Without considering the specialization of each particular breed of rabbits, its resistance to disease , one can not count on success in breeding these cute and useful animals. When planning the forthcoming purchase of furry pets, be sure to take into account the conditions of keeping, feeding, tasks and needs.
The best breed of rabbits
A lot of interesting and valuable breeds of rabbits, cardinally different in many respects from wild relatives, have been deduced. You can easily choose to breed a large animal for meat or to purchase a decorative tiny animal as a pet. In the question of which breed of rabbits to choose, we take into account the size of the animals, the length of the hairline, the color, the yield of meat and skins.
Rabbits of meat breeds
On small household plots, owners are more often concerned about getting food for the home table. If you are interested in the fatness of pets, the ability to gain weight in a short time, then it is desirable to pay attention to the best rabbit meat breeds:
- The California rabbit. This breed for more than a century does not lose popularity and is distinguished by excellent data. The average weight is about 4.5 kg, the skeleton of the rodents is thin, but strong, the neck is short, the eyes are light pink or red. The main color is white, but on the ears and legs with a tail, the fur is brown or black.
- White giants. Often, animals grow to an impressive 8 kg, the average weight of furry pets in the range 5.5-6 kg. Their head is comparatively small, the skeleton is powerful, the shape of the trunk is elongated (up to 60 cm).
- New Zealand white rabbits. These animals are valued by farmers for their early ripeness, for 3 months they gain up to 3.4 kg, and by 5 months they grow with a balanced diet of up to 4.2 kg. A distinctive feature of New Zealanders is a low-set head, thick to 10 cm long ears and a short neck.
Genus breeds of rabbits
Fur pelts of skins have fur, in which chic and gentle downy hair make up to 96% of the volume. The second group - selfish animals, which are bred for the sake of beautiful fur on hats, collars or fur coats. The following promising fur breeds of rabbits can be distinguished:
- Angora down. Angora females give in the season up to 1.5 kg of valuable fluff. Adult individuals have a mass of 3-4 kg, young at the age of 6 months weighs 2 kg.
- Poltava silver. Unobtrusive animals, able to withstand the cold. The breed is famous for silky, thick and lush fur with a spectacular silvery tinge. The weight of individuals reaches 5-6.6 kg, so in addition to quality skins, the owners receive a solid amount of meat on the family table.
- Rex. A distinctive feature of the breed - a unique short (no more than 20 mm) fur, reminiscent of velor, capable of imitating the skins of valuable species. They grow slowly, by the half-year the rabbits are gaining 2.8 kg, by 8 months - 3.5 kg.
Species of ornamental rabbits
The breed of decorative dwarf rabbits began to breed massively. They are interested in people who want to buy a small pet with a nice appearance. The following decorative rabbits are popular:
- Short-haired dwarf rabbit. Outwardly, pets resemble wild, but significantly reduced in size brothers with a weight of up to 1 kg. Ears they have 5 cm, the head - up to 5,5 cm. Colors - gray, chinchillas, brown, snow-white with specks.
- Dutch dwarf rabbits. The animals grow to 1.5 kg. Distinct little Dutch with plump cheeks, flattened face. There are the following types of fur color - point, monophonic, agouti, tan, and others.
- Angora dwarf rabbits. These fluffy fur pellets terribly like children's funny look. They weigh 2.5-3 kg, the length of the tender nap - about 5 cm. The eyes of the angora are blue or red. It must be remembered that the delicate fur of the fur-bearing rabbit requires special care.
Rabbits of the sheep breed
Miniature rabbits breed the ram's description really resemble a tiny hornless lamb. They have a massive head with an outstanding forehead and amusing tight-fitting ears, a sturdy figure. There are several breeds of original rabbits:
- Dutch Sheep. With a weight of not more than 1.8 kg, it is considered a decorative lop-eared rabbit. The ratio of the length of the body to the size of the head is 1: 3, hanging ears up to 2.5 cm long. Glossy fur 2.5 cm long originally had a tortoiseshell color, but now there are up to 8 groups of colors.
- French sheep . Individuals grow large, in comparison with the Dutch look like giants, reach a weight of 4-8 kg. A common color is variegated.
- English sheep. The first lop-eared breed of rabbits is distinguished by unique ears 70 cm long and 20 cm wide. Their fur is thick and short, friendly, with a weight of rams reaching 5 kg. Lack of breed - the ears are vulnerable to disease.
The largest breed of rabbits in the world
The breeding of the largest rabbits in the world, the breeds of giants capable of eclipsing their relatives in size and weight, always interests breeders. There are several eared candidates to get into the Guinness Book from our funny family:
- The Belgian giants. These handsome men grow 75 cm long and have giant ears up to 18 cm. The body weight of Belgians reaches an impressive 10 kg, for their breeding requires dimensional cells.
- Giant Angora. At a weight of 5.5-7 kg, they have a chic fur of the highest quality and look like huge fluffy balls. Care for them is special, you need to regularly cut and comb the hair.
- Gray giants. They are close relatives of flanders. At a weight of up to 7 kg, 66 cm in length, a broad chest with a circumference of 39 cm.
The most unpretentious breed of rabbits
It is desirable for beginners to acquire disease-resistant rodents that do not require special nutrition and special cells. Excellent data are famous for Californians, gray giants, Viennese blue, Poltava silver and the following unpretentious breeds of rabbits:
- Soviet chinchilla. They got it when crossing the local livestock with white giants, this breed is well tolerated by the cold climate. In weight, adult chinchillas reach 5-7 kg, and three-month-olds have a mass of 2.7 kg.
- Riesen. Germans grow 6-12 kg, they have juicy and tasty meat. They are not capricious, have a good temper. Lack of breed - rabbits grow for a long time and require spacious cells.
- New Zealand red rabbits. These are strong rodents with excellent immunity, able to adapt to an unusual habitat relatively easily. Their fur is bright red, has high wear resistance. Weight of individuals is 5 kg.
Unusual breeds of rabbits
Breeders sometimes manage to remove animals with lion's mane, unusual color, bald rabbits, rocks with the most mysterious exterior. In the above list there are interesting characters who are able to please exotic connoisseurs:
- Lion-headed rabbit. Distinctive feature of animals - an unusual fluffy fur around the head, resembling a lion's mane. Adults do not exceed 1.7 kg, the breed will like the fans of decorative pets.
- Black-and-fiery rabbits. Comparatively small breed, weight of individuals 2.5-2.8 kg. A distinctive feature is the predominance of red-orange accents in color.
- Dwarf hawhot. Animals of small size, a breed of decorative direction, the weight of pets do not exceed 1.36 kg. They are easily recognizable by the spectacular dark outline around the black eyes.
New breeds of rabbits
Constantly derived decorative species and new breeds of meat rabbits, causing admiration of external data. In the presented short list there are several unusual specimens that can cause interest, both for farmers and exotic connoisseurs:
- Zemplinsky pastel. The main advantage of the breed is the yield of tender meat 65%. This broiler rabbit, in 3 months, gaining 3 kg without difficulty, and in adulthood - 5.5 kg.
- Corduroy Sheep. Rabbits fold with velvety fur coat, reminiscent of the touch of rex fur. Corduroy sheep grow up to 3 kg and are considered a promising breed of decorative purpose.
- Reza. The breed is of Indonesian origin, distinguished by a proportional body and glossy plush fur, as if shining in the light. Weight of individuals is 4.5 kg, common color is blue, smoky, chocolate.