Situated over in our Outdoor Education Area, the Goodheart Home for Rescued Rabbits or ‘The Burrow’ as it is known, provides a spacious home for rescued rabbits as well as lots of educational opportunities within the beautiful surroundings of our sanctuary site.
Meet Fiver and Bigwig – the two rabbits lucky enough to call The Burrow their home. These two playful boys came from a loving home, however a change in circumstances meant that their owner could no longer keep them in a large enough area to suit their requirements. Rabbits need lots of room to practise natural behaviours such as running, jumping and even hiding, so they came to us here at Goodheart Farm Animal Sanctuary, to enjoy their new spacious and varied home.
In 2020, we proposed a new addition to Goodheart Farm Animal Sanctuary: a dedicated area for rabbits situated in our Outdoor Education Area.
The aim of the project was to allow us to:
Following guidance set out by the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF), the foundations were laid and work started on the run in March 2021. By the autumn, the ground inside the run had been prepared, mounds were built and tunnels added. Work was paused over the wet winter months, but by spring 2022, the run was finished and ready to welcome its new residents!
Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that rabbits are indeed farmed for their meat and fur in this country, which means they are susceptible to suffering and exploitation, just like our other rescued species.
Even though rabbit farms are fairly small-scale within the UK, new applications for farms are still being made, despite campaigning. Organisations such as PETA and Compassion in World Farming are working hard to garner support for the denial of new farms, such as the application for a rabbit farm in Stafforshire, which was thankfully rejected in 2017.
Although there are guidelines which should be followed, shockingly there is no species-specific legislation regarding the welfare of farmed rabbits in the UK. As the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 was passed on 7th May 2022, there is hope that this may help to protect rabbits from low welfare conditions both in farming practices and within homes.
Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that rabbits are indeed farmed for their meat and fur in this country, which means they are susceptible to suffering and exploitation, just like our other rescued species.
Even though rabbit farms are fairly small-scale within the UK, new applications for farms are still being made, despite campaigning. Organisations such as PETA and Compassion in World Farming are working hard to garner support for the denial of new farms, such as the application for a rabbit farm in Stafforshire, which was thankfully rejected in 2017.
Although there are guidelines which should be followed, shockingly there is no species-specific legislation regarding the welfare of farmed rabbits in the UK. As the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 was passed on 7th May 2022, there is hope that this may help to protect rabbits from low welfare conditions both in farming practices and within homes.
Greater numbers of farmed rabbits are reared in countries such as China, Spain, France, and Italy, and rabbits are actually the fourth most farmed animal in the world.
Within the EU, it’s though that 180 million rabbits are slaughtered each year, with 94% of commercially farmed rabbits or ‘fattening rabbits’ (raised for meat) kept within caged systems.
In these intensive farm settings, rabbits may be kept in cramped, barren cages, barely bigger than an A4 piece of paper, where they often fight with one another due to boredom or stress. Injuries and illnesses are often left untreated and reports have found that animals are subjected to rough handling before they are slaughtered. Female rabbits (also known as does) who are used for breeding will spend the majority of their time caged alone , denying them the ability to perform social behaviours such as allogrooming.
These welfare issues, and others including wire mesh flooring, disease, hormone treatments and more, may be the reason that there are high mortality numbers within rabbit farms, with the majority of does dying or being replaced every year and up to 30% of the individuals raised for meat to die prior to being slaughtered by 12 weeks.
Curious about rabbits and eager to learn how to care for them properly? The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund is your go-to source for the latest educational resources on rabbit welfare. Discover tips for happy, healthy rabbits and join them in supporting campaigns that make a difference.
Want to treat our rabbits to a lovely item for their home? We constantly update our Amazon Wishlist with new items on a regular basis, from care equipment like nail clippers right through to fun enrichment items. Click the button below to have a browse…
blog post:
Small mammals such as rabbits and guinea pigs are often considered cheap, easy-going first pets for children to look after. We discuss some of the complex care needs of these animals and why owning any pet is not a decision to be taken lightly.
Goodheart Farm Animal Sanctuary, The Nickless, Milson, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY14 0BE
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