Polish rabbit

The ermine rabbit is a rabbit breed from the group of dwarf rabbits. The ermine rabbit is bred in two different color varieties. While the older, red-eyed color shock ( ermine, roach ) is an albino, is the blue-eyed colors blow a leuzistisches animal. Intersections of the two colors strokes occurred in the F1 generation colored offspring.

Appearance of ermine rabbit

The ermine rabbit is the prototype of dwarf rabbits. The characteristic, different from the other rabbit breeds body shape with the rounded, compact body, short little legs and the relatively large head with big eyes and closely spaced short ears is caused by the so-called dwarf factor. The skins of both color varieties of ermine rabbit are pure white, dense and relatively soft. The weight of the ermine rabbit is ideally between 1.1 and 1.5 kg animals weighing less than 1 kg and 1.5 kg are excluded to breed rabbits Look of assessment.

History of ermine rabbit

The origin of the breed is not fully understood, there are several variations as it has come to out growing the ermine rabbit. It turns the red-eyed ermine rabbit represents the original type to the origin, there are several theories. These need not necessarily be excluded, since it is several times come out for independent breeding like rabbits breeds.

The red-eyed ermine rabbit

The " Polish " Rabbit

A theory on the origin of the ermine rabbit, which is especially common in the German literature, goes out of its growth from a relatively small white or piebald Rabbit, grown especially in the Erzgebirge. The fur of these animals should have proved particularly suitable for the production of a Imitates the fur of real ermine. In earlier times, the imitation of valuable furs was an important breeding goal of the race rabbit, which is also reflected in the names of other rabbit breeds.

Polish furrier to have then brought furs and animals to England, where animals of this type have been shown for the first time in 1884 at an exhibition in Hull by J. Meynell and G. Hedworth. These so-called " Polish " animals came then to Germany in 1900 and 1903 were shown for the first time. The further the breed took place on the European continent largely under the name Ermine. In the Dutch language area, the breed is still under the old name " pool, Rodoog " spread.

In the " evaluation provisions for pedigree rabbits in socialist countries " that were also in the GDR from 1980 to the reunification, there was an albino rabbit breed "Polish White ", but which in Weight ( 2:25 to 3:25 kg ) and type the description by rather the Russians rabbit possible. This breed is still bred in Scandinavia under the name " Ørestad " ( Nordisk standard for Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden).

The Belgian / English origin - The " Polish Rabbit"

One in British literature ( Sandford ) to-find representation assumes that the British " Polish " were grown from rabbit Belgian origin. The author also indicates that animals of this type were bred in England several times of small white, dutch or russian -colored animals. The breeding history of the British Isles has produced a very different type, the " dwarf rabbits ", which is also reflected in the standard rules in Scandinavia, Belgium and the Netherlands, and whose country of origin is shown with England. Nevertheless, this type in the UK is called " Polish ". In the United States ( ARBA standard) and other English-speaking overseas countries is called the Polish of the English type as " Britannia Petite ".

The Blue-eyed ermine rabbit

The blue-eyed ermine rabbit has, at least for Germany after matching considers its origin in Saxony. The goal to breed a blue-eyed dwarf rabbits, pursued independently breeders Kluge in Hohn village and Unger and Lohse in Dippoldiswalde. Which breeds have been used for breeding out is unclear, with high probability Dutch rabbits were used in addition to the red-eyed ermine rabbit.

Breeding

The breeding of the breed is not easy, since it is spalterbige animals is ( only monochrome spalterbige rabbit breed). Therefore, a part of the young animals is (calculated 25%) homozygous carriers of the dwarf factor and therefore not viable. Another quarter of the pups does not have the dwarf factor and therefore also does not show in the standard demanded body shape. In addition, the ermine rabbit in contrast to the proverbial increase joy of the Rabbit tend to be quite small litters. For animal protection reasons ( torment breed ) and the mating of type dwarfs is therefore not permissible. It is recommended the mating of its type, with large-framed animals that are not carriers of the dwarf factor. In order to avoid a further extreme miniaturization, one has in ZDRK the maximum weight increases for the highest score in this position, the vote of 1250 to 1350 g, while most other European associations have remained at the original weight demands.