Keeping Meat Rabbits in Australia: The Complete Guide
Check the law before you build a hutch: keeping rabbits is prohibited in Queensland, with no meat exemption we could find, and other states have conditions. Rabbits are efficient meat animals, but they need vaccination against calicivirus (RHDV2), insect-proof housing against myxomatosis, and protection from heat above about 30°C.
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Are meat rabbits right for you?
Rabbits make a lot of lean meat from a little space and feed, are quiet, and breed quickly. They are also delicate: they suffer in heat, can be wiped out by calicivirus, and need careful, humane handling at processing time. They are not for everyone, and in Queensland they are not legal at all. Read the next section before you spend anything.
Is it legal? Check your state first
Queensland: rabbits are a restricted invasive animal. Business Queensland says you “must not move, keep, feed, give away, sell, or release rabbits”, with permits only for research, public display, magic acts and circuses (page updated 15 May 2026). We found no meat-rabbit exemption. Do not buy rabbits in Queensland. Quail, chickens and ducks are alternatives, though check their rules too.
Elsewhere the rules are different but not nil:
| State | What to check | Rules tool |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Legal; rabbit farming licences are no longer required, but council planning rules apply | Council rules |
| Victoria | Not verified: check with Agriculture Victoria and your council | Council rules |
| Queensland | Prohibited. Rabbits are a restricted invasive animal: must not be kept, fed, sold or given away; no meat exemption found | Council rules |
| South Australia | Domestic rabbits must be kept in escape-proof housing with wire dug 30 cm and not allowed to roam (Landscape SA Act guidance) | Council rules |
| Western Australia | Domestic breeds can be kept without permits or conditions (DPIRD); council limits may apply | Council rules |
| Tasmania | Not verified: check with the state and your council | Council rules |
| Northern Territory | Not verified: check with the NT Government and your council | Council rules |
| ACT | Not verified here: see the state-by-state rules article | State rules |
Checked 7 October 2026. We could not verify Victoria, Tasmania, the NT or the ACT, so check with your state department and council. See our state-by-state livestock rules.
Councils may also limit animals on your block, so find yours with My Council in One Place. Planning rules for commercial rabbit farms (for example, 150 breeding does in a dry system in NSW) do not apply to a backyard.
Disease: calicivirus (RHDV2) and myxomatosis
Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (calicivirus) has two strains in Australia: RHDV1, released as biocontrol in 1996, and RHDV2, detected in 2015. Two vaccines are used. Cylap protects against RHDV1 only, and Filavac VHD K C+V, approved in May 2022, covers RHDV1 and RHDV2. Vets typically give the first Filavac dose at about 10 weeks and then yearly, and RSPCA advises vaccinating every 6–12 months. There is no myxomatosis vaccine in Australia, so the only protection is insect-proof housing (mosquitoes and fleas spread it). Ask a vet about vaccination before you buy breeding stock.
Housing and heat
Keep rabbits in a predator-proof hutch or pen with a solid, easily cleaned floor, shade, insect screens and good ventilation. Space figures vary a lot. The Victorian code of practice for intensive husbandry sets minimums such as 0.56 m² for a doe with a litter to five weeks, and conventional cages give 700 cm² per young rabbit, but RSPCA considers these too small and prefers group pens. Our Rabbit Hutch Planner uses about 1 m² of hutch and 1 m² of run per adult, and our older meat rabbit guide quotes 0.5–0.7 m² per rabbit, so use the larger figure.
Heat is the main danger. The optimum temperature is 15–25°C. Rabbits start to suffer above 30°C, and above 35°C they cannot regulate their temperature and can die of heatstroke. RSPCA cooling advice: shade, frozen bottles, fans, and water changed twice a day. Does need long days (about 15 hours of light), and bucks no more than 8 hours.
Breeding, growth and production
One small Australian producer reports first joining at about 16 weeks, a 29-day pregnancy, weaning at four weeks, slaughter at 10–11 weeks at about 2.8 kg live, and one buck for every 8–10 does. NSW DPI’s older Primefact (2006) puts slaughter at about 3 kg at 12–14 weeks with dressing of 50–54%, which gives about 1.4–1.6 kg of meat, and says 20–40 rabbits marketed per doe per year is realistic. Our guide’s 8–12 weeks and 1–1.5 kg dressed is on the optimistic side for a backyard. Does eat roughly 300 g a day, and growers eat 8–10 kg from weaning to 12 weeks. Summer water needs rise by about 50%.
Feed and water
Feed pellets with unlimited hay and fresh greens, with clean water always available (change it twice a day in hot weather). Use the Livestock Feed & Hay Budgeter to plan quantities, and check the feed price you assume in the Backyard Rabbit Cost & Payback Calculator, which uses a feed conversion ratio of about 3–3.5 to 1 and a butcher price of about $35/kg that we could not source.
Processing and selling
Humane handling and hygiene matter. The Australian standard AS 4466 for hygienic production of rabbit meat applies to registered establishments, and selling rabbit meat generally requires an approved abattoir. We could not find a clear home-use exemption in any state, so check with your state food regulator before you sell or even give meat away. Our home slaughter guide covers the process and regulations, and processing a chicken covers the same hygiene principles. Meat keeps a few days in the fridge and freezes well.
How meat rabbits change with your climate zone
Set your zone to see what applies to you.
Tropical
Heat above 30°C is routine, and mosquitoes spread myxomatosis. Where rabbits are legal (not Queensland), use shaded, ventilated, insect-proof housing.
Subtropical
Rabbits are legal in northern NSW but not in Queensland. Heat, humidity, flies and mosquitoes call for insect screens and vaccination.
Warm Temperate
An easy zone: summer heat spikes need frozen bottles and shade.
Mediterranean
Hot dry summers and 40°C days can be lethal: shade, cooling and water. Check the SA pen rules.
Cool Temperate
The best fit: the temperature range is ideal. Keep hutches dry and draught-proof, and warm nest boxes for winter litters.
Arid
Heat is the limit. Avoid unless you can cool them: shaded sheds, evaporative cooling and plenty of water.
Not sure of your zone? Use Find My Climate Zone.
Watch and learn
Video transcript
Intro: Holly's Homestead.
Title card: Meat Rabbits — difficulty: Easy.
Quick reference: Space: 0.5–0.7m² hutch per rabbit, larger for breeding does; Diet: Rabbit pellets + hay + fresh greens; Water: Fresh daily via bottle or bowl; Temperament: Generally calm, individual housing preferred; Lifespan: 8–12 years if kept beyond meat age.
Housing & setup: Shelter: Predator-proof hutch, raised off the ground with a solid nest box for breeding does.
Daily care: Feed a consistent ration of pellets, hay, and fresh greens.
Health & problems: Respiratory infection (snuffles) — from damp, poorly ventilated housing; keep hutches dry and airy.
Production & harvest: Processing age: 8–12 weeks for standard meat breeds.
Outro: free printable A4 guide at hollyshomestead.com.au.
Every guide, tool and rule page for meat rabbits
Everything on this site that applies to meat rabbits, in one place.
Animal guides
How-to guides
Rules and costs
- Backyard livestock rules by state
- Best states for backyard livestock
- Council permits and livestock fees
- Queensland council livestock rules
- NSW council livestock rules
- Victoria council livestock rules
- South Australia council livestock rules
- Western Australia council livestock rules
- Tasmania council livestock rules
- NT council livestock rules
Related reading
Words worth knowing
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it legal to keep rabbits for meat in Australia?
It depends on the state. Queensland prohibits keeping rabbits and we found no meat exemption. NSW and WA allow domestic rabbits, SA requires escape-proof housing, and we could not verify Victoria, Tasmania, the NT or the ACT.
Do I need to vaccinate meat rabbits?
Vaccination against calicivirus (RHDV1 and RHDV2) is advised: Filavac covers both strains, with a first dose at about 10 weeks and yearly boosters, while RSPCA advises every 6–12 months. There is no myxomatosis vaccine in Australia, so use insect-proof housing.
How hot is too hot for rabbits?
The optimum is 15–25°C, rabbits suffer above 30°C, and above 35°C they cannot regulate their temperature and can die of heatstroke.
How fast do meat rabbits grow?
About 2.8 kg live at 10–11 weeks in one small producer’s experience, or about 3 kg at 12–14 weeks in NSW DPI’s Primefact, dressing out at 50–54%.
Can I sell rabbit meat?
Generally only through an approved abattoir. We could not find a clear home-use exemption, so check with your state food regulator.
How many does per buck?
About one buck for every 8–10 does.
Sources: Business Queensland: rabbits · SA: keeping pet rabbits · WA DPIRD: European rabbit · NSW DPIRD: rabbit farming planning · RSPCA: rabbit calicivirus · SASH: rabbit vaccinations · RSPCA: rabbits and heat stress · Farmstyle: farming meat rabbits · NSW DPI Primefact 104 (2006) · Victorian rabbit code of practice