Rabbit breeds: 50 species and descriptions of the best, how to choose for breeding

The history of rabbit breeding goes back many millennia. Already 2 thousand years ago in the Roman Empire they knew how to breed domestic rabbits and knew several varieties, and they were domesticated long before that. Over the past centuries, numerous breeds of domestic rabbits of various kinds have appeared. Existing varieties allow you to get valuable meat, high-quality fur, fluff, suitable for the manufacture of expensive materials.

Varieties of rabbit breeds

For all the time of selection, numerous varieties of domestic rabbits have been bred for different purposes.

The following classification is used:

1. By direction of use:

• combined, or meat-skin;
• downy;
• decorative.

2. By size:

• large;
• medium;
• small;
• dwarf.

3. By the length and quality of the fur:

• with normal coat length;
• long hair;
• short haired.

At the moment there are more than 800 breeds of rabbits of various directions, more than 200 of them have been bred recently. In the Russian Federation, the most popular are about 60 different breeds of different directions.

For commercial breeding, varieties are used that have certain advantages over other options. For example, for breeding for meat, those are selected that are able to increase their mass as quickly as possible, as well as those that are distinguished by precocity and fertility.

To obtain a high-quality skin, animals with thick, dense and wear-resistant fur, which have attractive colors or unusual patterns, such as spots or a rare combination of awn and down colors, are bred.

Down variants are bred for their valuable wool, which is distinguished by its special silkiness and length. Also, these rabbits are great for the role of pets, because they look cute and attractive. For 2 decades of the XXI century, pets have come into fashion. They are ornamental, highly favored by owners, and have a variety of appearances.

Decorative views

In most cases, dwarf rabbits are used at home. For their breeding, different breeds of rabbits were used, from which the most promising in terms of appearance and size were selected.

They were crossed with other animals to produce new varieties that were distinguished by unusual features, such as rare color variations, coat length and texture, miniature size, eye color, ear size and position.

Such creatures are adapted to life in apartments, they learn to go to the toilet in a special tray, like cats. Animals are easily tamed, become attached to their owners and become affectionate and docile pets with the following characteristics:

1. Body weight within 2 kilograms.
2. Shelts quarterly so constant brushing is required.
3. They are picky eaters, but need a balanced diet, attention and love.

This variety includes the following popular options:

1. Hermelin.
2. Minors.
3. Lionheads.
4. Hothot.
5. A mini lop that looks like a miniature ram with drooping ears.
6. Dwarf fox.
7. Castor Rex.

Downy breeds

These furry creatures are bred for their valuable down, which is used to create expensive felt and fabrics that rival Angora and Merino sheep. Such animals look attractive, so they are also decorative, intended for life in houses and apartments.

These cute fur balls may be from the following breeds:

1. Angora.
2. White downy.
3. Fox rabbits.

Meat rabbits

For growing for meat, a disease-resistant variety is selected that can gain weight as quickly as possible. These are productive, precocious animals, with a weight of 5-10 kilograms, a powerful physique, with excellent appetite. For a detailed description of the meat variations, see our rabbit breeding section.

The following breeds of meat rabbits are more common:

1. Burgundy.
2. New Zealand red and white.
3. California.
4. Sheep.
5. Flandre, or Belgian giant.
6. Hikol.
7. Rizen, or common agouti.

Most popular breeds

Despite the fact that hundreds of breeds of rabbits of various directions are bred, people more often choose a couple of dozen popular ones. Among them are progressive industrial breeds that can bring profit, as well as rare and expensive domestic varieties that are used as family pets.

Popular rabbit breeds include:

1. Grey giant.
2. White giant.
3. Ermine.
4. Butterfly.
5. Viennese blue.
6. Dwarf fox.
7. Rex.
8. Angora.
9. Hermelin.
10. American Polish rabbit.
11. New Zealand.
12. Flandre and other variations.

Meat-skin rabbits

These animals combine the best qualities of meat and skin breeds, which allows you to get a significant amount of dietary meat and a skin suitable for creating fur products.

The most common breeds of such rabbits are the following:

1. White and gray giant.
2. Soviet chinchilla.
3. Silver.
4. Viennese blue.
5. Black and brown rabbits.

Selection rules

It is impossible to unequivocally determine by appearance whether a rabbit belongs to a particular breed. According to some criteria, animals can belong to several breeds at once, for example, Angora animals are both downy, dwarf, and decorative at the same time.

There is still no unified catalog of the qualities and characteristics of rabbit breeds, therefore it is necessary to purchase animals for breeding only from trusted, professional breeders with a name. They value their reputation, so you can buy animals from them without fear. Rabbits must have accompanying papers, necessary vaccinations and confirmation of the purity of the pedigree.

The purchased rabbit must be:

1. Strong.
2. He althy.
3. Cheerful.
4. With clear eyes.
5. With a smooth, mat-free coat.
6. No highlights.

Sluggish, untidy, shy or aggressive, without appetite, animals cannot be acquired. If the animals are sick, they can become a source of infection for the entire livestock or other pets.

When choosing animals, you need to consider the purpose for which they are purchased, as well as where they will be kept, in what conditions.

What breeds are bred in Russia

There are dozens of breeds here, bred back in the days of the Soviet Union, as well as obtained by crossing with other varieties of rabbits from many countries of the world. More often in Russia the following breeds are bred:

1. White giant.
2. Grey giant.
3. Soviet and Russian chinchilla.
4. Russian ermine rabbit.
5. Soviet marder.
6. Squirrel.
7. White downy bunnies.
8. Butterfly.
9. Rex.
10. Sheep.
11. Viennese blue and other varieties of rabbits of the Soviet, Russian and foreign selection.

The work of scientists on breeding new and improving old breeds does not stop for a minute. Therefore, in the near future there will be dozens of more modern rabbits that are industrial and decorative varieties of these cute and useful animals.

They will be adapted to the changed conditions of existence and human needs. Particular attention is paid to the decorativeness of the animals, because every day they are more often acquired as docile and easy-to-keep family pets.

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