Health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems |
| title_sort | health and welfare of rabbits farmed in different production systems |
| topic | animal welfare rabbit reproducing doe housing system organic farming |
| url | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5944 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT efsapanelonanimalhealthandwelfareahaw healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT sørensaxmosenielsen healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT julioalvarez healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT dominiquejosephbicout healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT paolocalistri healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT klausdepner healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT julianashleydrewe healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT brunogarinbastuji healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT joseluisgonzalesrojas healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT christiangortazarschmidt healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT virginiemichel healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT miguelangelmirandachueca healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT helenclareroberts healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT liisahelenasihvonen healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT hansspoolder healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT karlstahl healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT antoniovelardecalvo healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT arvoviltrop healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT stephaniebuijs healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT sandraedwards healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT denisecandiani healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT olafmosbachschulz healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT yvesvanderstede healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems AT christophwinckler healthandwelfareofrabbitsfarmedindifferentproductionsystems |