Dwarf Rabbit

The hermine rabbit breed is the ancestor of all dwarf breeds. It is named thus because it is white like the small carnivore known as the ermine. It is a small rabbit with white fur and pink or blue eyes and short ears. The first French hermine rabbit standard was established in 1910 by the Rabbit Breeders Club and was adopted on January 17, 1921 by the Standards Commission of the French Rabbiculture Society. The maximum weight was set at 1.5 kg. The first true dwarf rabbit was designed in 1940, resulting from the crossing of a hermine rabbit and a wild rabbit.

The dwarf rabbit is a strict herbivore, its diet consists essentially of fiber. Hay is essential to the dwarf rabbit's diet, it must be distributed ad libitum. Pellets should be composed not of cereals, but of plants or vegetables, alfalfa should be avoided in adult rabbits because it is very rich in calcium and can generate urinary disorders. Indeed, hay is the most important element in rabbit diets, followed by pellets and fresh vegetables. Green is also crucial, and its ration is estimated at 8 to 10% of the rabbit's weight per day. For rabbits not accustomed, care must be taken to introduce each food gradually. This green ration can consist of salad (except lettuce), endive, fennel, aromatic plants (except bay leaf), Jerusalem artichoke, celery root or stem, parsnip... Carrots should only be distributed occasionally, as they are very sweet.