Jersey Wooly Rabbit Care Sheet

Scientific Facts

Common Name:	Jersey Wooly Rabbit
Scientific Name:	Oryctolagus cuniculus
Life Span:	7 to 10 years
Size:	Medium to Large
Habitat:	meadows, woods, forests, grasslands, deserts and wetlands
Country of Origin:	United States of America

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Overview

This rabbit is just one of the breeds developed for the pet trade; despite this reason, this pet is popular for shows. It comes with a short body, small and chunky head, and upright ears. It wears a coat that is coarse and short. Thus, it needs grooming.

In the past decades, there were lots of tiny and rabbit breeds, but only Jersey Wooly was accepted. This rabbit is a crossbreed of a French Angora and Netherland Dwarf. In 1984, this was introduced first by Bonnie Seeley to the American Rabbit Breeder Association. After a short time, this rabbit rose its way up as one of the most popular breeds. This breed is found only in the countries using the ARBA standards. Some countries do recognize the Dwarf Angora. They have similarities with Jersey Wooly, but still, there are clear differences between the two.

General Information on Rabbits

For rabbits to me shiny and glossier, grooming 2-3 times a week is highly advisable. In the molting season, groom your rabbit every week to get rid of the stray hairs. Rabbits tend to be energetic and lively that they need exercise and stimulation. It is good to give them a secure and safe run for leg stretching and playing. To do that, give tubes, toys, and obstacle courses in various forms. These would expend their energy and give them fun. In addition, they are sociable and like playing with more friends.

Do a regular health checkup once a week to keep your rabbit’s health in good condition. Give them a nice brushing to remove the excess hair. Apart from their hair, teeth checking should be done, too, in order to prevent problems from occurring. Their teeth don’t stop growing, and giving fresh hays is a great help to control their teeth’ growth.

In terms of food, they need pellets of high quality and has lots of nutrition. Cabbage, various fruits, and dandelions are their favorites. Rabbits having short coats are not at risk for digestive problems, but they can experience ailments due to ear mites, flystrike, and overgrown teeth. These can be avoided with proper grooming and care given.

If you don’t have plans of breeding two rabbits, spay the female one and neuter the male one. At 4 months old, the female can be spayed, but 6 months is ideal, while the males could be neutered at 4 months old.

Like other pets, deworming is needed. Ask your vet for guidance regarding the administering.

Natural Habitat

Like any other rabbits, Jersey Wooly Rabbits love to stay in meadows, woods, forests, grasslands, deserts, and wetlands. They are found in the United States of America and loved as pets by children and adults alike.

Physical Description

These rabbits have a round and compact type of body size. They weigh from 1 to 3 pounds, thus called a dwarf breed. Their ears are erected and small (2 to 3 inches long). Their heads are bold and square, making them known as mug heads. They come in 6 color groups as recognized by ARBA. It features chinchilla, opal, chestnut, and squirrel colors from the Agouti group while the broken group is in the white plus any of the recognized variety while the self-group in sin lilac, chocolate, blue and black.

The shaded one is in tortoiseshell, sable point, smoke peals, blue tortoiseshell, Siamese sable, and the seal. Tan patterns are the otters in black and blue while the martens are smoke pearl, sable, blacks silver, blue silver, chocolate, and lilac silver. The group includes the pointed white black as well as the pointed white blue.

Coat

To keep their coats tangle-free and clean, the owner has to brush the coat once a week in the non-shedding seasons. The adults have to be brushed in spring more for this is the shedding season. They don’t require trimming or clipping. If they get dirty, just clean it with a damp cloth and should not be given a full bath from ear to tail. This will give stress and cardiac problems.

Characteristics

They have to be groomed daily at least twice a day.
They have very dense fur. Cottony wools have to be groomed a lot and not for the first time breeder/ owners or the young children.
These rabbits are prone to the wool mites if not regularly checked and treated.
In addition, they are prone to wool block too, as caused by their long hair for the reason that they eat their hair when grooming themselves. Plus, they are susceptible to this problem due to the amount of hair they ingest. Their system can’t digest or pass the hair into their system.
Plucking or clipping is essential for every 90-120 days to avoid a wool block.
When their young are born, their eyes are open at 7-14 days after 10 days after they are born. Then, they can eat alfa, pellets, and water.
The mothers know when to wean their young. For 8 weeks at least, let the babies stay with their mother for they need milk
With proper care, they can live for 5-8 years or even 10 years.

Temperament or Behavior

These rabbits are the no-kick bunny. That means they don’t kick or bite. They are docile and gentle instead. With this, children can have them as they are wonderful pets. Still, the kids have to be supervised, but don’t worry; they are affectionate and quiet. Couples, seniors, first-time owners can have this pet because they have sweet nature and loves to be cuddled.

In terms of potty training, rabbits are harder to train. Still, having a potty corner in the enclosure would still be used; however, the connection would happen slowly. The litter box would be used after they understand what it is. They would appreciate have safe toys like a woodblock or toilet paper. For mental stimulation. They love being with their owners and love being petted and picked up.

Care Requirements

This is an indoor rabbit because of its small size. Nonetheless, the enclosure should still be large for comfortable moving. The enclosure’s bottom should be plastic and made of wire and has beddings. Beddings should be cleaned daily and changed every week.

For their food, it should consist of 70% hay of high and good quality. The rest would be veggies, fruits, leafy greens, and pellets. Pears and apple seeds must not be given to them. For a healthier rabbit, give them lots of time outside to have human interaction. Let them hop in a safe room. Watch out for predators or any harm to this small bunny.

Health

These bunnies are a risk to wool block due to their long hair. They are clean and love regular grooming of themselves by licking their own fur. Unlike cats who can regurgitate wools, rabbits can’t. The wools are just stock up in the stomach, making them full and starve to death. Symptoms include decreased droppings, lack of appetite, and less movement. If you see any of these signs, call your vet.

Have your rabbit be dewormed 2 times a year. It is done by squeezing a small amount of deworming paste and have your rabbit eat it. This will protect them for 6 months. Check your rabbit’s ingrown teeth, which make their jaw and face pain. Ear mites could be another problem too. Neutering or spaying is said to increase their lifespan.

Feeding

Mature Jersey woolies should eat an ounce for every one pound of their weight every day. Allow babies or pregnant mothers to eat as much. This will give them the needed nutrients and calories they need. They do well on 16-18 % of protein, 16% of fiber, and 2-3% of fat.

Water

With their quality food, they should have fresh water daily since they cannot get water from hay as their food.

Treats

Treats would be used as a reinforcement to do cooperative training. You can give them some from your kitchen, but you should not give spoiled food and get rid of poisonous seeds from the fruits. Don’t give them lettuce, which can lead to diarrhea. This can kill your rabbit.

Maturity and Molting

Jersey wooly that matures experiences molting stages starting from the eyes, nose then, at the ear base. Some can go bald.

Breeding and Reproduction of Rabbits

Small breeds like Jersey wooly is at 3.5 to 4 months. Eggs from females are released after sexual intercourse. They are receptive to mating on the 14th day of every 16 days. Female rabbits are receptive when their vagina is moist and red. unreceptive does have no moisture in their vagina and whitish pink color. To detect pregnancy, feel the doe’s abdomen if there are grape-sized embryos. Do this 12 days after they breed.

The pregnancy takes 31-33 days. If a doe has a small litter, it means pregnancy takes longer. The nest boxes should be in the cage 28-29 days after the breeding. Putting it too early will just be a litter box.

Care of Newborns

Baby rabbits are born naked and blind. Their hair only shows a few days after being born. Their ears and eyes are open on day 10. Babies cannot regulate their own temperature. After females give birth, rebreeding happen at any time.

Rearing babies by hand is possible, but mortality is high. kittens should be kept dry and warm. They can start eating leafy green on days 15 to 18. Young mothers could eat their babies when they feel neglected or nervous. Dogs and other predators make them nervous that they kill and eat their babies.

Availability: Where to Get One?

You can have your Jersey wooly rabbit from trusted and reputable breeders online or from rabbit shows. They are also available at your pet store.

Why You Should Keep Your Herd Healthy

Any sick animal fails to keep its health and produce offspring.
Sick rabbits most likely to pass their illnesses to their offspring.
Having constantly sick rabbits will decrease your selling.
Poor quality genetics causes sickness in your herd.
Sick rabbits are unpleasant rabbits generally.
Any breeder who has a sick rabbit constantly becomes an unethical breeder.
Having sick rabbits means you have to buy lots of supplies.

Signs of a Sick Rabbit

Stops eating
Stops drinking water
Becomes inactive
Gets so aggressive toward other bunnies
Has lump or abscess on the skin
Has cold symptoms a lot
Sneezes more usually
Losses fur
Puss or discharge around the nose
Scratches and pulls out its fur
The fungus grows on the body
Acts strangely

Reasons for Raising Rabbits

They are low maintenance. This is one fact that breeders love about rabbits.
They are quiet.
They are economical and profitable if given dedication and effort.
Their meat is healthy. There is a market for rabbit meat.
Their manure is valuable. Their feces are great fertilizers for your gardens.
They are great pets if you choose the right breed.
They give you self-fulfillment. They give you a good feeling inside.
They give you an opportunity to show. You make new friends by showing your rabbits.
They offer you an amazing learning experience. You will learn a lot from raising them.
Raising them is fun and enjoyable.

Things to Look for When Buying Jersey Wooly

Jersey wooly should be compact and short with shoulders that are wide, rounded, full, and full midsection hindquarters. Their topline should be behind their ears then rises to have a gentle curve over the highest point of their loins then curves down to the tail base smoothly.

Their heads should be high and close to their shoulders. In addition, it should be well filled, short, and wide. The head should also be round, starting from the ears moving up to the brows and flat from their eyes to their nose then round again along the jowls and muzzle. Trimmings should be on the side, having wool along their jawline and a short wool cap and dense wool on their head. Ears are erect, short, and have a good substance as well as well-furred. Ideally, their ears are 2.5 inches and have a good harmony with their heads and body. The tip of their ears is slightly rounded while their eyes are bright and bold. Their legs must be sturdy, having normal fur on their front feet.

For their fur, they should have lots of guard hair. Their wools have a texture that is slightly coarse, having a crimped underwool. The outer coat is full of life and healthy, which drapes gently over their coat, giving a flowing look. The wools should be dense.

Don’t Buy:

A rabbit that has a narrow or long head or body. Long bodied woolies are not qualified.
Flat or rough topline over their shoulders or hindquarters.
Pinched or undercut hindquarters.
Pinched muzzle head.
Thin or furred ears.
Scissored or not erected ears.
More than 3 inches tasseled ears.
Very fine bones.
Have wools below their ankle joint.
Coarse or wiry wool.
Short wools.

How to Care

Make a home for your bunny.

Set up your bunny cage. It will need 1 foot per 1 pound of a fully grown rabbit. An average bunny is 3 pounds, so the cage should be 3 square feet. the width is 1.5 times the length of a fully grown bunny, and the cage is thrice the length of your rabbit.
That is only the room. The cage must include a litter box, food, and water dishes and a box for resting. The floor space should be 1.8 meters.
Don’t put your bunny in a cage of solid walls or aquarium. This will block airflow and cause harm to your rabbit.
Put an appropriate floor. Since they have small feet, they can be injured and get stuck on the wire floor. The cage should be on a solid floor. Wire floors can lead to sores on the rabbit’s feet.
Wooden floors or carpet will work well. There must be deep layers of bedding.
Sleeping areas must be put on top of the cage’s floor. The bedding must safe even when ingested. Natural fibers or hay are ideal for this. Give enough bedding for burrowing and moving.
Avoid using harmful beddings like wood shavings, newspaper, cardboard, straw, pine products, and more.
Put a litter box for bathroom needs. Put it in the cage. A small plastic litter pan is okay. Put fresh hays inside their litter box and under their hay. The box should have a bathroom and kitchen side. Confine them in their cage until they learn the use of a litter box.
Include a hiding place. Protect them from what scares them like loud noises, predators, and others hide box could be any enclosed one away from drafts, lights, and sounds. It should have two openings. You can use cardboard boxes or cardboard tubes.

Rabbit-proofing Your Home

Let it roam. Choose a room where your bunny can freely move. It should meet your bunny’s need like a water bowl, food dishes, a litter box, and more.
Set up houses from cardboards.
Protect them from electrical wirings. Cover the wires or remove them. Keep all of them from your bunnies.
Protect your furniture from being chewed by your rabbit. They love chewing on what they see.
Give safe toys as substitutes. Homemade toys can be given too.

Feeding Your Rabbit

Give your bunny some hays. They eat hays in the daytime, mostly. The hays must be of high quality. Feed-in unlimited amounts. Alfalfa hay should be a treat and not a daily meal. Avoid giving spoiled or wet hay.
Provide rabbit pellets every day.
Include green veggies too like carrot tops, broccoli stems, bokchoy, and more. given them 3 to 4 servings.
Give some treats in limited quantities. Give them just a tablespoon a day since they are small. Treats would be fruits and carrots as well as other starch veggies.
Don’t give human food.
Give multiple water dishes. It can be a ceramic or bottle dish.

Taking Care of Your Rabbit

Make the litter box and bedding clean. Clean regularly or when needed. Wash the box and change the bedding.
Pests and others would cling to a dirty cage.
Bring your rabbit to a vet for a checkup. They will live longer if they have a proper diet.
A yearly examination is important.
Any indication of symptoms means you have to take them to your vet.
Neuter or spay them. It gets rid of unwanted pregnancy, urine spraying, infections, and cancer in the reproductive system.

Trivia About Jersey Wooly Rabbit

Jersey wooly comes in various colors, namely the agouti, tan pattern, shaded, self, and the AOV.
They are not common outside the US.
They are herbivores.
They are born not having a fur with closed eyes.
They live comfortably in groups.
They have an outstanding hearing, vision, and smell.
They nearly have a 36O vision degree.
They should be kept in pairs. They live longer and happily with companions.
Female jerseys produce2-4 liters each year with 4-6 babies.
They have 28 teeth.
They groom themselves and others.
They are crepuscular.
They sleep for 8 hours averagely.
They love wet foods
They do well on aspen shavings and wood pellets as beddings.

How to Groom

To start with, clean their enclosure for easier grooming. Home remedy materials like water and lemon juice, or water and vinegar or water and baking soda. Use this to wash the stains.
Use a high type of blow dryer. Set it to cool.
Blow the dust and fluff the coat.
Use it for a short period.
Don’t blow-dry the eyes, nose, ears, or mouth.
Start at the rump then move to the back and sides.
To remove the mats, use a slicker brush. Then pull the loose fur out. Start at the tail then do the underside.
Check for any irritation as well as the teeth and nails.
Do trimming where necessary.
Overgrown or untreated teeth can make your rabbit stop eating.

FAQ

How long do Jersey Wooly rabbits live?

With many factors like care and genetics, they live for about 7 to 10 years.

How do you take care of a Jersey Wooly rabbit?

To take care of Jersey wooly, give a cage having 3 square feet. This will give your pet a spacious room for moving.

Are Jersey Wooly rabbits good pets?

Yes, the ear. In fact, they are favorite pets and used in rabbit shows. In terms of behavior, they are docile and gentle. Plus, they don’t bite or kick.

How do you groom a Jersey Wooly rabbit?

Keep the enclosures clean. Free it from droppings. Use a blow dryer that is high power. In order to remove mats, use a slicker brush. In addition, it pulls the loose fur out, makes the coat shinier, and stimulates the skin.

What do Jersey Wooly rabbits eat?

They are fed on hay for good digestion, pellets, fruits, and veggies. Give them lots of water too.

Can you give bunnies baths?

No. Like cats, they groom themselves, but they don’t need a bath. They are scared of water, and bathing them gives them stress.

How old does a rabbit have to be to mate?

They are capable of mating at 4 months, but generally, it should be 6 months’ age.

What do you feed dwarf rabbits?

For dwarf rabbits, they should be given clean water, fresh hay, pellets, and fresh vegetables and fruits.

Do dwarf rabbits smell?

They like self-grooming. The only thing that makes them smelly is their cage or enclosure that is made odorous by urine smell, but if cleaned daily, then there wouldn’t be any foul smell.

Why do rabbits die when they get wet?

Rabbits don’t like being wet; thus, if they get wet, they tend to get heart attacks. In addition, they need a long time to dry their hair. If the fur is wet, they can have hypothermia even when it is hot.

Do rabbits die of loneliness?

Once a strong relationship is formed, it will be so hard for the rabbit to be separated. This can lead to severe loneliness. They can die with it. That is why they should be put in pairs.

Do bunnies know their names?

Yes, they can. They respond when they hear their name called. Moreover, they can understand and learn various words.

What is the smallest dwarf rabbit?

Some of the smallest dwarf rabbits are the mini lop, the Netherland Dwarf rabbits, and the Columbia basic pygmy. The Mini lop or the dwarf lop rabbit is a popular dwarf breed; the 2^nd rabbit mentioned is diminutive, and the last is the smallest among the dwarf rabbits.

Can a 4-month old rabbit get pregnant?

A doe can be pregnant at week 12 and even have babies up to 4 years old.

How to know if my rabbit is happy?

An indication they are happy is spending time with you being relaxed. In contrast, teeth grating is an indication of something negative. Thus, taking them to a vet is vital.

Why rabbits eat their babies?

Some reason is being nervous or stressed as seeing predators. They get scared that they eat their babies.

Can you potty train a rabbit?

Yes. However, spaying or neutering has to be done first. Potty training will be difficult if this process is not done.

How do you carry a rabbit?

Hold it firmly but gently. One hand should support the back and hindquarters. To make them feel, have security hold all the feet near your body. Don’t pick them by their ears. They would get stressed, and you would injure them.

How do you know when a rabbit is sleeping?

It will lie on his stomach, and his legs are stretched behind or sideways. It can sleep upright too. You can check his ears too. Ears folded down on the head means your bunny is sleeping.

What does it mean when a rabbit licks you?

They lick because they like you. It is a sign of affection and not because they want salt.

Can rabbits get pregnant twice?

Yes, they can. They can get pregnant after giving birth or even when it is pregnant.

Can hares mate with rabbits?

No, they cannot. Genetically speaking, they are incompatible.

Do rabbits make noise when mating?

They make a sound like wooing to attract the opposite sex to mate. Honking sounds are made, too, when they are joyous or thrilled. A male rabbit honking around the doe means he wants to mate.

Why does my rabbit stare at me?

Your rabbit staring at you means it wants your attention, while a stare with a foot-stamping indicates not being happy with what you are doing.

What kind of sounds do rabbits make?

One sound is purring. This means they are happy. They do it by a gentle rub on their teeth.

What happens when a rabbit is spayed?

To neuter is to remove the testes, while spaying is removing the does reproductive organ.

How long do Unspayed rabbits live?

Unsprayed rabbit can live 8 to 12 years

Should rabbits be vaccinated?

Yes. It is strongly recommended. From 5 weeks, they can get vaccinated. Vaccines protect them from diseases.

Why should I spay my rabbit?

Spay rabbits to stop the risk of cancer development in the uterus, especially when they get old.

Why do rabbits lose weight?

Lose weight is due to malnourishment, parasites, and loss of appetite.

Are pellets bad for rabbits?

No, they aren’t but don’t give them pellets that have seeds or nuts in them. If there is no pellet, give unlimited hays.

Can rabbits have diarrhea?

Yes, they can. It can be caused by infection or eating inappropriate diet or antibiotics.

Why is rabbit pee white?

Calcium is released in the urine as calcium carbonate. This is the reason for the cloudy appearance that makes it white.

How do you get rid of the rabbit pee smell?

Use white vinegar to wash the box then rinse it with water. you can bleach it too, but make sure your bunny is not there.

Can rabbits throw up?

No, they can’t. They don’t have this capability. That is why when they ingest their fur; they suffer serious problems in their digestion.

What do rabbits drink?

They simply drink clean and freshwater.

What is an interesting fact about rabbits?

When they are happy, they do binky. This is a cute practice that makes them jump, twist, and spin.

What do rabbits do for fun?

They play with their toys or with their owners. They love spending time with their owners.