We counted 1,486 farms with 154,873 rabbits hopping about during the 2021 Census of Agriculture. Every province had at least four farms raising rabbits.
Ontario had the most farms reporting rabbits (471) in the spring of 2021, followed by Alberta (284), Quebec (247) and British Columbia (208).
Nationally, over 9 in 10 rabbits were found on Ontario (76,222 or 49%) or Quebec (72,426 or 47%) farms in the spring of 2021.
One thing to remember when looking at these numbers is that they are a snapshot in time, namely May 11, 2021. Rabbits can have from three to five litters a year, with up to 14 bunnies per litter. Therefore, the total number of rabbits over the course of the year is exponentially higher than the number counted on Census Day.
The number of rabbit farms has fallen by almost half in five years
During the 2021 Census, there were 48% fewer farms reporting rabbits than five years earlier and over six times fewer (84%) than in 1981.
Before the record decline in 2021, the number of farms reporting rabbits had been trending upward since the beginning of the millennium.
The number of farm-raised rabbits is also falling nationally, albeit at a slower pace, down 10% from five years earlier and 58% fewer compared with 1981.
Most of Canada’s live rabbit exports are headed for New York
Canada’s exports of live rabbits and hares topped $8 million in 2023, with most destined for New York state ($7.9 million or 293,000 rabbits and hares).
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