Top Ten Rabbit Breeds
Basic Appearance: Mini rex are one of the most popular rabbit breeds, and it’s not hard to see why. These small, compact rabbits have thick fur coats that come in a rainbow of rich colors. The best feature of these little rabbits is their super-soft rex fur, which is composed almost entirely of plushy undercoat.
Holland Lops did not originate in their present form in nature. They were bred in the 1960’s by combining Netherland Dwarfs, French Lops, and Mini Lops. They were accepted by the American Rabbit Breeders’ Association in 1979. Today Holland Lops are one of the most popular breeds with rabbit fanciers.
Dutch Rabbit Breed History/Origin. The Dutch rabbit is one of the oldest domestic rabbit breeds. It is a descendant of the Petite Brabançon from the Brabant region in Flanders which was bred in large numbers for the meat industry in the late 19th century.
Mini Lop Breed History/Origin. The Mini Lop originated in Germany when a German Lop was bred with a small Chinchilla rabbit. The newly developed breed became known as the Klein Widder or “Little hanging ear.”
They are calm and gentle, making them good rabbits for children to start with. Although they were originally intended to be pets, they have become even more popular as show rabbits. Grooming, Care, and Additional Notes: The Jersey wooly, surprisingly, has a very easy-to-care-for coat.
Florida White Rabbit Breed History/Origin Judge Orville Miliken wanted to develop an “all-purpose” rabbit, which meant the rabbit had to be show-worthy, have a high-quality coat, ample meat as well as have the docile qualities of a good pet rabbit.
Himalayan Rabbit Breed History/Origin The Himalayan rabbit is one of the oldest rabbit breeds, so much so that its origin has practically been lost in history. Some say it did indeed originate somewhere in the Himalayan mountain area, however others describe it being seen in other areas of the world.
Havana Rabbit Breed History/Origin. Contrary to their name, the Havana rabbit did not originate in Cuba. The Havana rabbit actually got its start in Holland when a rich brown rabbit was born in the litter of a Dutch doe in the late 1800’s.
Each rabbit breed is considered to benefit when a reputable breeder strives to emulate the purpose for the breed, often defined by the individual breed standard by which it may be judged. The global diversity of breeds reflects the breadth of the rabbit's unique qualities.
The Harlequin rabbit is one of the oldest breeds of rabbit, which was developed in France in the 1880s. It is a colorful breed based around the coloration and markings, rather than fur and body type. The Harlequin rabbit was developed by putting together the semi-wild Tortoiseshell Dutch rabbit with truly wild rabbits.