Breed of rabbits blue ram

There are a lot of varieties of rabbits on the earth, but among them there is one species, which, in our opinion, deserves special attention is the blue sheep.

History of the breed

The blue sheep appeared in France around 1850 as a result of crossing the English fold and the Flemish giant. In record time the breed was conquered by neighboring countries - Germany, Belgium, Holland. The blue ram became incredibly popular.

After the war in 1870-1871 between Prussia and France, the Germans began to independently breed rabbits of this breed, having adopted the experience of their reproduction with the French. In Germany, such rabbits were known as Patagonian sheep or Andalusian. German breeders improved the breed, later it got to Holland. If at the beginning of its appearance the French blue sheep was considered some sort of exotic, then after a while the representatives of the breed settled on all continents.

Description of the breed

Rabbit French sheep (blue) has one distinctive feature - hanging ears. In addition, the representatives of this breed grow quickly enough, and therefore legally occupy the first place in terms of size and weight among the lop-eared rabbits. Females reach a weight of more than five kilograms, and males, on the contrary, have more modest parameters - 4.5 kilograms.

Rabbits have characteristic protruding frontal bones on a wide enough muzzle with puffy big cheeks. The paws of the animals are strong, and the trunk is elongated, with a deep chest and a broad back. Hanging rabbit ears reach 45 centimeters in length. However, the blue ram is known not only for its ears, but also very thick and incredibly soft to the touch fur. It is due to the presence of such characteristics that the animal has become incredibly widespread on all continents.

Initially, rabbits were agouti, but now there are a variety of colors: white, black, chinchilla, blue, all kinds of shades of gray. But the most common is a motley color.

Features of breeding

Rabbit French sheep (blue) - this is a very unpretentious in breeding creature, which is multiplied mainly because of good and quality meat. For comfortable living, animals need a spacious cage or enclosure, inside of which there should be no foreign objects that can injure their tender ears. Also for rabbits it is worthwhile to buy drinkers and feeders adapted specifically for such a breed (long ears should not fall into them).

Animals are incredibly fast growing, for example, already nine months after birth, females are able to multiply. The young are born in the womb of mothers 30-32 days. The first litter of the rabbit appears even before it reaches the age of one year. At one time the female is able to give offspring consisting of twelve rabbits.

Interesting is the fact that animals have anatomical absurdities, in the year the pelvic bones of the rabbits are joined in such a way that in the future at birth it can not do without outside help. And at the age of three, females are not allowed to males at all, as anatomical features make subsequent births very dangerous for their life.

Feeding and care

The breed of blue sheep (photo is given in the article) for life expectancy refers to the record holders. Such animals are able to live more than seven years. The greatest activity is observed at night and lasts until the very morning. In the afternoon, rabbits are very sluggish and just fall asleep.

It is worth noting that the large size of animals uniquely imposes an imprint on their entire lifestyle. They are reluctant enough and move little. But with all this they have an excellent appetite, so the owners need to ensure that pets do not overeat. Otherwise, animals may begin to suffer from obesity.

Hay and dry food must be given in certain proportions. In order for rabbits to have no health problems, it is recommended to remove from their diet any fresh vegetables and fruits, as they provoke the development of diarrhea.

For such large pets it is worthwhile to purchase heavy metal bowls, as they are easily turned over and even gnawed by ordinary dishes. The drinking bowl must look like a bottle, the water from it should not flow into the cage.

Kinds of rams

In the world there are a variety of types of sheep: English, French, German, Dutch, dwarfish, Meissen, fleecy, plush (corduroy), fleecy. Each of them has its own distinctive features. For example, the English ram is quite different from other species. He probably has the longest ears - 60-70 centimeters, which even hinder his movement. The representative of this breed is even inscribed in the Guinness Book of Records, as the owner of the longest ears - 79 centimeters.

But Dutch rabbits have very small dimensions, while their weight is not more than 1.7 kilograms. Their homeland is the Netherlands. In the West, they are very popular because of a playful and friendly nature. Such animals are very quickly tamed and play with children with great pleasure. They are bred solely as decorative creatures.

The Meissian sheep were obtained as a result of crossing French and English species. It has more modest parameters, unlike the progenitors. At home, animals are on the verge of extinction, so they are protected by law.

The dwarf ram is a very small creature weighing 1.2-2 kilograms. Such rabbits are incredibly playful and cheerful, they can easily be trained. But they have a proud character.

These are such lovely creatures - dwarf sheep. For someone they are lovely pets, like a plush toy, and for someone - a source of tasty and juicy meat.