Breeds of decorative rabbits
All breeds of decorative rabbits are good in their own way. Taking a long-eared friend home is a great alternative to your usual dogs and cats.
Breeds of decorative rabbits
Rabbits began to get along with their owners under one roof not so long ago, but this time was enough for them to win sympathy. Quite cute, almost harmless, quiet and clean animal - ideal for any person.
Rabbits are not alike, from character to color. When buying, many people miss one caveat: you need to choose the right individual, it is for this that you need to study the breeds of decorative rabbits.
Varieties of breeds
Rabbits are called decorative rabbits that are not used for meat or fur. We are talking about such breeds of rabbits as Californian, Dutch and Flanders. Decorative pets include dwarf and miniature pets. Dwarf rabbits differ from the rest only in short legs. This reduces them visually.
A miniature species of rabbits was bred specifically as pets. This includes all eared, whose weight does not exceed 3 kg. Their purpose is to touch people. Also, many breeds are bred specifically for competition.
In addition to being attractive, rabbits are intelligent. In the West, they come up with various kinds of competitions for each rabbit to prove itself. Of course, the owners take a lot of time and effort to prepare and train, but they are happy about it. In addition, such exercises allow furry ones to keep themselves in shape.
Types of decorative rabbits
There are types of decorative rabbits. On the exterior, they are divided into:
- smooth-haired;
- long-haired;
- lionheads.
The origin of this type of lion-headed rabbit remains a mystery. Either they were bred by crossing the other two, or there were leprosy of nature.
Also, decorative animals can be divided according to one more feature - ears. They are:
- standing;
- hanging;
- long;
- short.
In Russia, lop-eared rabbits are called rams. The muzzle of such babies is shorter, and the bridge of the nose is convex, which together resembles the head of a sheep. Before purchasing, you need to familiarize yourself with the breeds of decorative rabbits from the photo. These types of decorative rabbits are in demand all over the world.
Large breeds are often bred for a fur coat or fleshy carcass. Only times are changing, and some rabbits are already uncomfortable to grow in cages on farms. The English Fold animal fits this description. Now he is listed in the ranks of the decorative.
English fold breed
English Fold has French roots. And even if the rams are smaller than their predecessors, their weight is considered the norm for meat production - 4.5 kg. However, the British still have advantages over the French. The long and wide ears are 70 x 16 cm respectively. This feature has translated the English Fold into the category of home.
Many people are happy to take care of such a pet: they clean and pin their ears so that they do not interfere. This appearance gives the pet languor and wisdom. The color of the English ram can be absolutely any: gray, white, red, speckled, tricolor. Before buying, you need to study and carefully look at the English breed of decorative rabbits in the photo.
Dutch
Color is the calling card of the breed. One side is always white, and the other is dark: gray, black, blue, brown. If the rabbit is lucky with a rare tricolor color, it is worth considering that everything should be proportional: red cheek - black ear and vice versa, black cheek - red ear.
More like a chess or combat design. Once upon a time this breed was also industrial, but since there were much fatter rabbits and the demand for expensive furs increased, the Dutch were christened decorative. Until now, a Dutchman is considered decorative if he does not cross the 3 kg mark. This breed gets along well with the trainer, amenable to training. Rabbits are athletic, with a docile temperament.
Florida White
A small animal, weighing only 2-3 kg, people fell in love with its calm temperament, snow-white fur and exquisite meat. This breed is used to test the quality of cosmetics, medicines and other products. Albinos are very gentle and weak animals, like everyone else, allergy sufferers. You also need to remember about special nutrition: the rabbit will have to live without treats.
Havanese
The rabbit got this name due to its color. It was originally dark brown like a Havana cigar. The unusual velvet shade of the coat quickly made the rabbit famous. Many breeders to this day believe that this is the best breed for its color. A little later, three new colors were introduced: now thoroughbred rabbits received black, blue and dalmatian fur coloration. Due to this color, pets were sometimes given the nickname Ferber, which in Russian means "dyer".
The weight of the breed is 3.5 kg. The animal is very friendly and full of energy. Calm owners are not at all suitable for this frisky creature. The kid loves to be in the spotlight and energizes everyone around him.
Miniature rabbits
Miniature pets delight in their size. The crumbs consider themselves powerful animals. The aggression level of small breeds is higher compared to large ones. They are vindictive and able to bite. But many do not attach any importance to this when choosing a pet, because pussies will really conquer any heart. These crumbs include Hermelin, Shorthaired Dwarf and Dutch Fold.
Hermelin
Rabbit Germelin can reach 1.5 kg in weight, but its standard weight is 1 kg, or even less. The bunny has short sharp ears (up to 5 cm) and a small muzzle. But these are not all of its highlights. He has a disgusting character. No one can imagine what is going on in this furry's head. Most animals have blue eyes.
This breed is not very popular in Russia. Probably, the animal's fur is too dense for such a climate. Pet care should be responsible, as small animals are more demanding of themselves.
Short-haired dwarf (colored dwarf)
This kid looks like Hermelin. The requirements of the standard are similar for breeds. The only difference is in the variability of colors. There are about 60 variants, however, in this breed, preference is given to white. Animals have a black border around their eyes. Their ears outline the cap. It is known that by temperament the dwarfs are much more loyal to the Germelin, however, during the mating season and puberty, the colored dwarf also loses its temper. You should also be careful with them, all the time you need to observe them with your eyes, since the pets are small and can seep into almost any place. In general, caring for such a breed is not difficult.
Dutch fold
The Dutch Fold is the smallest in the group of lop-eared toddlers.Its weight, according to the standard of the American Association of fans of decorative rabbits, ranges from 0.9 kg to 1.8 kg. The color can be monochromatic and mixed: two-color, multi-colored. Narrow and thin lugs are excluded by these standards. Only wide, thick ears hanging on the sides are worthy of decorating a rabbit's head.
The evidence of the "blue blood" of the dwarf breed is the presence of the dwarf gene. Otherwise, the rabbit is a fake dwarf, its weight will exceed the standard. This must be taken into account when combining a female and a male, then it is easier to cross a genuine dwarf with a fake one, otherwise the embryos of the rabbits will die in the womb, never being born. Care is supposed to be the same as for other varieties of rabbits.
Lionhead
Whether a mutation created it, or some other force of nature, has not been proven by scientists. It can be assumed that the Lionhead Rabbit is a descendant of the king of beasts, but this is an unfounded legend. It is safe to say that the presence of a mane gave rise to the dominant gene M. With a heterozygous set of M / M, dense vegetation will not be found anywhere in the hare, except for the neck zone. If you consider the M / M set, you will notice that the mane is more luxuriant and the hair on the sides is present. This set does not allow you to see the poor man's face and limbs.
The color of the lion can be very diverse. The white color of the fur looks very nice. Average weight 1.4 kg, maximum - 1.7 kg. Caring for this breed is quite difficult, especially for the mane. During the shedding period, the fallen wool can become entangled in tangles. It needs to be combed out several times a day. It is also important to make sure that the rabbit does not eat its fallen hair. After all, then it gets entangled in the intestines and clogs the gastrointestinal tract. For prevention, you need to give malt paste.
Downy breeds
Angora, so this breed is also called. Even though only one breed was exported from Turkey, which got to France, it was only in the 19th century that the Angora began to wander around the Earth. The standard was created for a very long time and carefully - the breed has changed a lot by our days. Coat length, weight, appearance - everything has passed the test of time. And as they say, times change and we change with them. At the moment, the weight of angora according to the standard reaches from 2 to 6 kg. The composition of Angora wool includes fluff interspersed with protective guard hair. Just like the Angora goat. The Chinese will wipe anybody's nose in the rabbit hair category, and that's a plus.
Breeding pets with similar fur is their pride. It is not easy to remove fluff from the body of an Angora. You can wait for the molting period, but it happens only 2 times a year. But cutting it off is much easier and more profitable: you can collect fluff for a whole year. The trimmed Angora rabbit resembles a pocket dog with tassels for ears. This is quite an entertaining sight for the owner and a dump of ballast for the pet.
In domestic downy rabbits, the most common color is white, but there are other fur colors as well. Angora needs anxious care. Frequent cleaning of the cage, hairdressing, fun games are all quite troublesome. But if you decide to take this particular breed - do not hesitate. The animal is quite cheerful and playful. When an Angorean goes out for a walk, it is better to remove all precious fragile objects away.
Advice! When buying a rabbit, monitor your baby's behavior. Calmness and indifference, when taken in your arms, can mean poor health or illness. Ask the breeder to share photos with the names of the pets with you. If the breeder works officially and has experience, then he will certainly share with you photos of the mother of the rabbit, tell you at what age she gave birth to him, and also share any interesting information from the life of the pet you want to buy.
Useful Tips
There are so many breeds of decorative rabbits with names that you can see in detail in a photo or video.Whichever breed you prefer, remember, the animal needs attention, you need to study and train it. Before choosing a pet for home maintenance or for breeding, you need to approach this issue responsibly. Before buying, go to the forum of lovers of rabbits of various breeds and chat about this topic. Many people share their experiences and feedback on different breeds of miniature or fur rabbits.
If you give your pet the proper attention and care, you can raise happy and healthy animals. And don't forget to keep an eye on what your pet picks up. The intestines are their weak point. Many cases of poisoning, indigestion, infection with worms, etc. ended lethally. Approach this issue responsibly and understand the development of the rabbit in more detail. If you follow the simple rules of care, rabbits are not difficult to keep, regardless of their breed. Many farmers prefer to practice outdoors, but for dwarf and overly demanding varieties, this will not work. On the street, rabbits can be released, but only in the summer.