emjrabbitwolf
Warren Scout
I hoping I can get lots of people to help with this, as I know there are many well cared for rabbits on this forum, but I want to help boost the standards for all rabbits in the UK if not further afield.
Many of you know about the Animal Welfare act that means all companion animals should be well cared for, though sadly many do not. ONLY the Welsh version states that a rabbit hutch should be 3 hops long.
There used to be an older (now not used) DEFRA report stating all adult rabbits needed about 4-6 square feet each. but this is no longer used.
The goverment MAY be looking into something to improve the welfare of rabbits, but its not a huge priority for them.
What I'm looking for is help from you all to gather some data about rabbits. I'm from a science (biology) background meaning this might actually have some weight if we could get it published somewhere!
If you're willing and able to help I'm looking for the following information about EACH bunny you own.
1) Gender
2) Age by grouping, <6mth >6mth, 1-2yr, 3-4yr 5-6yr 7+yrs (Estimate if not sure)
3) weight
4) length when sat in a relaxed position, from nose to end of rump (not tail)
5) length when laid out at full stretch (not including tail)
6) height when stretching all the way up (please state if with support ie hutch/run side, or free standing)
7) distance travelled in 3 hops. (this is from standstill with feet together-entend front feet-take back feet to join/exceed front feet x3)
8) Breed
I plan to take the data and look into the amount of space a rabbit needs to move around unhindered per individual, by breed, by age grouping, by weight and length groups (which I'll sort out).
I'm hoping to use this data to show what size hutches actually allow a rabbit to experience a good standard of welfare. With it all compiled I then hope to pass it on to DEFRA, RSPCA, SSPCA and the British Rabbit Council. Hopefully all of these organisation will be able to use it to improve standards of care for any hutch/cage confined rabbit. I say that as many people still keep their rabbits in cages/hutches for long periods, so ensuring that those were actually giving the rabbit enough space to move comfortably would be a good start and hopefully reduce the use of the tiny breeding hutches used for pedigrees and get the hellish tiny hutches removed from general sale!
My personal belief is that a rabbit should have minimum 3 hops LIVING space, with 1 hop sleeping area. With the depth being 1.5x laid down length and height being 1.25x max stretch height. Something I will add when I write up all the information.
This is for individual rabbits that are kept singly.
For groups the area should be 4hops by 1.5length by 1.25height pf the LARGEST rabbit in the group. Additional footage should be added at 0.25x total floor space per additional rabbit.
Anyone want to question my reasoning please say so, or offer different ideas and we can try and come up with something that will get them to listen.
If we rabbit owners already do the work and present it for further analysis the government can't complain too much about time/costs.
Hopefully this could improve the welfare of rabbits everywhere. I'm a BRC member and they want to improve welfare of the animals used for showing and breeding (no rabbit can go without a water bottle at shows any more! yes!), so if I handed them this information it might get them to do other work into the care of the animals.
Hell the BBC did a program on the Kennel Club and that's started to shift things in the pedigree world, so maybe this could too!
Many thanks
em-j
Many of you know about the Animal Welfare act that means all companion animals should be well cared for, though sadly many do not. ONLY the Welsh version states that a rabbit hutch should be 3 hops long.
There used to be an older (now not used) DEFRA report stating all adult rabbits needed about 4-6 square feet each. but this is no longer used.
The goverment MAY be looking into something to improve the welfare of rabbits, but its not a huge priority for them.
What I'm looking for is help from you all to gather some data about rabbits. I'm from a science (biology) background meaning this might actually have some weight if we could get it published somewhere!
If you're willing and able to help I'm looking for the following information about EACH bunny you own.
1) Gender
2) Age by grouping, <6mth >6mth, 1-2yr, 3-4yr 5-6yr 7+yrs (Estimate if not sure)
3) weight
4) length when sat in a relaxed position, from nose to end of rump (not tail)
5) length when laid out at full stretch (not including tail)
6) height when stretching all the way up (please state if with support ie hutch/run side, or free standing)
7) distance travelled in 3 hops. (this is from standstill with feet together-entend front feet-take back feet to join/exceed front feet x3)
8) Breed
I plan to take the data and look into the amount of space a rabbit needs to move around unhindered per individual, by breed, by age grouping, by weight and length groups (which I'll sort out).
I'm hoping to use this data to show what size hutches actually allow a rabbit to experience a good standard of welfare. With it all compiled I then hope to pass it on to DEFRA, RSPCA, SSPCA and the British Rabbit Council. Hopefully all of these organisation will be able to use it to improve standards of care for any hutch/cage confined rabbit. I say that as many people still keep their rabbits in cages/hutches for long periods, so ensuring that those were actually giving the rabbit enough space to move comfortably would be a good start and hopefully reduce the use of the tiny breeding hutches used for pedigrees and get the hellish tiny hutches removed from general sale!
My personal belief is that a rabbit should have minimum 3 hops LIVING space, with 1 hop sleeping area. With the depth being 1.5x laid down length and height being 1.25x max stretch height. Something I will add when I write up all the information.
This is for individual rabbits that are kept singly.
For groups the area should be 4hops by 1.5length by 1.25height pf the LARGEST rabbit in the group. Additional footage should be added at 0.25x total floor space per additional rabbit.
Anyone want to question my reasoning please say so, or offer different ideas and we can try and come up with something that will get them to listen.
If we rabbit owners already do the work and present it for further analysis the government can't complain too much about time/costs.
Hopefully this could improve the welfare of rabbits everywhere. I'm a BRC member and they want to improve welfare of the animals used for showing and breeding (no rabbit can go without a water bottle at shows any more! yes!), so if I handed them this information it might get them to do other work into the care of the animals.
Hell the BBC did a program on the Kennel Club and that's started to shift things in the pedigree world, so maybe this could too!
Many thanks
em-j