Farmers keep rabbits primarily for their meat due to the low value of their skins, making pelt production alone uneconomic (4). There are only a small number of wool producers in the UK as Angora rabbit management is a labour intensive industry. Farmers need to cage animals individually to avoid damage to their wool and the does are not deemed very productive, producing only an average of 24 young per year. The average wool yield of English Angora is 200-400 grams/year. The normal practice for harvesting the wool is shearing, this happens four times a year and provides a fibre of 5-6 cm. The largest angora fibre producer is China. (4, 3).
Rabbits can suffer from a large range of welfare problems and disease, these include fatal viruses, snuffles and sore hocks from sitting on wire mesh cage floors.
This serious viral disease affects only rabbits and is caused by the myxoma virus. The virus is spread mainly by biting insects but can be passed on directly to other rabbits which are in very close proximity. The first clinical sign is conjunctivitis (‘red eye’) with a runny discharge alongside swollen lips, nose, ears and eyes/eyelids causing blindness. The rabbit may appear listless with a loss of appetite and developing a high fever. It can take up to a fortnight for an infected rabbit to die and as treatment doesn’t always work euthanasia is usually recommended. This disease is present in the UK and throughout Europe and Australia. There is a vaccine to protect against myxomatosis and meat producers should seek veterinary advice on its use. (4, 5, 7)
Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD)
This virus, caused by calicivirus, affects only rabbits and was first reported in the UK in 1992. The disease appears mostly in adults but may affect rabbits over 8 weeks of age. The clinical symptoms are depression, loss of appetite, respiratory distress, lack of coordination, a blood-stained mucus discharge and death occurring within one to two days. The virus is spread through a number of means, such as by direct contact with food (e.g. hay) or water contaminated by infected wild rabbits, bird droppings or direct contact from another rabbit. There is a vaccine to protect against VHD and meat producers should seek veterinary advice on its use. (4, 7).
This is a protozoal parasitic infection from the intestinal tract of animals. The species of coccidia found in rabbits are species specific and should not infect humans. In young rabbits this causes diarrhoea and sudden death. (7, 4). Hyperthermia Naturally when it is warm/hot, rabbits would move into their burrow to keep cool. However, this is not possible in rabbit farms making them more susceptible. The stockperson(s) should keep a close watch for any signs of heat stress in the rabbits (2).
Transport and Slaughter
Rabbits are usually transported in batches of 10 and they should not be confined for more than 8 hours due to not having any access to food and water. Naturally, rabbits can live up to around 9 years of age. Depending upon the size of the breed, rabbits are slaughtered for their meat from around 3 to 4 months of age. Those used for breeding are culled at 3 years of age as their ability to produce offspring deteriorates.
In 2010, 3,941,109 farmed rabbits and game birds were slaughtered, the figures for these are combined under the charging regulations and are not collected separately (3,487,428 were slaughtered in 2009)(1).
Rabbits may be killed by dislocation of the neck or administering a heavy blow to the back of their head followed by decapitation of the animal. Operators should ensure that the blow kills the rabbit outright and not just stun it. Rabbits may also be killed by electrical stunning after which their throat is cut and the animal dies by bleeding to death (4). Rabbits are usually stunned by applying an electric current to their heads via a wall mounted ‘V’ shaped electrode. From studies carried out by Anil et al (8, 9), they found that for electrical stunning in rabbits to be effective a minimum voltage of 100 volts must be applied to provide instantaneous stunning of the animal. Stunning should provide a long enough period of insensibility for operators to ‘stick’ (cutting the throat) the animal in good time before they regain consciousness.
1. Meat Hygiene Service.
2.Gregory, N.G. 2007 (2nd Edition). Animal Welfare & Meat Production.
3.Scottish Agricultural College
4.Ewbank, R., Kim-Madslien, F. and Hart, C.B. (Editors). 1999. 4th Edition. Management and Welfare of Farm Animals. Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW).
5.Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.
6.The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000
7.Owen Davies BVSc MRCVS and Dr Linda Dykes. 1998. Revised March 2002 by Linda Dykes. Dental Problems in Rabbits. Rabbit Welfare Association Fund.
8.Anil, M.H., Raj, A.B.M. and McKinstry, J.L. 1998. Electrical Stunning in Commercial Rabbits: Effective Currents, Spontaneous Physical Activity and Reflex Behaviour. Meat Science. Vol 48: p21-28.
9.Anil, M.H., Raj, A.B.M. and McKinstry, J.L. 2000. Evaluation of electrical stunning in commercial rabbits: effect on brain function. Meat Science. Vol 54: p217-220.
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