American Sable Rabbit – Everything You Need to Know

The American Sable Rabbit breed resembles the Chinchilla rabbit breed from which it was derived. Only the rabbit’s coat color and patterns are different to the Chinchilla’s rabbits.
Although they are not a very common breed of rabbit and are in fact deemed quite rare, they are by no means at risk. They are also quite a useful breed of rabbit for the commercial rabbit trade in that they grow quickly and have excellent meat quality as well as meat yield.

BREED PROFILE OVERVIEW
Breed Name:	American Sable
Other Names:	None
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Breed Purpose:	Commercial meat production and pets
Breed Size:	Medium
Breed Weight:	Female/Doe: 3.6 to 4.5 kgs Male/Buck: 3 to 4 kgs
Breed Color(s):	Head, ears, back, feet and tail top are a dark Sepia. The rest of the body has a more faded sepia to a light tan the marking like that of a Siamese cat’s fur coloring.
Physical Appearance:	The American Sable Rabbit breed has the same commercial type compact, rounded rabbit body. With small, erect ears that usually have no bits of pink on the inside and dark eyes that have a ruby tinge to them.
Temperament:	They are quite a docile breed that is not too active as they prefer to spend their days sleeping. They prefer to socialize with other rabbits although they do not mind attention from their owners but generally only on their terms.

BREED CHARACTERISTICS

The American Sable Rabbit breed is an off-shoot from the breeding of pure-bred Chinchilla Rabbit.
They have an average lifespan of 5 to ten years and the rabbits have large litters. The does are quite protective and will make a deep sound if disturbed or feel threatened. It is almost like a low grunting growl.
They can at times be timid and they also have a tendency to become easily stressed so they are not ideal around young children.

Good Pets?	They can make good pets and do enjoy the attention of their owners. They also like to play with noisy toys such as balls with bells in them. But they can also be quite lazy and will pretty not budge if they do not feel like it.
Child Friendly?	Children should be supervised around animals and properly taught how to look after them and handle them. Rabbits can bite and scratch
Ideal Climate:	All climates – rabbits should never be left outside without proper shelter and housing that must be raised off the ground and predator safe.
Conservation Status:	Not listed by the *ALC Status/Rarity: –
Recognized by the ARBA?	Yes – they were accepted by the ARBA in 1931
Rabbit Associations/Clubs:	American Sable Rabbit Society (ARS) or Rabbit Breeders of America Directory
Where to buy them?	For information on the best places to get American Sable Rabbits, it is best to check with American Sable Rabbit Society (ARS) or Rabbit Breeders of America Directory
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

GENERAL INFORMATION

They are called sable because of their beautiful sable coats and their commercial body type make them great for commercial production.

They are suitable for 4-H meat pen projects.

They may not be the most popular of rabbit breeds and not much heard of, but they are ranked on top of the most handsome of rabbit breeds with their beautiful coloring much like that of prized Siamese cats.

Their non-popular stature does not mean they are facing extinction as they have dedicated breeders fighting for their breed that call themselves “Sablers”.

American Sable Rabbits are at their most active early in the morning around sunrise and then again at sunset.

Their coat is quite thick and requires a bit more grooming than most other breeds especially around the time they molt.

Rabbits need a diet of hay in order to keep their teeth in order as a rabbit’s teeth never stop growing. Thus they need food like hay to help control the growth and stop their teeth from growing down into their jaws creating all kinds of health issues and or infections in the rabbit’s jaw.

A healthy diet and balance of a good quality rabbit pellets with delicious treats of fruit and vegetables each day will go a long way in keeping the rabbit(s) healthy. Just keep in mind not to over feed the rabbit(s) as you want to maintain a healthy weight as well.

Rabbits need exercise each day and should have a good run or space to stretch their strong legs. They love to play so getting them a few toys such as balls and various rabbit toys is a good idea. They also like tubes and various obstacles to burrow through, jump on and over.

HISTORY

The American Sable rabbit has been around since the early 20th century with its roots tracing back to purebred Chinchilla rabbits that were owned by Otto Brock in San Gabriel, California.

The sable color is not an uncommon color found in rabbit breed today making some of its first appearances in a few litters of American Chinchillas in the early 1920s. In 1924 Otto Brock took to crossing two Chinchilla Rabbits which produced a soft, sable rabbit in a sepia tone. After he had developed the Sable rabbit breeders started to develop the breed more.

In 1931 the Breed was accepted into the American Rabbit and Cavy Breeders Association.
But they were almost dropped by the Association in the 1980s due to the breeds numbers and popularity having taken a rather steep dive.

They were saved by an enthusiastic rabbit breeder, All Roerdanz from Ohio who set about saving the rabbits grace with the American Rabbit Breeders Association. He located 7 American Sables, even though they had become very rare, and bred them. Ohio is still the main breeding ground and champion of the American Sable Rabbit Breed.

They are not the easiest of rabbits to breed and do take a bit more maintenance and grooming care than most other breeds except the long-haired breeds.
As their plight sparked a renewed interest in the breed their numbers steadily grew from around 800 in 2005 to a couple of thousand today. Their numbers keep continuing to improve and they are not on the at risk lists of conservations.