Performance and Welfare of Reproducing Does and Growing Rabbits in Alternative Housing Systems

The behavior of domestic rabbits is influenced by their natural behavior, which is based on the model of wild rabbits living in colonies. These behaviors involve locomotor and exploratory activities. Rabbits move primarily by hopping and living in groups, stabilize sex-specific dominance hierarchies, and display aggressive behaviors primarily during hierarchical formation, the breeding season, and competition for resources. In conventional breeding, rabbits are kept in individual wire cages, limiting their natural behaviors, and leading to abnormal behavior. Alternative systems such as parks offer more space and ample opportunity for the installation of environmental enrichments, improving the welfare of rabbits. However, raising rabbits in the group presents challenges regarding aggression and health. This thesis fits into a context in which society pays more and more attention to the well-being of farmed animals, pushing towards more animal-friendly farming systems. There is growing pressure from consumers and animal rights activists to pay more attention to the welfare of farmed rabbits. Although several studies have been conducted to improve their well-being and health, many unanswered questions remain, especially regarding the types of housing that can contribute to good health and appropriate behaviors. In this thesis various aspects regarding breeding in cage-free environments have been explored, evaluating the use of hay blocks to improve the welfare of growing rabbits, analyzing welfare in different housing systems, evaluating the effect of size of the group and the moment of formation of the groups on the behavior of the reproductive rabbits and the characterization of the locomotory behaviour, with special emphasis on hopping, to analyze the behavior of the rabbits at different moments.