Scientific Facts
| Common Name: | Beveren Rabbit |
| Scientific Name: | Oryctolagus cuniculus |
| Life Span: | 5 to 10 years |
| Size (Adult): | Large |
| Weight (Adult) | 8 to 12 pounds |
| Body Shape: | Mandolin/Semi-Arch |
| Habitat: | Grasslands, meadows, forests |
| Country of Origin: | Western Belgium |
Physical Description
The Beveren Rabbit is a big breed of rabbits that weighs between eight up to 12 pounds. Beveren rabbit has a body type like a mandolin or a body shape like semi-arch. Its body is the medium size in length with big, meaty back, a full round face, and a great hard loin.
This kind of rabbit breed owns a large ear that commonly measures at least five inches or more when it already reaches its maturity. Its ears also stand vertically on its heads, and its forms like a “V” shape. The length of a Beveren rabbit’s fur grows between one up to 1 ½ inch long. The color of its fur may come in many colors, but the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) only acknowledges the Beveren Rabbit’s fur in color blue, blue-eyed-white, and also black.
Beveren Rabbit has a shoulder that is hard and well built, which has a well-sprung rib cage, lessen slightly from its large and smooth hips. When you catch sight from the Beveren’ side, you may notice that this rabbit has a definite arch. Begin from the back of the rabbit’s shoulder; their topline is somehow smooth curve. To complete to see the arch, you may view ascend to a high point over the middle of its back and a curve over its hips.
The well-filled head of the Beveren is full, starting from top to bottom. Its front legs and feet are usually straight that consist of strong and medium bone. While its hind legs and feet are straight and well furred. When it comes to the coat of the Beveren Rabbit, their coat is very thick and glossy.
The size, as well as the bodyweight of the Beveren Rabbits, is categorized into four grades: the pre-junior, junior, intermediate, and the senior. Every grade of bucks has a divergent body weight. Both of the male and female pre-junior Beveren rabbits have a maximum weight of at least 6.6 pounds or 2.5 kg when they are lower by the age of three months. The maximum bodyweight of the male Junior Beveren rabbits is about 8 pounds or 3.6 kg when they are between the ages of three to six months, while the female varying with the same age of three to six months can have the maximum weight of 9 pounds or 4 kg.
When it comes to the weight of the intermediate Beveren rabbits, between the ages of six to eight months, have a maximum body weight of 9.5 pounds or 4.3 kg in males, while the females within the same age have a maximum body weight of 10.5 pounds or 4.7 kg. In the senior category, the maximum bodyweight of a male Beveren in the age of more than eight months has a range of 8 up to 11 pounds or 3.6 to 5 kg., while in the female with the same weight has a maximum bodyweight of 9 to 12 pounds (4 kg. to 5.5 kg).
Good-to-know Facts About Beveren Rabbit
Here are some of the quick facts about the Beveren Rabbit:
- They are convenient as house rabbits.
- Beveren rabbits can be indoor or outdoor pet rabbits.
- They are best suited for Singles as well as those families that have older children.
- The temperaments of Beveren rabbits are clever, obedient, lively, and curious rabbits.
- Their comparable breeds are English Hop and Havana Rabbit
Colors
Beveren Rabbit has a different color, but the ARBA recognized only three colors, which include solid blue, black, and blue-eyed-white. The solid black color has to be extensive but glossy, jet black that supports well down into a blue under color. While the solid blue color is usually like the clean shade of lavender-blue, support down to its base, and usually lose from silvering. And lastly, the color white that has to be pure white, without any ivory cast can be seen.
Coat
The coat of the Beveren rabbit has a thick and mushy fur that usually return back when petted. Its coat is usually short, lustrous, and thick every time you touch them. Similar to other animals like cats or dogs, the rabbits also shed more throughout the fall season or either on spring months. However, since the Beveren rabbits have short fur, you may not observe it just like any other animal. When you find your pet rabbit looks to be molting too much, just simply groom them for at least once or even twice a week outdoors using a slicker brush.
Behavior
Unlike other breeds of rabbit, Beveren rabbits seem to be calmer accompanied by a slightly laid back temperament that makes a Beveren become a great family pet. Beveren Rabbits are usually docile with an adequate mothering urge. They are active and lively creatures that love to search whether they are indoors or outdoors.
They are also well-mannered and compliant that makes them an ideal pet for seniors that loves to have a medium-sized, four-legged companion or for a pair as well as singles that wanted to take their first-ever step into new pet ownership. Beveren rabbits tend to be not suggesting for the families that have younger children members of their family as may have a proneness to be slightly skittish when they are being held or handheld. However, those families that have older children that aware to understand whats the need to be more cautious when handling an animal should be good with the Beveren rabbits. They often do well with little kids as long as they are supervised.
It is not easy for a rabbit as well as other animals to train them littering, but it is achievable when you have a lot of patience and rewards. Most pet owners tend to have many litter boxes that they spread across their home may work well. When it comes to the toys, most rabbits tend to have a few of their own ornaments for them to play and have some fun with it.
Usually, the kind of toys that your rabbit may seem to enjoy playing with depends on your rabbit’s personality. They may even fall head-over-feet in something that just simple as a number of toilet paper rolls hung together with string. They can also simply appreciate the worth of a mentally motivated rabbit-safe toy from any local pet store. Furthermore, Beveren Rabbits are clever rabbits, and when they are being bred, the doe’s are liable to make wonderful mothers, and they sometimes excel to be as foster-moms to an orphaned baby rabbit.
Habitat
Because of Beveren Rabbits’ large size, they need to have an equally large size of enclosures for them to live a lengthy and comfortable life. When you aim to keep your Beveren rabbits as an outdoor pet, they have need of a wood enclosure that is elevated from the ground and make a fence in the bottom with a ramp.
And when you plan to make them as indoor pets, their indoor enclosures should have a wired frame on each side and a plastic bottom where you can place their beddings. Most of the rabbit cages have a wire in its bottom, but that wire might become harsh on your rabbits’ feet. Make sure that their bedding is soft and more comfortable for them. Do not forget to spot-clean the bedding of your pet every day and totally change their bedding per week. The indoor rooms of your rabbit required to be rabbit-proofed, which means it should be free in anything that may hurt them, those things that they might chew like electrical wires.
The Beveren rabbits are said to be a lively bunny that definitely likes to look at its surroundings. Therefore, when you bring your rabbit outside, your yards required to be enclosed so that your rabbit might not escape from your backyard. Moreover, make sure to keep an eye to your pet to secure them for any immediate danger that may about to happen. Due to the dangers that may happen outside, it is advisable to keep your pets inside, where they can be trained well and for them to free to roam inside your house. Clean their enclosures using white vinegar or a cage safe cleaner, don’t just use any bathroom cleaner or another type of cleaner that it might be toxic for your pet’s cage.
Suitable housing is required for your pet rabbit for them to ensure their safety as well as for them to be healthy. The type of habitat for your pet may depend on whether they live in your house or outdoors. Your pet’s house is essential when it is five to six times larger than the size of your rabbit for them to give a chance for their habits such as eating and stretching.
Eating Habits
Just like any other breed of rabbits, your pet can live a long and healthy life when they are given a lot of time and fed enough healthy food for them. Beveren rabbit’s diet may consist of at least 70 percent of hay, and the rest must have a mix of pellets, vegetables, leafy greens, and a treat, which is fruits. There are some kinds of fruits and vegetables that can pose a danger to the health of your pet. An example of the food that might cause risk to your pet includes the seeds from the fruits that your pet eats such as apples and pears. Those seeds might contain small particles of cyanide, these may be harmless to humans, but they can hurt your rabbits.
You should also avoid your pet to some kind of bark and cherry tree twigs as well as rhubarb because this might contains oxalate that prevents the absorption of calcium. Mushroom also needs to be avoided because this hurts your pet rabbit, and some study shows that it has been shown to cause cancer in mice.
Beveren rabbits commonly strive to eat anything that you may give to them. But usually, their digestive system is very delicate. Supervision must be given to avoid the common and possible risks that might affect their digestive system. Most importantly, all-breed of rabbits required a persistent supply of fresh water, and you just changed it daily. It’s a great way to change it often rather than topping it up. You may use a heavy dish so that your pet cannot easily flip the dish over.
The most important need of every pet is their food, for Beveren Rabbits, feeding required to have a regular basis. You can give your pet good quality rabbit pellets along with some fresh fruits or vegetables like parsley, cilantro, and romaine lettuce, as well as collard greens. You may also offer them some commercial treats like carrots, celery, and apples. Beveren and all breeds of rabbits love to chew, so supply them with a lot of chewing chances. Willow bark for chewing is good for your pet.
Grooming
Your Beveren Rabbit requires having regular grooming for at least once a week; occasionally, it’s more often. You must also have to bathe your rabbit sometimes. It is a nice thought to start it when your pet is still young for them to become early used to the process. How many times you have to bathe your pet may always vary, sometimes it can range from weekly to monthly. You may use baby shampoo when you bathe your pet and towel dry them after. You may also use a blow dryer for rushing things, but it’s up to your pet for it might become afraid by the noise of blow dryer.
Spaying or Neutering
It is very significant as a pet owner to know any facts about spaying or neutering your pet rabbit. There’s a lot of advantages for your pet when they are spaying or neutering. Most of all are they can live a longer and healthier life, and they prevent being at risk in cancer as well as urinary tract infections are much lessens. The risk of reproductive cancers is virtually eliminated by spaying your female pet rabbits. While the neutered male rabbit may live longer as well, it is also given that he lessens to be tempted to have a fight with any other animals as well as rabbits or cats because of its sexual, violent behavior.
Another benefit of a spayed or neutered rabbit is it becomes peaceful and easier to manage. Their devastating manners will lessen a bit, and yet they do not misplace their attractive hostile nature. Those altered pet rabbits are also uncomplicated to litter train. Spayed and neutered rabbits are also easier to bind with because of their serene manner. And most of it, those altered rabbit couples will not end up with another litter of a baby bun.
As soon as the female rabbit becomes sexually mature you can be spayed them, commonly they are around 4 months of age, but most of the veterinarians tend to wait until they reach their 6 months old. The male rabbit can be neutered as long as their testicles descend; this usually happens when they are around 8 to 12 weeks.
Health Issues
Rabbits are very delicate pets and may become sick very briskly. For this cause, it is very important to look for veterinary care instantly when anything seems out of the ordinary habits of your pet. Observe and check your pet every day. It makes easier for you to familiarize yourself if there is something wrong with your pet when you are familiar with their daily behavior. Basic signs that your pet might have health problems include the following: fail to neither eat nor drink, loose stools, any discharge from their eyes or even in their nose, tiredness, fur droppings, and any other abnormal behavior.
Most of the health complication that happens in rabbits might be because of their poor diet, lack of cleanliness, inappropriate handling might also result in an injury into your pet rabbits. The Beveren Rabbit can able to live a happy and longer life if they have the best care from their pet owners as well as their veterinary, a clean habitat, and, most important is their healthy diet.
Special Care Considerations
Your pets require exercise frequently. Rabbits also tend to play with some toys, so provide some commercial toys for your Beveren Rabbit to keep them always entertained. Examples of toys for your pet include, treat balls, blocks, and chew toys. Every time you exercise your pet outside, make sure to keep a close eye on them because your pet might disappear quickly. While when you tend to exercise your pet inside, just make sure that they are not chewing some stuff on your house.
These breeds also just as easy to groom, and these Beveren rabbits are required to have a larger than their usual cage because of their size as well as their energy level. With proper care and feeding to your pet, they can live as long as 10 years.
One of the best ways to avoid any health problem that might occur to your pet is to ensure that they have a proper diet that rich in the hay. In addition, when your rabbit produces diarrhea, because of an inappropriate diet, they may have a soiled coat that can attract flies especially in the warmer season, and if these rabbits were not able to groom themselves properly, there are a few flies that can lay eggs in its fur. To prevent this, just make sure to feed your pet a well-balanced diet and often check their coat for might have flies that may possible to land on them.
Different from other kinds of animals, the rabbit’s teeth never stop growing as long as the rabbit is still alive. Hay is good to grinds the rabbit’s teeth up to their manageable size. When you notice that your pet teeth are too long, just bring them to your veterinarian so that they get them clipped. The ears of the rabbit also need to periodically check to make sure that there are no ear mites inside them; this is another basic condition to both indoor and outdoor pet rabbits.
Breeding Traits
The Beveren rabbit is effective when it comes to producing huge litters, and the young rabbits usually grow quite fast. The female Beveren rabbits have known to be excellent when it comes to motherly skills. These breeds of rabbits are born without any fur in their bodies, and their eyes are closed. They open their eyes when they are about 7 to 14 days after their birth.
You should keep your Beveren Rabbits as a pair for them to have companionship, it is good for them to have a companion for them to have a happy and long life. Female Beveren usually produces for at least 2 to 4 litters of bunnies per annum with 4 to 6 babies.
Beveren Rabbit Breed Origin
Beveren rabbit is considered one of the oldest and has the largest breed of fur rabbit. Beveren Rabbit typically developed because of their fur. It was first originated to be expected in Beveren within the year of 1898. Beveren is a mini town close to Antwerp in Belgium.
The authentic color of these breeds was a blue that generally came through a selection of the self blue. And the first consider Blue Beverens manifest the different depth of color. However, the light lavender-blue was the preferred color of the furriers. The first imported the Blue Beverens into the United Kingdom by Mrs. A.M Martin. And in the year 1905, they first showed the Blue Beverens in Norwich. After that, its breed rapidly becomes the most famous fur rabbit breed in the United Kingdom.
The Beveren rabbit comes in the United States within the year of 1915, and it was registered in the Standard with the spelling of “Beverin.” Beveren Rabbits is acknowledged by both the British Rabbit Council and the American Rabbit Breeders Association. At present, the Beveren Rabbits are suffering from the destitution of popularity. Yet a lot of breeders in Belgium and some other nearby countries still continue to breed Beveren Rabbits. The Beverens considered as “watch” in the list of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. In the present day, they keep these breeds generally for its fur and its meat.
Special Notes
The Beveren Rabbits, like any other kind of rabbit, loves to run, and they can reach the speed for about 30 up to 40 mph. The usual lifespan of a Beveren Rabbit is around the number of 5 up to 8 years but in the process of captivity, they can live up to 19 years. These breeds also tend to jump and they can jump up to 36 inches or 91.4 cm and mostly higher than their usual jump.
Beveren Rabbits considered having an excellent sense of smell, vision, and hearing. Their eyes that located at each side of their face gives them the ability to see at nearly 360 degrees, which allows them to see their upcoming predators from any directions. The Beveren Does are commonly larger than the size of bucks, like the most other kinds of rabbit breeds. Their litters are usually big, and the Does are definitely docile that makes them an excellent mother.
American Beveren Rabbit Club
The American Rabbit Beveren Club is a site where they can pledge to promote “The Breed of Distinction” and to teach the young as well as the rabbit breeders about the adorable breed, which is the Beveren Rabbit. You can also know about its history and development as well as to assist the breeders in expanding their genetics. With all other features of this club, there are officers as well as directors top help to assist in finding some breeders throughout the United States and for any other needs.
American Rabbit Breeders Association is an institution pledged to promote the development and improvement of these domestic rabbits and cavy. This consists of over 15 000 members all over the United States, Canada, and abroad. Each member of this club scope with the pet owner with one rabbit up to the breeder or the commercial rabbit raiser with a lot of animals. Everyone in this aspect of the rabbit industry, even if it is for fancy, or a pet, or for the commercial worth, is encouraged by this institution.
Availability – Where to Get One
You may find the Beveren Rabbit for sale near you or via pet websites or in a Beveren Rabbit Breeders Classifieds. The usual cost of each rabbit is up to $75, depends on the quality of the Beveren.
FAQs
How can you tell when the female rabbit has previously been spayed?
The possibility that you can tell if they are already spayed or not is very high. The first way is to see if its tummy is already, shave and you may see for a spay car.
When is a rabbit too old to be spayed or neutered?
Commonly when a rabbit reaches its 6th-year-old, anesthetics, as well as some other kinds of surgery, become more risky to the rabbit, but this does not necessarily mean that you can not do spay or neuter your pet. Just simply consult your veterinarian as regards to your pet’s health and for other any circumstances or opt for some pre-surgical; blood work.
How do you know if a rabbit is scared?
It’s not too easily perceived to see if rabbits are feeling scared. But some show that your pet is experiencing fear if you notice that they are simply hiding or crouching down to its cage, squealing, grunting, and also when your pet has heavy breathing.
