Mini rabbits are the most "comfortable" and unpretentious animals for keeping their home. Domestic eared ears are docile, friendly, quickly get used to the owners, can respond to a nickname, eat little, are clean, do not spread an unpleasant odor, create warmth, comfort and peace in the apartment. This is a big plus for breeders of furry animals.

For the first time, the British began to breed mini rabbits at the end of the 19th century. Initially it was thought that breeding them would require little space and feed, and would also be a way of producing wonderful fur pelts. But in communicating with them, attention was drawn to the friendliness and quick addiction of rabbits to their owners.

From the history of dwarf breeding

The decorative rabbit differs little from the dwarf

To breed a new species, scientists used a silvery little rabbit, whose genes provided the offspring with small sizes. As a result of breeding research in 1870, a breed was shown and registered at the exhibition, called the Polish white downy mini rabbit (Britannia petit). Continuing their work, in 1920 German scientists presented a completely new breed of dwarf curly rabbit - Hermelin. They were united by the presence in the DNA of the gene for dwarfism, and not just small size. Ten years later, in Holland, they received multi-colored mini rabbits. Only in 1940 was a single standard for a dwarf breed approved.

On a note. In order not to be mistaken in the choice and not to confuse mini rabbits with decorative tribesmen, you must require a certificate when purchasing. The decorative rabbit differs little from the dwarf.

There is another way to choose the right miniature animal: show its parents.

Today, 15 species of dwarf rabbit breeds are officially registered, but they also have their own subspecies and mestizo. Unofficial data indicate that about 200 breeds have already been bred in the world, including almost seventy in Russia. All of them differ in color (having two or three colors and more than 60 shades), in fur (short and long, curly, velvety and downy), in the shape and length of the ears (erect and drooping, with sizes from 6 to 20 centimeters), by weight (from 1.7 to 3 kilograms) and proportions.

Interesting. The lion-headed dwarf was bred at the beginning of the new century, the authorship of its creation caused controversy between the breeders of America and Belgium. In any case, this breed is the newest. The smallest of the dwarfs is the minor breed, although it is not officially recognized.

Species and subspecies of animals

Pannon the White Rabbit

On a note. Today there are already 60 breeds of mini rabbits.

Here is a brief description of some of the mini rabbit breeds:

Dutch (Danish) rabbit

  1. The Dutch (Danish) rabbit is one of the world's ten most popular species of these fluffy animals. It stands out for its "gigantic" weight among its fellow tribesmen - it can weigh up to 2.5 kilograms. Differs in color of coloring, which coincides with the color of his eyes (black, less often brown or blue), as well as a white wedge on the nose and part of the body. Lives for almost ten years, lends itself well to training.
  2. The Dutch lop-eared ram confidently prevails among dwarf breeds. Its distinctive feature is its long, up to 20 centimeters, ears. The color scheme of his coat includes almost all shades: from black to smoky.Having a large head, only half the size of the body, he resembles a plump hamster, good-natured and always chewing. But he gets along badly with domestic cats, dogs and other animals.
  3. Angora English dwarf resembles a lump of white fluff, because of which neither a nose nor ears are visible. It barely weighs 1.5 kilograms, but there are exceptions. Its main advantage is down, which makes up 95% of its wool, the length of which is the same on all parts of the body. The fur color of angora mini rabbits can be varied. Some have a monochromatic coat: white, black or chocolate. There are individuals that alternate between red, black and white on woolen hairs (agouti). There are Angora dwarfs with spotted fur.

They are very calm, patient and not aggressive, which allows them to have them in a house with small children.

Important! Angora fluff can get tangled and roll, so it requires special care. Rabbits need to be combed often with a puff and cut out the rolled lumps that have appeared.

  1. With its special fur, the dwarf lion's head resembles the formidable king of animals, only in miniature. His whole body is covered with short hair, a lush mane grows on his head and straight ears, but his muzzle and eyes are free from long strands. It is small - it weighs no more than 1.7 kilograms. Some individuals may have a second mane, only on the sides and back. The character is a little timid, but friendly. The rabbit loves to jump high, so he needs a high aviary.
  2. Another representative of the wild animal world, the fox dwarf rabbit, bears great resemblance to foxes in a reduced form. The head is pointed towards the nose. The coat color of rabbits is bright red. The size of the front legs is half the size of the hind legs. Erect ears, rounded at the tips, reach 5-7 centimeters. They can weigh from one kilogram to one and a half.
  3. Another representatives of the miniature rabbit breed - colored dwarfs, were bred in Holland. These tiny, cute rodents with bright red fur coats and short ears can be aggressive, especially during puberty. Therefore, for home maintenance, they need cells so that they do not come into contact with children. Their weight ranges from 800 grams to 1.5 kilograms. Up to 60 color shades and combinations of their wool are officially registered.
  4. Dwarf Rex are the owners of the most beautiful velvety coat, with up to 19 colors. They were brought out by one French priest. They live only 5-6 years, although they have good health. They are friendly and non-aggressive. In terms of the quality of fur, the Japanese rabbit can be attributed to the Rex group. Its fur skin resembles silk, its appearance is a plush stuffed toy. The color is ash, red or white with spots or stripes. The Japanese dwarf usually weighs 800-1500 grams. It was also bred in France.
  5. A very rare type of satin (satin) mini rabbits with very short smooth fur has a distinctive feature - the color of their eyes matches the shade of the coat. Red-eyed dwarfs are found, but very rare. They are calm, even a little lazy.

This list can be enumerated endlessly, because each breed is unique, although it has its own subspecies.

There are 60 breeds of mini rabbits

Breeding dwarfs at home

Dwarf buffalo

In order for the rabbit factory to be successful and bring joy not only to the owner, but also to the pet itself, you need to know and follow the basic rules of their home keeping. The lifespan of rodents is 6-7 years; at home, rabbits can live up to 10 years.

On a note. Good care, timely vaccinations, and proper feeding will be indicators of how long your rabbit will live. Attention, care and love for the pet will play a significant role in this.

Breed selection

For the right choice of exactly the rabbit that will be comfortable in the house, you must first decide on the breed. To do this, you need to study their characteristics. Then you need to contact the pet store, where the seller will give the necessary recommendations and advice, but not buy from hands.Better yet, choose a rabbit in the nursery, where it will be examined by a veterinarian and receive a vaccination certificate. A pedigree passport will also be issued here (if it is a thoroughbred), this will allow you to participate in exhibitions.

Important! The most important thing is to choose a healthy pet, with healthy shiny eyes, clean, without bald patches, hair. His breathing should be calm, even, his ears should be free of damage and ticks.

In order for the maintenance of a mini rabbit in an apartment from the first days to be a joy to both the owners and the animal, you need to start it at the age of two months. The kid quickly adapts to new conditions.

Sex determination

The sex of the rabbits purchased from the nursery will be indicated in the documents. If it is purchased from hands, then the task of determining the gender will be more difficult. But there is a simple way to determine the sex of the baby. When examining the female genitals, you can see a narrow slit near the anus; in the rabbit, a small pointed penis will be located at a distance of 4 centimeters from the anus. In addition, testicles can be identified by touch. Knowing the gender of a rabbit is essential for learning about its habits and habits.

The sex of the rabbits purchased in the nursery will be indicated in the documents

Care and feeding

The apartment in which the pet will live must be spacious so that there is a place for a cage or aviary. The air temperature should not be higher than 20 degrees, because rabbit fur is comfortable for the animal at low temperatures. Drafts should also be avoided. In the cage, the floor is covered with hay or other dry bedding. The future rabbit should have her own mother house if the breeder plans to breed the breed in the future.

You can bathe mini rabbits only in exceptional cases: if you get smeared or during extreme heat. It is necessary to monitor their health, in case of the first symptoms (tearful eyes, smell from the ears), it is necessary to show the veterinarian. To prevent the teeth from growing too quickly, you need to give hay or twigs, and cut the claws. Brushing fluffy and long-haired babies is the main condition for maintaining healthy fur when they become adults.

It is not difficult to feed a fluffy pet correctly, the main thing is to comply with the norm. Its menu is based on:

  • hay (150-200 grams);
  • juicy food (nettle, clover, dandelions);
  • vegetables (cauliflower, radishes, rutabagas, cucumbers);
  • fruits (apples, bananas, pears);
  • dry food in granules for this particular breed.

Important! Vegetables and fruits are included in the diet of rabbits as a top dressing, so they should be started with small doses. Do not feed plums, red cabbage, potatoes, citrus fruits and milk, as well as sweets.

Since dwarfs, like all rabbits, are great lovers of food, they cannot be limited in food. Caring for a balanced diet of an eared pet is the key to their healthy growth.

Experienced advice

If the mini rabbit does not eat hay, moisten it with salted water

Lop-eared rabbit ram

If the mini rabbit does not eat hay, moisten it with salted water. Fluffy rodents need bone meal and chalk, as well as oats and wheat. Another important point is that they sometimes eat their digested waste. It is absolutely harmless to rabbits.

There is a lot of information about how to care for dwarf rabbits, both in popular science literature and on the Internet. A description of the characteristics of the breeds, the ways of their selection will help determine which mini rabbit is better to take. The advice of experienced breeders will help you create the right home care. Loving and taking care of your pet will become the main goal of the whole family: both adults and children.