The best breed to raise is one that somebody else will buy unless you truly wish to be a rabbit keeper. In addition, it’s best to stick to just one or two breeds in order to make the best use of your time, to become really good at breeding, to streamline your record-keeping chores, and to use hutches and equipment efficiently, don’t forget to check the PART 1 for TOP Rabbit breeds for pets.
The New Zealand White is doubtless the most popular breed because that’s the one that most people buy, although many of the smaller breeds are better represented at most rabbit shows. Recall that most meat rabbits are Havana, Tan, and Britannia Petite.
PART 2: TOP Rabbit Breeds for Pets
To give you a sense of Rabbit Breeds for pets that are popular among raisers in the United States, here’s a list of the most numerous and popular breeds at the show. The rankings and the numbers of rabbits entered really don’t vary much from year to year, although a few breeds enjoy short-lived popularity.
Each year the show at the American Rabbit Breeders Association National Convention draws thousands of entries.
If you’re considering adopting a bunny, we have everything you need to know to help find the perfect companion.
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1) Harlequin
| IDEAL WEIGHT | Buck, 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg); doe, 8 pounds (3.6 kg) |
| VARIETIES | Black, Blue, Chocolate, Lilac |
| FUR TYPE | Normal |
| MARKET | An obscure breed for fanciers |
A fairly large member of the smalls group, the Harlequin can weigh as much as 9 pounds. To the uninitiated, the normal fur looks as though someone spattered paint on it, but in fact, there are proscribed patterns that may be banded, barred, or a combination. Two varieties exist the Japanese, which includes black and golden orange, and the Magpie, with black and white as distinguishing markings.
2) Havana
| IDEAL WEIGHT | 5–5.5 pounds (2.3–2.5 kg) |
| VARIETIES | Black, Blue, Broken, Chocolate |
| FUR TYPE | Normal but with sheen superior to most other normal-furred rabbits |
| MARKET | A somewhat obscure breed for fanciers but has devoted adherents; a pretty good small meat rabbit for home use |
The lustrous Havana comes in Black, Blue, Chocolate, and Broken varieties, the last being predominantly white with spots or blotches of any of the three other colors. Its normal fur is fine and almost as luminous as that of the Satin breed, partly because its medium length is dense and lies nearly flat on the body. It’s a good small meat rabbit because of its quite deep and well-rounded body type.
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3) Mini Lop
| IDEAL WEIGHT | 5.5–6 pounds (2.5–2.7 kg) |
| VARIETIES | Agouti, Broken, Pointed White, Self, Shaded, Ticked, and Wide Band |
| FUR TYPE | Normal |
| MARKET | Sought as a pet by those who think lop ears are attractive; comes in many colors and patterns. Dresses out well; popular at shows |
This extremely popular breed appeals to pet owners enamored by the puppy-dog look of its lop or floppy ears. It has a massive, thickset body for its size, with broad shoulders and heavy hindquarters. Overall, it is heavily muscled, compact, and balanced, and it dresses out well.
4) Tan
| IDEAL WEIGHT | 4–6 pounds (1.8–2.7 kg) |
| VARIETIES | Black, Blue, Chocolate, Lilac |
| FUR TYPE | Normal but with a great sheen, similar to the Havana, which doubtless is an ancestor |
| MARKET | Only for the fancier who demands a great challenge on the show table |
The fancier who desires one of the greatest challenges on the show table will find it here because of the exacting requirements of the markings, the tan under color, and the four top colors. In prime coat and standing tall because of its full-arch type, the Tan turns heads everywhere it is shown.
5) American Fuzzy Lop
| IDEAL WEIGHT | 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg) |
| VARIETIES | Agouti, Broken, Pointed White, Self, Shaded, Wide Band |
| FUR TYPE | Angora wool but shorter in length than that of the larger Angora breeds |
| MARKET | Sought-after pet because of small size, lop ears, and wool in lots of colors |
Here’s what amounts to a miniature Angora, but with floppy ears, and in the eyes of many, it has cornered the market on cuteness. Adults weigh only 3.5 pounds, making them easy for small children to handle. The wool is like that of the large Angora breeds but shorter, in keeping with the smaller body. Regular fur, not wool, cover those lop ears.
6) Britannia Petite
| IDEAL WEIGHT | 2.4 pounds (1.1 kg) |
| VARIETIES | Agouti, Black, Black Otter, Broken, Chestnut Agouti, Ruby-Eyed White, Sable Marten, Blue-Eyed White |
| FUR TYPE | Normal |
| MARKET | Fanciers who want to show rabbits but don’t have much space |
With a full-arched body that weighs only a couple of pounds, this is the daintiest of domestic rabbits and one that likes to pose. Its normal fur may be black, black otter, white (with blue eyes), white (with ruby red eyes), broken, chestnut agouti, or sable marten. It sits up straight and tall, taking no back seat to all the larger breeds, and with its erect ears and many different colors seems to be saying “Look at me.”
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7) Dwarf Hotot
| IDEAL WEIGHT | 2.25 pounds (1 kg) |
| VARIETIES | White only, with big brown eyes and a black eye band that resembles a heavy layer of eyeliner |
| FUR TYPE | Normal |
| MARKET | With its round fur-ball body, short ears, and come-hither eyes, a coveted pet |
This tiny white rabbit’s big brown eyes look out through a band that might have been painted on with black or chocolate eyeliner. It is a normal furred breed with a furball body, very short ears, and a come-hither look that seduces potential pet owners. If you like its looks but want something big enough for table fare, you might choose the white and eye-banded Blanc de Hotot, a meaty breed that weighs as much as 11 pounds (5 kg) at maturity.
8) Holland Lop
| IDEAL WEIGHT | 3 pounds (1.4 kg) |
| VARIETIES | Agouti, Broken, Pointed White, Self, Shaded, Tan Pattern, Ticked, Wide Band |
| FUR TYPE | Normal |
| MARKET | As pets and for fanciers; small size, pug nose, many colors, and lop ears rank it high in the minds of pet rabbit owners |
Here’s another pet that has become extremely popular at the shows. It weighs no more than 4 pounds, has ears that hang close to its pugnosed head, and comes in eight normal-furred varieties, giving fanciers a broad range of surprises in the nest box as well as challenges on the show table.
9) Jersey Wooly
| IDEAL WEIGHT | 3 pounds (1.4 kg) |
| VARIETIES | Agouti, Pointed White, Self, Shaded, Tan Pattern |
| FUR TYPE | Angora; longer than that on American Fuzzy Lop |
| MARKET | Wool, but doesn’t produce as much as larger Angoras; popular pets because of small size, woolly appearance |
This little rabbit looks more like a miniature Angora than does the American Fuzzy Lop, and not just because it has normal ears, but also because it has longer wool, so much so that it looks heavier than it really is. The wool can be spun, but it will take more than several rabbits to make it worthwhile.
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10) Mini Rex
| IDEAL WEIGHT | 4 pounds (1.8 kg) |
| VARIETIES | Black, Blue-Eyed White, Blue, Castor, Chinchilla, Chocolate, Himalayan (Californian), Lilac, Lynx, Opal, Otter, Red, Sable Point, Seal, Tortoise, White, Broken |
| FUR TYPE | Rex |
| MARKET | As pets and for fanciers; an extremely popular little rabbit because of its marvelous coat in many colors |
Here’s a breed that has taken the showrooms by storm. It is often the most numerous breed being exhibited. An important reason for its popularity is that despite short fur on its feet, it can be raised successfully on wire thanks to its lightweight (4 pounds). Of course, the fur all over is the same plush as the velvet coat worn by the standard Rex.
11) Netherland Dwarf
| IDEAL WEIGHT | 2 pounds (0.9 kg) |
| VARIETIES | Officially Agouti, Self, Shaded, Tan Pattern but also Any Other Variety, which means just about any color or pattern you can imagine |
| FUR TYPE | Normal |
| MARKET | As pets and for fanciers. Very popular as pet and show rabbit |
The Netherland Dwarf was the second of the little guys to appear in the United States (the Polish got here first), and since it arrived it has been bred into just about every single color and pattern imaginable. It is extremely popular as a pet and shows rabbits, with its apple-round head and short ears. There is a big surprise in the nest box with just about every litter — you never know what colors you will get.
12) Polish
| IDEAL WEIGHT | 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg) |
| VARIETIES | Black, Blue, Chocolate, Blue-Eyed White, Ruby-Eyed White, Broken |
| FUR TYPE | Normal |
| MARKET | Fanciers primarily, as other dwarf rabbits seem more popular as pets |
The compact Polish has been around longer than the other dwarf breeds. When the Netherland Dwarf and other tiny rabbits began to be bred in the United States, it took a back seat in the showroom, but it still has plenty of fans there.
So this the PART 2 of top first Rabbit Breeds for pets with detail and pics, leave in a comment which one did like or you already had, in case you missed PART 1 check it out here, and share it with your friends if you like it.