Giant Chinchilla
- Weight:12–16 lb (5.4–7.3 kg)
The Giant Chinchilla is a result of crosses between Chinchilla and Flemish Giant breeds; it originates in the United States. This breed is used primarily as a commercial meat rabbit. [5]
Chinchilla rabbits are a group of three rabbit breeds that have been bred for a coat that resembles that of chinchillas. [1] Despite their name, they are not related to and cannot interbreed with chinchillas, which are a species of rodent. Rabbits are lagomorphs. A mutation diluted the yellow pigment in the hairs to almost white, changing in this way the color of the fur of the wild rabbit (agouti) into chinchilla.
There are three breeds of Chinchilla rabbit recognized by the ARBA, "American Rabbit Breeders Association".
Standard Chinchilla is the original chinchilla version with the larger versions being developed from it. It has a compact body and rollback fur. [2]
The American Chinchilla or "Heavyweight Chinchilla" is larger than the Standard Chinchilla, it has a commercial body type but the same roll back coat. Standard Chinchillas bred for large size produced this breed. Chinchilla Rabbits originated in France and were bred to standard by M. J. Dybowski. They were introduced to the United States in 1919. [3] Bred to be a meat and fur rabbit, the American Chinchilla Rabbit can be shown/exhibited or kept as a stocky, hardy pet. American Chinchilla Rabbits do not require regular grooming. Adult American Chinchilla Rabbits weigh different for each sex. Males (Bucks)- 9-11#, and Females (Does) 10-12#. These stocky rabbits have a slight curve to their medium length bodies, beginning at the nape of their necks and following through to the rump. They carry their ears straight erect. The quality of the pelt is first and more important when breeding for the "Standard Of Perfection". American Chinchilla Rabbits are a six-class breed in show. (Any rabbit that matures over 9 pounds is a 6-class breed, maturation weights under 9# are 4-class breeds.) The American Chinchilla Rabbit was bred from large Standard Chinchilla Rabbits in order to produce a meatier rabbit. They were originally called Heavyweight Chinchilla Rabbits.
Junior and intermediate American Chinchilla Rabbits may be shown in age classifications higher than their own if they are overweight. Bucks and does under six months and nine pounds are considered juniors. Intermediate American Chinchilla Rabbits are bucks and does six to eight months of age. The American Chinchilla Rabbit is listed on "The Livestock Conservancy as being the only "critically endangered" rabbit at this time. [4]
American Chinchilla Rabbits are good breeders, with an average litter of 6-9 kits.
The Giant Chinchilla is a result of crosses between Chinchilla and Flemish Giant breeds; it originates in the United States. This breed is used primarily as a commercial meat rabbit. [5]
The Angora rabbit, which is one of the oldest types of domestic rabbit, is bred for the long fibers of its coat, known as Angora wool, which are gathered by shearing, combing or plucking. Because rabbits do not possess the same allergy-causing qualities as many other animals, their wool is an important alternative. There are at least 11 distinct breeds of Angora rabbit, four of which are currently recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA): English Angora, French Angora, Giant Angora and Satin Angora. Others include German Angora, Chinese Angora, Finnish Angora, Japanese Angora, Korean Angora, Russian Angora, St Lucian Angora and Swiss Angora.
The Netherland Dwarf is a breed of domestic rabbit that originated in the Netherlands. Weighing 1.1–2.5 pounds (0.50–1.13 kg), the Netherland Dwarf is one of the smallest rabbit breeds. Its popularity as a pet or show rabbit may stem from its neotenic appearance. The Netherland Dwarf is recognised by both the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) and the British Rabbit Council (BRC). The Netherland Dwarf is often confused with the Polish breed of rabbit, but the latter has longer ears, a non-brachycephalic head and less cobbiness.
The Californian, also known as the California White, is a breed of domestic rabbit originally developed for the fur and meat industries by George S. West of Lynwood, California, starting in 1923. West maintained a herd of 300 genetically pure New Zealand Whites, which he began crossing with Standard Chinchilla rabbits for their dense coat, and Himalayan rabbits. This new breed, named for the state of its origin, was first shown in 1928 and a standard was accepted by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) in 1939.
The Dutch rabbit, also known as Hollander or Brabander, is easily identifiable by its characteristic colour pattern, and was once the most popular of all rabbit breeds. However, after dwarf rabbits were developed, the popularity of the Dutch rabbit dwindled. Nevertheless, the Dutch rabbit remains one of the top ten most popular breeds worldwide.
The Mini Lop is a breed of domestic rabbit that is recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). It is different from the Miniature Lop breed that is recognized by the British Rabbit Council (BRC). The Mini Lop [US] and the Miniature Lop [UK] are different from the Dwarf Lop breed that is recognized by the BRC. The Mini Lop is similar to several other small rabbit breeds, such as the Dwarf rabbit.
The Holland Lop is a breed of lop-eared rabbit that was recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) in 1979. The Holland Lop, with a maximum weight of 1.8 kg (4 lb), is one of the smallest lop-eared breeds.
The Flemish Giant rabbit is the largest breed of domestic rabbit. Flemish Giants are historically a utility breed used for their fur and meat. They are often kept as pets as they are known for being docile and patient when being handled.
The Kinder is an American breed of domestic goat. It originated on a farm in Snohomish, Washington, where in about 1985 an American Pygmy buck was cross-bred with Nubian does. The resulting stock was selectively bred to create a compact but well-muscled goat, suitable both for milk and for meat production. A herd-book was started in 1988; by 2006 about three thousand head had been registered.
The French Lop is a breed of domestic rabbit developed in France in the 19th century from the selective breeding of English Lop and Flemish Giant stock. The French Lop resembles the English Lop, but the French Lop is heavier in stature and does not have the exaggerated ear length of the English Lop. Weighing approximately 4.98 kg to 5.21 kg, it has an average lifespan of five to seven years. The French Lop is currently recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) and by the British Rabbit Council (BRC).
The American Sable is a rabbit breed recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). The American Sable rabbit breed can trace its roots to colored throwbacks from purebred Chinchilla rabbits belonging to Otto Brock of San Gabriel, California, in 1924.
The term rex rabbit refers informally to one of at least eight breeds of domestic rabbit. One such breed is the Rex, which is recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) and by the British Rabbit Council (BRC). Other modern-day rex rabbit breeds are listed below. Care must be taken to distinguish the rex rabbit breeds from the three types of rex rabbit fur for which they are known.
The American Rabbit is a breed of rabbit, recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) in 1917. By the ARBA standard, American rabbits have a mandolin body shape. It has also been noted for a good 'sweet' temperament and good mothering abilities. As with all domestic rabbits, the American breed is of the species Oryctolagus cuniculus, the European wild rabbit.
The Beveren is one of the oldest and largest breeds of fur rabbits. It was first bred in Beveren, a small town near Antwerp in Belgium. Their coats can be blue, white, black, brown and lilac, though not all of these varieties are ARBA-recognized. There is a rare variety called the Pointed Beveren, which comes in the same colors but has white tipped hairs. The blue variety is the original.
The English Lop is a fancy breed of domestic rabbit that was developed in England in the 19th century through selective breeding. It is believed to be the first breed of lop rabbit developed by humans, and it may be one of the oldest breeds of domestic rabbit. Averaging 5.5 kg (12 lb), the English Lop is characterised by its distinctively long lop ears, bold head, and large body size.
The Cinnamon rabbit is a breed of domesticated rabbit created "accidentally" in 1962 and named for its coat color. The Cinnamon is currently recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) but not by the British Rabbit Council (BRC).
The New Zealand is a breed of rabbit, which despite the name, is American in origin. The breed originated in California, possibly from rabbits imported from New Zealand. New Zealand rabbits are available in five colors recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders' Association (ARBA): white, red, black, blue, and broken. Crossbreeding can result in many other variations, such as gold tipped steel and chestnut agouti. They average 10–12 lb (4.5–5.4 kg) with the does being slightly larger than the bucks. New Zealands are bred for meat, pelts, show, and laboratory uses, being the most commonly used breed of rabbit both for testing and meat production. They are also bred as pet rabbits but mostly breed for meat.
The Rhinelander is a medium-sized breed of domestic rabbit that originated in Germany. Rhinelanders are known for their distinctive facial "butterfly markings", a spine marking, colored ears, cheek spots, eye circles and side markings of black with orange or of blue with fawn. The Rhinelander breed is recognized by the British Rabbit Council (BRC) and by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA).
The Blanc de Hotot is a medium-sized rabbit breed originally developed in France. It is a compact, thickset white rabbit with spectacle-like black rings around each dark eye. First bred in Hotot-en-Auge, Normandy, France in the early 1900s, the breed spread throughout Europe and into North America by the 1920s. Initially unpopular in the United States, it died out there, and suffered population decline in World War II-era Europe. It began to spread again in the 1960s and 1970s, and was re-imported to the US in 1978. Today it is recognized by the British Rabbit Council and the American Rabbit Breeders Association, but is considered globally endangered, with a listing of "threatened" status by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.
The Himalayan rabbit is a rare medium-sized breed of rabbit easily mistaken for the Californian rabbit. The body is white with colored points, recognized colors are black, blue, chocolate and lilac.
