How Rabbits Live and Die

REALITY CHECK

Angora rabbits can live to be 13 years old, but their lives in the wool and fur trade commonly end after only 6 months. Rabbits raised for meat are slaughtered before they are 3 months old. They have been selectively bred to be able to cope with wire flooring that cuts into their pads. The approach to care is designed to lighten the workload of the keeper. Sick or weak rabbits are culled rather than treated for illness because it is easier to kill and replace them than to quarantine and cure them.

Rabbits breed and live out their short lives in semi-darkness, trapped in wire mesh hutches, stacked in tiers up to four stories.

In some rabbit factory farms, doe rabbits raised for wool are isolated and kept individually while waiting to have their hair plucked every 60–90 days.

These rabbits are on their way to the slaughterhouse.