Belgian Hare Rabbit – Everything You Need to Know

The Belgian Hare is a domestic rabbit breed that has been bred to closely resemble a wild hare. They were mainly developed in the 18th century as a meat breed but they also make pretty good pets and exhibition rabbits.
They are a breed that always looks like they are about to bolt in their alert postured stance, unlike most rabbit breeds that tend to huddle they stand at the ready with their front legs our stretched as if they are getting ready to run a race.

BREED PROFILE OVERVIEW
Breed Name:	Belgian Hare
Other Names:	None
Country of Origin:	Belgium
Breed Purpose:	Meat, pets, and exhibition
Breed Size:	Medium to large
Breed Weight:	Female/Doe: 8 to 9 lbs. Male/Buck: 6 to 8 lbs.
Breed Color(s):	They are bright tin rust that has a reddish/orange tint. This color is predominant overs its entire body. With a lighter undercoat, eye circles and a dark ticking on some of its body especially its upper-back
Physical Appearance:	The Belgian Hare has a fully arched body, well rounded and muscular hindquarters with bigger back feet than at the front. Their tails are straight, short and the same color as their bodies. Their ears are of medium length, tubular, close together and stand erect from their heads. They have the appearance of a nervous hare ready to bolt and you can usually see daylight through the underneath of their belly.
Temperament:	Can be sweet but tend to be a bit nervous and are very active.

BREED CHARACTERISTICS

1. They are a very intelligent breed of rabbit and can usually be taught to respond to their name, come when called, take food, etc.
2. They are best suited to a large outdoor rabbit hutch with enough space for them to burn off their excess energy as they are a very active breed. Some toys for them to play with and obstacles for them to scale is a very good idea.
3. They make really good show rabbits and have good meat to bone ratio that is tasty and quite lean.
4. Their fur, which is short and glossy, takes little to no grooming to keep it in its sleek glossy form except that of a good diet.
5. They have large litters with bunnies that are slow to mature. The does are a very good mother with excellent maternal instincts.
6. They can live between 7 to 11 years of age with some having been known to have lived a bit longer.

Good Pets?	They are good to keep as outdoor pets, but care must be used when handling them or even approaching their cages. They are not recommended for families with young children but rather specialized rabbit breeders and rabbit exhibitionists.
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:	Listed by the *ALC Status/Rarity: Threatened
Recognized by the ARBA?	Yes – Accepted by the ARBA in 1800 the Belgian Hares Standards were established but the clubs/association representing the breed fell away. A new club was established in June of 1972 and was granted a specialty club charter by the ARBA. This charter replaced the failed “National Belgian Hare Club of America”. The association is now called American Belgian Hare Club.
Rabbit Associations/Clubs:	American Belgian Hare Club.
Where to buy them?	The best place to seek advice and whereabouts of breeders to acquire the Belgian hare is to contact the American Belgian Hare Club. for more information.
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

GENERAL INFORMATION

They are not that susceptible to diseases such as Wool Block as they mostly live outside, they must be checked for ear mites and flystrike on a weekly/regular basis.

Care must be taken with their diets and things like ice-berg lettuce tend to have little to no nutritional value for them. They need a high quality of hay to keep their long teeth in check. Foods such as rabbit pellets with a balance for fresh fruits and or vegetables every day will ensure that your Belgian Hares lives a good long healthy life. It is good to remember though that Hay should make up at least 70% of their diet to for both roughages and to control their teeth growth.

They are not the best breed to keep solely as a pet as they tend to be quite nervous and jumpy. Sudden movements and noises can cause them to become jumpy. They will jump quite high in the air if startled almost as a cat does. This must be noted especially when handling them, as they do not mind being petted, it just has to be done in a calm gentle manner.

HISTORY

The Belgian Hare is one of the oldest rabbit breeds in America and can be traced back to arriving in the States in the 1880s.

The Belgian Hare is a breed that most responsible for the “Belgian Hare Boom” that swept America from 1898 to 1901. During this time thousands of Belgian Hares were imported to America with one British Shipping firm having reportedly shipped over 6000 Belgian Hares to the United States in 1900.

Belgian Hares were said to have been sold for a lot of money with one male Belgian Hare fetching a price of $5000 in 1900. As the boom hit America Millionaires such as Rockefeller, H.M. Flagler, Dupont, J.P. Morgan and Guggenheim saw the potential in investing in the rabbits.

As importation of the Belgian Hare started to saturate the market the stock prices for them started to drop to less than $25 for quality exhibition animals.
They were quite a menu item and could be found on most menus that sold rabbit cuisine but even then their popularity was waning due to commercial breeds making their mark on the markets.

The 1940’s there were less and less of the Belgian Rabbit breed and even at rabbit exhibitions, they became a scarce breed. This was not only the case in America but throughout the world. Belgian Hare fanciers around the globe are fighting to keep the breed from extinction!

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