Table 8.
Animal‐based measures proposed for welfare assessment in farmed rabbits (de Jong et al., 2011). A number of resource‐based measures are also included in the protocol
| Does | Growing rabbits | |
|---|---|---|
| Good feeding | ||
| Absence of prolonged hunger | Body condition score | Body condition score |
| Absence of prolonged thirst | Resource‐based measures | Resource‐based measures |
| Good housing | ||
| Comfort around resting | Fully stretched lying in the pen or at the elevated platform or shelter | Fully stretched lying in the pen or at the elevated platform or shelter |
| Simultaneous resting in group housing | Simultaneous Resting In Group Housing | |
| Thermal comfort | Respiration rate | Respiration rate |
| Red ears | Red ears | |
| Ease of movement | Hopping (number of consecutive hops), jumping, turning, running | Hopping (number of consecutive hops), jumping, turning, running |
| Number of lame rabbits | Number of lame rabbits | |
| Good health | ||
| Absence of injuries | Skin injuries/wounds | Skin injuries/wounds |
| Pododermatitis | Number of toes and ear damage | |
| Trichophagy | ||
| Absence of diseases | Percentage mortality and selection (replacement) | Percentage mortality and selection (replacement) |
| Clinical scoring of rabbits, Consisting of symptoms listed | Clinical scoring of rabbits, Consisting of symptoms listed | |
| Technical performance | Technical performance | |
| Absence of pain induced by management procedures | Which mutilations are used (for identification) | Which mutilations are used (for identification) |
| Presence of tissue growth when using ear marks | Presence of tissue growth when using ear marks | |
| Appropriate behaviour | ||
| Expression of social behaviour | Scoring of injuries and wounds | Scoring of injuries and wounds |
| Scoring social behaviour | Scoring social behaviour | |
| Expression of other behaviours | Abnormal behaviours | Abnormal behaviours |
| Coat condition | Coat condition | |
| Kit mortality | ||
| Good human–animal relationship | Human approach test | Human approach test |
| Positive emotional state | Fear for novel objects | Fear for novel objects |
| Description of behaviour of a group | Description of behaviour of a group | |
| Hopping behaviour in young rabbits | Hopping behaviour in young rabbits | |