Descriptions of the 50 best rabbit breeds and how to determine which ones we choose to breed

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 orientations have appeared. The existing varieties allow you to get valuable meat, high-quality fur, fluff, suitable for the manufacture of expensive materials.

Varieties of breeds of rabbits

Over the entire period of selection, 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 and skin;
• downy;
• decorative.

2. By dimensions:

• large;
• medium;
• small;
• dwarf.

3. By the length and quality of the fur:

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

At the moment, there are more than 800 breeds of rabbits in various directions, 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 breeding on an industrial scale, varieties are used that have certain advantages over other options. For example, for breeding for meat, those are selected that are able to increase mass as quickly as possible, as well as those that are distinguished by early maturity and fertility.

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 awn and down colors.

Downy options are bred for their valuable wool, which is distinguished by its special silkiness and length. Also, these rabbits are great for the role of pets, because they look cute and attractive. For 2 decades of the XXI century, indoor animals have come into fashion. They belong to decorative varieties, enjoy great love of owners and differ in a variety of appearance.

Decorative views

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

Such creatures are adapted to life 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. Shedding quarterly so constant brushing is required.
3. They are picky about food, but they need balanced feeding, attention and love.

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This variety includes the following popular options:

1. Hermelin.
2. Minors.
3. Lionheads.
4. Hotot.
5. A minilop that looks like a miniature ram with floppy ears.
6. Dwarf fox.
7. Castor Rex.

Downy breeds

These fluffy creatures are bred for their valuable fluff, which is used to create expensive felt and fabrics that can rival the wool of angora goats and merino sheep. Such animals look attractive, therefore, they are decorative, intended for life in houses and apartments.

These cute furballs can be from the following breeds:

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

Meat rabbits

For growing for meat, a disease-resistant variety is selected that can gain weight as quickly as possible. These are productive, early maturing animals, weighing 5-10 kilograms, powerful constitution, with excellent appetite. You can read more about the description of meat variations in our section on breeding rabbits.

The following breeds of meat rabbits are more common:

1. Burgundy.
2. New Zealand reds and whites.
3. California.
4. Ram.
5. Flanders, or the Belgian giant.
6. Hichol.
7. Riesen, or common agouti.

Most popular breeds

Despite the fact that hundreds of breeds of rabbits of various directions are bred, people often choose a couple of dozen popular ones. Among them are progressive industrial breeds that can be profitable, 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-skin rabbits

These animals combine the best qualities of meat and skin breeds, which allows you to obtain a significant amount of dietary meat and skin suitable for making fur products.

The most common breeds of such rabbits are the following:

1. White and gray giant.
2. Soviet chinchilla.
3. Silvery.
4. Vienna blue.
5. Black-brown rabbits.

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Selection rules

It is impossible to unambiguously determine the rabbit's belonging to a particular breed by its appearance. According to some criteria, the animals can belong to several breeds at once, for example, the Angora are both downy and dwarf and decorative at the same time.

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

The purchased rabbit must be:

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

Sluggish, untidy, shy or aggressive, animals cannot be acquired without appetite. If the animals are sick, they can become a source of infection for the entire livestock or other pets.

When choosing animals, one must take into account the purpose for which they are acquired, as well as where they will be kept, in what conditions.

What breeds are bred in Russia

There are dozens of breeds here that were bred back in the days of the Soviet Union, as well as obtained by crossing with other varieties of rabbits from many countries of the world. Most often the following breeds are 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 downy 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 changed conditions of existence and human needs. Particular attention is paid to the decorativeness of the animals, because every day they are more often acquired as docile and easy-to-keep family favorites.