# Rabbit breeds



## Girlygirljojo (Apr 9, 2015)

Hello everyone,
I'm going to be getting some rabbits soon from a farm that I work at, but I'm confused about what breed the mother is and what the babies breed is can someone help me !! 
I will be attaching a photo


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## Amelia66 (Feb 15, 2011)

i expect from a farm they are all crossbreeds.


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## catherine09 (May 10, 2014)

That rabbit in the photo looks loosely like a Dutch rabbit.

It also looks absolutely petrified - you'd be much better off going to a rescue and adopting a pair of socialised and friendly spayed, neutered rabbits, then a terrified undersocialised baby rabbit from a farm.


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## tallmama (Sep 8, 2013)

:001_unsure: Oh that sounds a bit harsh, what is supposed to happen to the baby rabbit ?


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## Amelia66 (Feb 15, 2011)

tallmama said:


> :001_unsure: Oh that sounds a bit harsh, what is supposed to happen to the baby rabbit ?


if we all thought like that backyard breeders and places like puppy farms would be the norm. Buying from these places only funds the suffering of more animals. I also means you could be buying a sickly rabbit, and with teeth problems common in badly bred rabbits this would be a very expensive and often heartbreaking route to take.


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## MerlinsMum (Aug 2, 2009)

Girlygirljojo said:


> Hello everyone,
> I'm going to be getting some rabbits soon from a farm that I work at, but I'm confused about what breed the mother is and what the babies breed is can someone help me !!
> I will be attaching a photo


A crossbreed - possibly with Dutch in the background or the Vienna gene which also gives similar white markings. Best to see both mother AND father so you know how big the babies will get - rabbits can range from 1kg up to about 7kg or more. You will need to know the size when considering what kind of housing it will need.


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## tallmama (Sep 8, 2013)

Oh right, sorry were they being bred for sale ? I can certainly agree that's not a good thing  No I know there are too many in rescues who need homes. Thanks for reply.


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## Lopside (Mar 20, 2012)

The rabbit looks scared and her feet are filthy and stained :-( the photo doesn't give a good impression . Was it an accidental litter or are they being bred for sale? Either way have you a photo of the dad? Once you've met a baby animal then it's difficult to not foam an attachment to it and bring it home. Do your homework though into the background of the parentage and health issues...It can work out expensive when things go wrong.


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## catpud (Nov 9, 2013)

The feet are worrying aren't they? 

I had a white rabbit who did like to sit in her (regularly cleaned) litter tray, and as such did have some urine staining on the very bottom of her paw pads. That was limited to the bottom of her feet though, not covering the whole back foot as the picture shows. 

I am not one to judge without knowing a little more, none of us are perfect. But with it being the back feet, and covering so much of it, this suggests that it is not from digging through litter (which I know from experience can become a bit dirty and wet depending on the type used after being down for a day) and instead could be from sitting in some quite deep dirty and wet bedding / litter. 

You work at this farm OP, how do you personally feel about the husbandry practices in that place? What sort of accommodation are they kept in? Is it cleaned daily? If you remove the top layer of bedding and feel down into the lower layer, is it dry and clean? 

I have a rabbit that would look terrified if I took a picture of her while holding her - she doesn't like to be picked up and so I only do it as part of her check overs or when needed. That's not a sign of neglect necessarily. Are they happy to be petted? Do they show interest in people? (my own rabbit will follow me from one end of the run to another, she is scared of being picked up, not scared of being interacted with, petted, brushed and so on) 

If the answer to the above is not right, then I would urge you, that although you work there, you need to consider whether you can support these people by giving a home to one of these rabbits. Remember that taking one rabbit opens up space for them to produce more. 

If the answer is that, yes, actually they are fine, then it is up to you. Bear in mind that this rabbit will need to be vaccinated yearly, neutered, and possibly have treatment due to breeding practices and accidents, and then you will need to spend all of that again on a second rabbit to keep it company. 

Let us know how it works out, no matter what you choose or your reasons I am sure we will all still be happy to advise on anything that you need to know in the future.


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

Hello there.

The simple way to find out her breed is to ask the breeder.

If they have bred responsibly, they will know who her parents are, so to speak; and they should also know what breed they are. 

If it has been a random breeding, and they have a mix of bunnies, then it is probably safe to assume that she is some sort of mix. Make sure you see the conditions she has been kept in too.

She is pretty though. 

If you bring her home, do keep her diet the same (they should give you some weeks dry mix, avoid gassy greens and dietary changes (young tums are very vulnerable), make sure she has a large space to live in 24/7 (hutch or cage is never enough), and remember that she will need a bunny friend as they are very sociable animals (who should be spayed/neutered of course). 

Rabbits are delightful, but can be very expensive to keep, so can I suggest you consider pet insurance? Or start putting away a substantial amount aside regularly. If you are unlucky to have a dental bunny, added to vaccinations and spaying, the costs can be considerable - and that is without any stasis, injuries, emergency care and the ailments that go with old age (rabbits can live into double figures, so you would hopefully have her for a long time).

We love our aging crew, but they are a huge commitment.


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

She looks part Dutch

Rabbits are huge commitments, the RWAF have some good information on diet, minimum housing size and neutering http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/index.php?section=leaflets.html

There also expensive, a good Hutch and run set up will cost £200, vaccinations and worming £60 per rabbit and neutering can cost upto £100 per rabbit


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## Girlygirljojo (Apr 9, 2015)

When they brought her from a auction they didn't know that she was pregnant as she is quite small, I'm going to make sure the babies get the best quality of life as i have been researching intensively for a few weeks


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## Girlygirljojo (Apr 9, 2015)

We make sure that the acommadation is clean she is in a temporary hutch as she is still with her babies and we have a male (already neutered) she is abit skittish but I'm guessing it's because of the babies but she still allows me to pet them


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## Girlygirljojo (Apr 9, 2015)

These are her babies at 3 weeks old can the breed be identified ?


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## Girlygirljojo (Apr 9, 2015)

tallmama said:


> Oh right, sorry were they being bred for sale ? I can certainly agree that's not a good thing  No I know there are too many in rescues who need homes. Thanks for reply.


No she wasn't she came to us pregnant from an auction.


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## Girlygirljojo (Apr 9, 2015)

Thanks for everyone that has replied!
I feel that I am hopefully doing a good thing by taking a couple babies from her as I do not know what will happen to the others, I can ensure you they are not being sold for meat or anything just for the public to see as it is a city farm.


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