| The Netherland Dwarf Rabbit | |
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| Topic Started: Feb 24 2011, 01:21 AM (364 Views) | |
| Flopsy | Feb 24 2011, 01:21 AM Post #1 |
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The Netherland Dwarf rabbit is a popular breed, originating, as the name suggests, from the Netherlands. They are thought to be descended from Polish breeds crossed with small wild rabbits, and were recognized as a breed in the United States in 1969. They are now one of the most popular show rabbits in the States, and also enjoy popularity in Europe. The appearance of the Dwarf rabbit is a small rabbit with a round head, preferably as wide as it is long. The eyes are large and round, and the ears are generally no longer than 5 cms and are carried high on the head. The body of the dwarf is short and cobby in appearance. Even as adults, they retain the look of a baby rabbit, which adds to their appeal. They come in a wide variety of colors; twenty four separate colors are currently recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association, including chocolate, fawn, steel, otter, lynx and silver marten. The dwarf rabbit is generally friendly, especially is they are used to being handled regularly, but do have a reputation for being shy and sometimes wild. This is due to the fact that breeders used to select wild rabbits for their small size. However, through generations of breeding, these traits have largely disappeared although it is a good idea to purchase your dwarf rabbit from a reputable breeder. Sometimes larger rabbits are bred with Netherland Dwarf rabbits, producing ‘dwarf breeds’. Dwarf breeds tend to be larger than the pure bred Netherland Dwarf, but may retain the characteristics such as the shortened faces and smaller ears. They are generally sold as pets. Dwarfs have a very sensitive digestive system, so must receive an appropriate diet. It is also important not to overfeed them as due to their small size they do not need a lot of food. The dwarf rabbit generally lives for 7- 10 years. Does are ready for breeding when they are 5- 6 months old and should have their first litter before 12 months of age. This is because the pelvic bones fuse after this, meaning that the doe could not give birth naturally. Dwarf does should not be bred after the age of 3 years. There tend to be two types of Netherland Dwarf Rabbit- ‘true’ dwarfs, which retain all the traditional dwarf features, and ‘false’ dwarfs, which tend to be larger and have longer ears. The ‘true’ dwarf is more likely to be used as a show animal, whereas the ‘false’ dwarf is used for mating or as a pet. If two ‘true’ dwarfs are mated, there is the chance that at least one of the litter will inherit the double dwarf genes, and will be what is known as a ‘peanut’. These ‘peanuts’ are much smaller than usual babies and are characterized by pinched hind quarters, listlessness and a more bulbous head. It is thought that they are born with underdeveloped digestive tracts, and they will always die before they are 3 weeks old. Many breeders euthanize them soon after birth. On the whole, the dwarf rabbit makes a friendly, robust and attractive pet. |
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