What are rabbits - interesting breeds for growing
Delicious dietary meat and the fast growth rate of domesticated rabbits make rabbit breeding a lucrative business. But before you go shopping for breeding animals, it doesn't hurt to find out what kind of rabbits there are. This will help you decide on the purpose of raising them, as well as create the necessary conditions for the rabbits.
What are rabbits
There is no clear classification of animals. The grouping of different breeds into one is most often based on the purpose of growing. In addition, the separation can be carried out depending on the characteristics of the pets (pile length, weight and size).
It is generally accepted to divide rabbits into species depending on what they are bred for, but taking into account the characteristics of the animals, namely:
- meat breeds;
- downy (fur) breeds;
- fur breeds;
- decorative breeds.
Features of meat rabbits
For meat rabbits, rapid growth and weight gain are characteristic, and they are also one of the most unpretentious. Such animals are ready for slaughter already at the age of 6 months, and their meat is unusually tender and tasty.
The following breeds are often grown for meat in a household:
- Flandre. One of the largest breeds: the weight of an adult rabbit can reach 10 kg. Body length about 70 cm, mostly gray. A characteristic feature of the species is long, wide ears.
- Soviet chinchilla. By 4 months, the animal already weighs 4 kg and is ready for slaughter. The body of an adult rabbit is up to 70 cm long, with a wide chest. The fur is thick, dark gray, of uneven color, it warms the animal well in cold weather.
Characteristic differences between downy rabbits
Downy bunnies can be identified by first sight. They have a very long and soft pile, while being much thinner than other species, especially rabbits.
Downy rabbits are long-haired. Their pile length is at least 12 cm, and in some species - up to 20 cm.
In our conditions, the following downy breeds have taken root best of all:
- Arctic fox rabbits. The weight of an individual does not exceed 3 kg, and 200 g of gray-white fluff can be cut from it in a year. The content is predominantly cellular, despite the high endurance of the breed. This is necessary to maintain the high quality of the pile.
- White downy rabbits. Spherical animals with delicate pile up to 10 cm long. From one animal receive from 300 g (males) to 500 g of down (female), while it does not fall off.
Types of fur rabbits
In addition to dietary meat, fur breeds are grown for fur. A short and very dense pile makes it possible to use skins for sewing warm outerwear. Moreover, such animals are the most stable, which makes it possible to breed them even in the cold northern regions.
One of the main requirements when raising fur rabbits is to care for them thoroughly. It is important to keep it clean so that the fur does not stray or get dirty.
The following breeds are bred from fur rabbits:
- Black-brown rabbit. It is appreciated for the original, black-brown, fluffy pile color. The animals themselves are quite large, weighing 5-7 kg, with a massive head and long large ears.
- Rabbit Rex. It has a very beautiful skin. The fur is thick, shiny, short, of the same length (no more than 2 cm). The color of the pile is brown, red, bluish, white (the rarest). The average weight of an adult is 5 kg.
Decorative breeds
Decorative rabbits can also be recognized from afar, like meat. But, unlike them, these animals are miniature in size. The maximum weight of a rabbit usually does not reach 2 kg. They are kept as pets, because little hares need special conditions due to their weak immunity. In addition, such animals are docile in nature. They are not so shy than their large relatives living on the street, they get along well with humans and are practically tame.
Dwarf breeds are especially popular. Their size allows you to keep animals even in the apartment.
Some of the most beautiful are such decorative breeds:
- Lion head. The weight of the animal is about 1.5 kg, the head is round with protruding cheeks, the ears are upright, up to 9 cm long. The color can be different: white, gray, red, black and their shades. A characteristic difference of the species is the long hair on the head and neck, similar to a lion's mane. It requires regular grooming and brushing.
- Colored dwarf. Miniature rabbits weighing about 1 kg with a rounded body and small erect ears. The peculiarity of the breed is the multi-colored color of the thick, dense and shiny pile. He can recite up to 50 shades.