Dutch Rabbit – Everything You Need to Know

The pretty little Dutch rabbit is in the top ten of the worlds most popular rabbit breed. They are popular because of their wonderful gentle friendly nature and manageable size with fur that does not require any special grooming.
They are also said to be really easy to train, are playful and full of fun to have around making them excellent companion rabbits for singles and elderly alike.

BREED PROFILE OVERVIEW
Breed Name:	Dutch
Other Names:	Hollander or Brabander
Country of Origin:	England
Breed Purpose:	Pets and exhibition
Breed Size:	Small
Breed Weight:	Female/Doe: 3.5 to 5.5 lbs. Male/Buck: 3.5 to 5.5 lbs.
Breed Color(s):	Black – This variety is a glossy black with dark brown eyes and slate blue under color. Blue- This variety has a slate blue under color with a medium blue/gray coat and blue/grey eye color. Chinchilla – They have an agouti color, their ears have to have black lacing, their eyes are brown, and they have a slate blued under color with bands of pearl white and black on their body. Chocolate – This variety has a dove/grey under color and their body is a deep rich chocolate color Gray – This variety has similar coloring to that of the American cotton tail rabbit breed. They have an agouti color with bands of coloring on the hair shaft which makes a ring effect when the hair is blown on. The color bands are a light tan, and thin charcoal, then a darker tan with a slate blue under color. They have dark brown eyes. Steel – The under color of this variety is a slate blue and the body is black with off-white tips on the hair shaft. Their eyes are dark brown. Tortoise – The under color of this variety is a dark cream and their eyes are dark brown coloring. The body fur is orange with a slate blue shading found along the hind legs, whisker beds, and ears.
Physical Appearance:	They are a small to medium sized rabbit with a Compact body type giving quite a dense roundness to their figure. They have strong legs, well rounded hind quarters and good shoulders. Their face is sort of snubbed with small ears that are close together on the heads and pointed at the tips.
Temperament:	They are calm, docile, well mannered, friendly and playful

BREED CHARACTERISTICS

Their average life span of the Dutch rabbit breed is 5 to 10 years.
They have decent sized litters around 6 kits per litter. Their gestation period in between 28 to 32 days. The young grow at a moderately good rate as they are born blind, they open their eyes at around 7 to 14 days after birth. They then become quite lively active little bunnies that are quite robust.
The females make excellent mothers, although most expecting moms may be a bit more aggressive than usual and should be treated with the utmost care.

Good Pets?	They make excellent domestic pets for families, elderly, singles and are also good for the first-time/novice owner/breeder.
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: Not at risk
Recognized by the ARBA?	Yes, there are six color varieties that are listed by the American Rabbit Breeders Association and are listed in this article under the breeds color section.
Rabbit Associations/Clubs:	American Dutch Rabbit Club
Where to buy them?	Please check with the American Dutch Rabbit Club for more information on registered breeders of the Dutch Rabbit Breed. The Rabbit breeder’s directory may also be of some use when looking to buy the Dutch Rabbit Breed.
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

GENERAL INFORMATION

They are said to be in the top ten of the most popular rabbit breeds in the world. They are so because of the excellent nature and easy care. They are also known to be good around supervised children and are quite intelligent making them easy to train.

They need a good diet of rabbit pellets and treats of fresh fruit and vegetables. Cabbage, carrots and apples without the pips in are a good example of some healthy choices.

Rabbits needs hay in order to help them keep their teeth from growing into their jaws. As a rabbit’s teeth never stop growing if they are not giving something to help keep the length down, they can grow into their jaw causing discomfort and health issues for the rabbit.

Rabbits are sociable creatures and it is always better to have more than one. They are also quite playful and love toys to play with and or obstacle courses such as tubes and little things to climb or hop over.

They do love to be active and need a safe secure run to be able to stretch their legs and get some exercises each day.

Rabbits should have regular health checks by their owners in order to ensure they do not have any parasites, mites and that their teeth and fur are in good condition.

HISTORY

The Dutch rabbit breed was once the most popular of all rabbit breeds due to its manageable size and lovely distinct markings. With the development of Dwarf rabbits, their popularity started to lessen but not completely phase out as they are still one of the most popular breeds throughout the world today.

They were developed in England during the 1830s and not in the Netherlands as its name would make ones assume.
Every week rabbits were being imported for their rabbit meat to the England markets. One particular rabbit breed that was imported for their meat was a breed called the Petit Brabancon. The Petit Brabancon had color marking much the same as the Dutch rabbit breed and is, in fact, an important part of the Dutch breed’s lineage.

Breeders in England would hand select the Petit for these particular markings and breed them in order to fix the markings into the breed. Thus developed the Dutch breed with the markings as we know it in today’s market.

The Dutch rabbit breed is a breed that has not changed much through years with the most striking of its characteristics being its unique markings.