Types Of Rabbits
So you’ve decided to become a rabbit owner; the only question now is how to choose amongst all of the types of rabbits available. How do you know which breed will be best for you?
Rabbits have been popular as pets and show animals for many years. There are also breeds raised specifically for meat or fur. It is understandable then that it could be confusing to learn which breeds are best for which purpose. Fortunately, there is plenty of information on the different types of rabbits to help even the novice rabbit owner to gain the knowledge to help them.
The types of rabbits that are mainly used for culinary purposes are the Californian and the New Zealand breeds. These rabbits are larger in size, achieving weights up to 13 pounds and provide good meat quality when fed appropriate diets. The diet should include a commercial pellet food of good quality, fresh hay and a small amount of greens. Ample supplies of fresh, clean water are also necessary.
Some types of rabbits are perfectly suited for the fur trade, although this is a widely controversial issue. Angoras, Satin, Rex and Multi-color are the four main fur types of rabbit that are utilized for clothing. Angoras have very long fur that can be either shaven or plucked that is then woven into Angora yarn, resulting in an extremely soft and luxurious feeling article of clothing. The Satin breed is used to make exquisite fur coats and hats as its “satiny” sheen exemplify the fine quality. Rex Fur tends to be short with a velvety feel that is highly desired in fur coats and hats. Multi colored fur is exactly that; composed of two or three colors that will be used to fashion small furred items. It is good to note that, while these types of rabbits do have quality fur, they are also perfectly able to be pets as well.
Dwarfs are among certain types of rabbits that are just a joy to have as pets. They may serve no other purpose than simply to make an individual feel good, and are happy to do so. Lops are hugely popular because of their almost comical adorability, but any rabbit type would be hard to resist with their twitchy noses and inquisitive nature. Popular pet breeds are dwarfs, lops, woolies and, of course, all of the fur and meat rabbits.
Once you’ve made the decision to become a rabbit owner, you must then sort through all of the different types of rabbits to determine which breed will be good for your purpose. A breeder will be very beneficial in helping you to make the choice that will be best for you.