Descriptions of the 50 best rabbit breeds and how to determine them, 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 types have appeared. Existing varieties make it possible to obtain valuable meat, high-quality fur, and fluff suitable for the manufacture of expensive materials.

Varieties of rabbit breeds

Over the entire period of breeding, numerous varieties of domestic rabbits have been bred, intended for different purposes.

Classification is used according to the following criteria:

1. By direction of use:

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

2. By dimensions:

• large;
• average;
• small;
• dwarf.

3. By length and quality of fur:

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

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

For industrial breeding, varieties are used that have certain advantages over other options. For example, for breeding for meat, those that are able to gain weight as quickly as possible, as well as those that are distinguished by early maturity and fertility, are selected.

To obtain high-quality skins, animals were bred with thick, dense and wear-resistant fur, which has attractive colors or unusual patterns, for example, spots or a rare combination of colors of awn and down.

Down varieties are bred for their valuable wool, which is particularly silky and long. Also, such rabbits are great for being pets because they look cute and attractive. Over the 2 decades of the 21st century, indoor animals have become fashionable. They belong to the decorative varieties, are very loved by their owners and are distinguished by a variety of appearance.

Decorative types

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

Such creatures are adapted to living 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. Sheds quarterly, so constant brushing is required.
3. They are not picky about food, but need balanced feeding, attention and love.

This variety includes the following popular options:

1. Hermelin.
2. Minors.
3. Lionheads.
4. Hotot.
5. Minilop, which looks like a miniature ram with floppy 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 can compete with the wool of Angora goats and merino sheep. Such animals look attractive, so they are also decorative, intended for living in houses and apartments.

These cute furballs may be of the following breeds:

1. Angora.
2. White downy ones.
3. Arctic fox rabbits.

Meat rabbits

For growing for meat, a disease-resistant variety is selected that is capable of gaining weight as quickly as possible. These are productive, early maturing animals, weighing 5-10 kilograms, powerfully built, with an excellent appetite. You can read in detail about the description of meat variations in our section dedicated to rabbit breeding.

The most common breeds of meat rabbits are:

1. Burgundian.
2. New Zealand red and white.
3. Californian.
4. Ram.
5. Flanders, or Belgian giant.
6. Hikol.
7. Risen, or common agouti.

The 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 the following:

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

Meat-skinned rabbits

These animals combine the best qualities of meat and skin breeds, which makes it possible to obtain a significant amount of dietary meat and 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. Silvery.
4. Vienna Blues.
5. Black and brown rabbits.

Selection rules

It is impossible to unambiguously determine by appearance whether a rabbit belongs to a specific breed. According to some criteria, animals can belong to several breeds at once, for example, Angoras are both downy, dwarf, and decorative.

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

The purchased rabbit must be:

1. Strong.
2. Healthy.
3. Cheerful.
4. With clear eyes.
5. With smooth, non-matted fur.
6. No discharge.

Animals that are lethargic, unkempt, timid or aggressive, without appetite, cannot be purchased. 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 take into account the purpose for which they are purchased, as well as where they will be kept and 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 those obtained by crossing with other varieties of rabbits from many countries around the world. The following breeds are most often bred in Russia:

1. White giant.
2. Gray giant.
3. Soviet and Russian chinchilla.
4. Russian ermine rabbit.
5. Soviet Marder.
6. Squirrel.
7. White fluffy rabbits.
8. Butterfly.
9. Rex.
10. Ram.
11. Vienna Blue and other varieties of rabbits of 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, dozens of more modern rabbits will appear, belonging to the industrial and decorative varieties of these cute and useful animals.

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