Rabbits have become an increasingly popular pet for households everywhere – wether for animal companionship, or for breeding their meats. Rabbit meat may sound bizarre to some at first, but many local exotic dishes here in Indonesia use rabbit meat as a main ingredient. As long as the harvesting system remain ethical, breeding rabbit meats is still a common practice done almost everywhere.
Rabbits are mamalian animals that are part of the Leporidae family. They are also well known for their abilities to reproduce at a mass amount – as these animals are commonly referred to as Vivipars. By nature, these wild animals’ natural habitat lies at areas around Africa and Europe. An influx of rabbit population in 1912 has helped contributed to the evolution of different subspecies of rabbits. These subspecies comes in many different forms and names such as the Persian, the Anggora, and many more.
The Angggora rabbits is a common subspecies of the rabbit family. Their thick furs have become an endearing feature of theirs that most breeders and pet owners have come to love. However, with such grace follows huge responsibilities. Like any other animal, Anggora rabbits are also prone to illnesses and diseases when kept in horrible conditions. As smart breeders, it is their responsibility to invest as much time and energy needed to prepare the best for their rabbits. This includes choosing the right nutrients to feed, sanitise living areas often, and sign them up to vaccinations.
However, these needs would differ for every rabbit. In fact, different types of Anggora rabbits would require different needs from other Anggora rabbits as well. Before you could do more research to know what it takes to raise and tailor a health routine for your Anggora rabbits, be sure to understand the different types of Anggora Rabbits and what they would usually require.
So, without further ado, here are the different types of Anggora rabbits and their needs!
1. British Anggoras
The British Anggora rabbit is one of the tiniest subspecies from the Anggora rabbit family. Their doll-like features makes them the ultimate house pet, as they weigh about 2.3-3.2kg. With their long thick fur and distinct facial features, Anggora rabbits has won so many homeowner hearts.
However, these doll like features comes with a cause. As they are one of the most well loved Anggora rabbit, they also require intensive care to be on their prime quality. In order to maintain their peak health, breeders are required to prescribe them to special supplements to keep their thick fur. More so, breeders are also required to routinely comb and untangle their furs. British Anggoras are also prone to stress and discomfort that could trigger long term health drawbacks, so it would be wise to place them in a comfortable living space to prevent such feelings.
2. French Anggoras
On a slightly bigger scale when it comes to size, french anggoras often weigh about 3.4-4.8kg by average. Their long furs heighten in growth rate as time passes by – so it is wise that breeders utilise a grooming routine in order to keep their furs at top shape. However, it is worth noting that French Anggoras require less of an intensive care as British Anggoras would – for their furs would tangle less.
However, this does not mean that breeders should skip any chance to comb and untangle their furs. French Anggoras, much like any other species with a sub family of Anggoras, require extra care when it comes to their furs. Providing special vitamin supplements could also help maintain the overall health of their furs – to keep them thick and shining.
3. Giant Anggoras
Giant Anggoras is another popular rabbit subspecies that falls under the Anggora category. As their name goes, they are large in size – and could reach up to 5kg as they turn full adult. They ofter have white fur, and since they are the biggest in size, their wools and fur are much thicker than the rest.
Due to their thick exteriors, breeders should take some of their time to shave some layers off their backs. This would not only help groomers keep their fur’s sanitation at top shape, but would also help prevent the giant Anggoras from overheating from their thick exterior. When rabbits overheat, they are at risk of many health drawbacks – and worst, including death.
4. Satin Anggoras
Satin Anggoras are another popular sub rabbit from the anggora family. By default, a satin Anggora weighs around 3-4.3 kg, and is often breeded for their wools. Satin Anggoras comes in a wide variety of colors and textures, but they are best known for the quality of their furs.
Since they have a massive demand and value for their furs in the market, Satin Anggoras should have an extensive care routine for their furs. In order to be sold in the market well, breeders are required to invest more time and energy in this care by providing extra supplements and combing their furs often. More so, due to their demand and comparatively fast rate of growth, breeders should be able to harvest the fur as often as they can to prevent the rabbits from overheating from their fur.
5. Himalayan Rabbits
Himalayan rabbits, as their name implies, are wild rabbits found in the outskirts of the himalayans. They are much smaller in size and are dominantly white in color (except for several pigmented spots around their ears, nose, tail, and feet). Since they are wild animals, they are much harder to domesticate – and are valued extremely high in the pet industry.
Due to their distinctive features, breeders require extra special care for these rabbits. Before investing of a himalayan rabbit of your own, breeders are advised to do more prior research to know what is best for your exotic pet. However, what we could suggest is to prescribe your himalayan rabbit to vaccinations immediately. Since they are born and bred in the wild, the possibility of catching diseases heightens in comparison to domesticated rabbits.
6. English Lop Rabbits
English Lop rabbits is one rabit subspecies that is the most common in Indonesia. As their name suggests, one of their defiing features would be their loopy long ears. At the age of 4 months, their ears would start to droop intensely and would reach to the ground. These rabbits are a genetic mutation from the Anggora, Himalayan, and Dutch rabbits.
Due to their droopy ears, breeders should keep a closer look at their ear health. As mentioned, rabbits at a young age would have heavily droopy ears that could reach the ground – thus making it a tripping risk. As smart breeders, you should be able to monitor these rabbits well to prevent any accidents from happening. More so, since the insides of their ears may not be exposed to fresh air always, breeders should commit to a routine cleaning of their ears to avoid dangerous bacterias and viruses fostering from the moisture found there.
7. Netherland Dwarf Rabbits
As their name suggests, Netherland Dwarf rabbits are tiny by size and are naturally found in the outskirts of Netherlands. At full adult size, they would only reach an average weight of 1.25kg. Due to this, extra special care of falling risks and other dangerous predators must be carefully monitored by breeders at all times.
When unsupervised, the Netherland Dwarf rabbits could be at risk of diseases as well. To prevent this, breeders should be able to provide your rabbits with extra vitamin supplements and other medical routines suggested by a professional.
This marks the end of the article discussing the different types of anggora rabbits and their needs. Note that these are just a handful of types, and there are multiple other types that has yet been explored. To understand and know what is best for your pet rabbit, be sure to do more prior research on how to provide the best care.