4 Giant Breeds of Rabbit

Several years ago, I saw a woman walking her pet through a park. From a distance, the animal looked like a plump, medium-sized dog; its haunches were higher than her knees. As I got closer, I saw that the animal wasn't a dog at all, but an extremely large rabbit. According to his owner, this gigantic bunny weighed in at nearly twenty pounds-- nearly five times the size of an average rabbit.

There are several giant breeds of rabbit available as show-rabbits, pets and livestock. Here are a few of the most popular giant rabbit breeds.

Flemish Giant

One of the oldest and most remarkable breeds of rabbit, the Flemish giant is a true Goliath among bunnies. Flemish giant rabbits were originally bred in Belgium for their meat and fur. In its ancestry are the Steenkonijn, or "stone rabbit" breed and the now-extinct European "patagonian" breed. Flemish giants are very friendly and docile and will tolerate a large amount of handling. They are known for their dense, glossy fur and broad, muscular builds.

Checkered Giant

Known as the giant papillon in Europe, the checkered giant rabbit breed is only slightly smaller than the Flemish giant. Checkerd giants usually weigh about 12 pounds and exhibit a distinctive coat-pattern that can be either "blue" (cool gray) or black. American checkered giants differ slightly from their European cousins, but the breed standard is the same for both. Checkered giants do not provide quality meat; they are bred almost exclusively as show rabbits and pets.

French Lop

Produced by breeding the Flemish giant with the English lop, French lops are one of the most undeniably hug-able giant breeds of rabbit. These stout bunnies weigh in at about ten pounds and have long, floppy ears that hang by the side of their heads. Its coat is dense and soft. Breeders and showers accept two varieties of the French lop-- solid and broken. These house-bunnies have very relaxed temperaments can can learn to get along with children, cats, and even dogs.

Giant Chinchilla

Giant chinchilla rabbits weigh 12-16 pounds and result in a cross between Flemish giants and the chincilla rabbit breed. Giant chinchilla rabbits are sold primarily as meat rabbits, but they can also be excellent pets if kept properly. Its name refers to the similarity between the breed's fur and that of a chinchilla. The giant chinchilla is extremely dense; it carries strong muscles and thick, stocky bones.

If you are interested in owning a giant breed of rabbit, make sure that you have the proper accommodations to humanely house them. A giant breed of rabbit can not live in a "normal" rabbit cage; they require plenty of open space to roam freely. Consult a professional breeder for more help choosing a rabbit breed.

Guide to Netherland Dwarf Rabbit Care

As a rabbit guardian and small-scale breeder, I have a fondness for the Netherland dwarf rabbit breed. As one of the world's smallest breeds, the Netherland dwarf is popular because of its compact size and its adorably baby-like face. If you are interested in owning a Netherland dwarf rabbit, consider these facts about Netherland dwarf rabbit care.

Upfront Cost

Rabbits are only slghtly less expensive than "real" pets like cats and dogs. Expect to spend about $30 for your Netherland dwarf rabbit, $100 for a cage, $35 for a carrier, $100 for spaying/neutering and $25 for a litter box.

Long-Term Cost

Rabbit food costs about $400 annually for a single Netherland dwarf rabbit. You'll also need to pat about $100 per year for veterinary care and $400 per year for bedding and litter.

Housing

Netherland dwarves can thrive in smaller cages than larger breeds, but your bunny still needs the opportunity to roam freely on occasion. Your rabbit's cage is a nest or bedroom, not a full-time living space. The minimum cage size for an adult Netherland dwarf rabbit is four feet long, two feet wide, and two feet tall.

Feeding

Netherland dwarf rabbits should have an unlimited supply of timothy hay at all times; it is the primary source of nutrition for bunnies of all ages. Give 1/8 to 1/4 cup of pellet feed to your rabbit each day, as well. Fresh vegetables and fruits are an excellent and nutritious treat, but they are not appropriate as a main source of food.

Litter

Netherland dwarf rabbits naturally feel an urge to keep their cages clean. Your rabbit should have a litterbox in his cage filled with paper pellets, aspen shavings, timothy hay, shredded newspaper or recycled paper bedding material. Change this litter entirely every other day to keep his living space clean and fresh.

Netherland Dwarf Rabbit Breed Information

The Netherland dwarf is one of the most popular breeds of domestic rabbit. As the name implies, this tiny breed originates in the Netherlands and is significantly smaller than most other rabbit breeds. In general, a true Netherland dwarf will weigh between 1 and 3.5 pounds, making it roughly half the size of an average domestic rabbit. The breed's small stature makes it an ideal pet; it can live comfortably in relatively confined spaces.

Netherland dwarf rabbbits have plush, silky fur coats and adorably baby-like appearances. Their ears are small and erect, and their faces have a round, shortened face. Additionally, Netherland dwarf rabbits have large eyes compared to other breeds, giving them facial expressions similar to young kits. These adorably babyish features often cause people to mistake adult Netherland dwarf rabbits for young kits of other breeds.

The American Rabbit Breeder's Association, or ARBA, allows many different colors and patterns in show-quality, purebred Netherland dwarf rabbits. Allowed colors include black, blue, chocolate, lilac, smoke pearl, tortoiseshell, sable point, Himalayan, chestnut, Siamese sable, opal, lynx, steel, fawn, orange, broken, chinchilla, otter, squirrel, tan, silver marten, sable marten, smoke pearl marten, blue-eyed white and ruby-eyed white.

Netherland dwarf rabbits are sometimes more neurotic or aggressive than other breeds. They may have a tendency to love-bite, dig or chew more than other breeds. Many, however, are extremely docile. By nature, the Netherland dwarf is curious, bright, and social. It will bond strongly with its human guardians and will intentionally seek human interaction. Their sociability and manageable size make them good choices for homes with children.

Netherland dwarf rabbits have the same basic behavioral traits as dogs or cats. They can be litter-trained, but success varies amongst trainers of any breed.

The Netherland dwarf is the ancestor of most dwarf and "mini" rabbit breeds. The Holland lop, mini-rex and Jersey wooly are all ARBA-approved breeds derived from the Netherland dwarf. In general, these dwarf breeds run slightly larger than Netherland dwarf rabbits, and retain the temperaments and coat types of their other parent breeds.

Netherland dwarf rabbits are difficult to breed. Conception is a challenge, and kit mortality is high. When two "true dwarf" rabbits-- purebred Netherland dwarfs weighing less than 2.5 pounds-- are bred, approximately 25% of the kits will inherit the "peanut" trait, which causes extreme dwarfism. The peanut trait is 100% fatal. For this reason, many breeders will mate true dwarf rabbits with slightly larger "false dwarf" rabbits, to prevent this fatal defect.

Black and White Rabbit Breeds

I breed Netherland dwarf and mini-rex rabbits, so many friends and relatives view me as the go-to girl for questions about bunnies. Surprisingly, few of these questions have to do with rabbit care or the breeds I raise. In fact, the most common question I hear is, "What do you call that black-and-white kind of rabbit?"

I never know exactly what that black-and-white rabbit breed is, because there are several breeds with black-and-white markings. Without seeing the bunny in person or hearing a detailed description, I have no way of identifying its breed. Here are some of the most common breeds of rabbit known for their black-and-white patterns.

Dutch

I believe that this is the breed that most people are visualizing when they talk about "that black-and-white rabbit." Dutch rabbits are known for their beautiful, unique markings, which have been compared to oreo cookies. A dutch rabbit has a wedge of white in the middle of its face, known as the "blaze." The area from its neck to its middle. including the feet, is also white. Additional white markings appear on the rear feet. Most pet dutch rabbits are black and white, but other colors-- blue, chocolate, gray, steel and tortoise-- are also accepted in conjunction with white.

English Spot

An English spot rabbit is another breed noted for its characteristic pattern, which is often black and white. English spot rabbits are primarily white, with a "butterfly" marking on their noses, cheek spots, circles around their eyes, pigmented ears, "herringbone" pattern along the spine, and a chain of spots along the haunches. English spots are an English breed, ranging from 5 to 8 pounds on average. Although most are black and white, others are white with blue, chocolate, gray, gold, lilac or tortoise coloration.

Checkered Giant

A close relative of the English spot, the checkered giant is nearly identical in pattern, but much larger. Checkered giants routinely top ten to twelve towns. Its markings are very similar to the English spot, but generally bolder and broader. Checkered giants are almost always black, but a few checkered giants have blue spots instead of black. These hefty "dalmations" among rabbits are popular as pets.

Himalayan

Like Siamese cats, Himalayan rabbits have a gene that causes pigment to deposit only in the coolest areas of the body. The Himalayan breed is solid white with dark points on the nose, ears, tail, and feet. It is born white, but gets spots as it ages and matures. The original Himalayan rabbit breed was only black and white, but Himalayan rabbits with blue, chocolate and lilac points are now also accepted. When a person describes a black-and-white rabbit breed by comparing it to a Siamese cat, I always know that the person is thinking of a Himalayan.

Blanc de Hotot 
The Blanc de Hotot is a relatively new breed with only black and white markings. Its entire body is white, except for a ring of black "eyeliner" around its eye. These beautiful bunnies are continuing to be developed into newer forms and colors, and ARBA now recognizes the dwarf hotot as a miniature variety of the blanc de hotot. This one is so new, and relatively rare, that most people do not think of it when they envision black and white rabbits. Over time, as the breed gains popularity, this may change.

Breeding REW Mini-Rex Rabbits

After caring for a rex rabbit for several months, I developed a love and fascination for the breed. I learned that a local pet store was seeking breeders for red-eyed white, or REW, rabbits. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to enter the fascinating world of rabbit breeding. Like any form of breeding, rabbit breeding is both a science and an art. It involves close, direct interaction with living, breathing animals-- and it requires a degree of research, space, financial investment and emotional attachment.

I consulted an experienced breeder at length before breeding mini-rex rabbits, and I purchased three pedigreed, red-eyed white mini-rex bunnies to begin my journey. Here are some expert tips from the experienced rabbit breeder about choosing a breeding pair of REW mini-rex rabbits.

If you want to breed red-eyed white, or albino, rabbits, you need to start by choosing two to three pedigreed rabbits. Most breeders recommend that you buy two red-eyed white does and one unrelated buck. Check the rabbits' pedigrees; make sure that they have only REW mini-rex rabbits in their ancestry for the past three generations.

Although experienced breeders can cross REW mini-rex rabbits with other colors, this is not recommended for first-timers. Two REW parents will always have albino kits. If you cross parents of different colors, your kits may turn out with unpredictable and undesirable patterns.

Select parents who are young-- preferably about 9 weeks old. This is the perfect age to begin bonding with a rabbit who you will have for a long time, but the kit is at this point old enough to leave his mother and siblings without complication. Note that it will be a few more months before the breeding pair will be old enough to mate.

Understand that you are adopting a pet, not just a "breeder." Your first breeding pair is likely to stay with you for several years. Choose rabbits who are loving, affectionate, human-friendly and not prone to aggressive behavior. They should be healthy and vivacious, not sulky or unfriendly.

Choose a breeding pair that exemplifies the traits associated with the breed. Mini-rex rabbits should be small and compact, with a plush, velvet-like fur coat. A REW or albino rabbit should have no pigment on its fur; its eyes should be pink to deep red in color. A show-quality mini-rx has has a square body of equal height, length and shoulder width.

Look at a parents of your soon-to-be breeding pair. The parents should have both weighed less than 4.5 pounds as adults, and they should also exemplify the breed standard. Neither of the parents should have a history of destructive, anxious or neurotic behavior. Make sure that the mother was a "good" rabbit mom; bad parenting behavior can be inherited in rabbits.

After selecting your first breeding pair of REW mini-rex rabbits, it's time to take your new pets home. Be sure that you have the proper time, space and money necessary to accommodate the pair. When all of the ideal conditions are met, it's time to start breeding them.