# Dutch rabbits



## dizzylynn (Jul 30, 2010)

Has anyone came across the Dutch rabbit breed anywhere, I was going to get rats, but I feel they dont live long enough, so concidered a dutch rabbit, looking into the information on the breeds I felt this breed was the best suited, we had a rabbit years ago, but she was from a farm and very aggressive tbh think she was half feral, only myself could get near her, she was a good size too not your average pet rabbit size (not as big as a cont but bigger than a normal english rabbit) I dont like just buying from pets at home, there stock is usually over bred and sold quickly just to get them moved, it has to be this breed I feel for its size and nature.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

they are quite a common/popular breed.

its normal for female rabbits to get a bit loony after6 months old when their hormones kick in, so if you want to get one thats a better pet, get a male.


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

I used to breed & show Dutch :2thumb:, Google United Kingdom Dutch Rabbit Club (UKDRC), contact the seretary (i think it is still Paul Lyons who is secretary) & ask them to recommend a breeder in your area, they come in 7 colours: Black, Blue, Steel, B/G (Brown/Grey), Yellow, Tort & Chocolate. Here's some pics of some of the ones i bred......





































Sorry these are all Chocolate Dutch, but this is what i had the most success with & have the most pics of :no1:.


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## Hammyhogbun (May 19, 2011)

Paul isnt the sec any more. 

There is only one show breeder i can think of up north that breeds blues poss blacks. other than that i only know of people down south.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

think mine were from terry lyons? mine were a bit nutty though, i had blues and blacks

they`re a lovely size bun for a pet, nice and chunky too.


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## dizzylynn (Jul 30, 2010)

pigglywiggly said:


> think mine were from terry lyons? mine were a bit nutty though, i had blues and blacks
> 
> they`re a lovely size bun for a pet, nice and chunky too.


Thanks for your imput guys, I got a lionhead today, a longer life span, my kids get super attatched (so do I) so the longer they can live the better. 
He is super friendly and lets us touch him, pet him and even managed to pick him up (kids will wait few months before allowed to pick him up) he is bonding with them tho, playing with the kitchen roll tubes with them.


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## Hammyhogbun (May 19, 2011)

I didnt realise different breeds had different life spans lol

Good luck with the lionhead


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Hammyhogbun said:


> I didnt realise different breeds had different life spans lol
> 
> Good luck with the lionhead



They don't, the exception are the very large giant breeds like the Conti's & British giants which have a short life span due to their huge size & normal size hearts. When i was breeding i always said a rabbits lifespan was 5-7 years which is about the norm (yes you will get ones that live longer & ones that live shorter). But 5-7 is the normal lifespan for the majority of rabbit breeds :2thumb:.


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## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

my fav breed of rabbit and i used to breed them to altho my stud male turned into a right grumpy thing 

love all the diffrent colours you get now it was only black and white or a few shades of grey or brown ginger when i had them


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## dizzylynn (Jul 30, 2010)

This is Charlie, he is 12 weeks old approx, will need to try and weigh him today sometime, so can sort out wormers and tick control, I have a brush etc all ready, and need to find the styptic powder for when I do his nails. I had a fiddle with his paws last night to see how he reacted to me touching them, he seemed fine didnt bother him, diff story when I have a clipper in my hand tho but will work on that later, get him used to being held and touched 1st.


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

dizzylynn said:


> image
> 
> image
> 
> This is Charlie, he is 12 weeks old approx, will need to try and weigh him today sometime, so can sort out wormers and tick control, I have a brush etc all ready, and need to find the styptic powder for when I do his nails. I had a fiddle with his paws last night to see how he reacted to me touching them, he seemed fine didnt bother him, diff story when I have a clipper in my hand tho but will work on that later, get him used to being held and touched 1st.



Why are you worming him & putting tick stuff on him? I would only ever worm if you see pin worms in his poo. Rabbits don't suffer from ticks (well i've never known them too). Also i would be cutting his nails too early (leave them until he is about 5-6 months old), leave cutting them as long as you can or they will grow much quicker & need doing more often. He looks like a Lionhead cross to me so may well get quite big.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

being white you`ll be able to see the veins in his nail, so you shouldnt need a styptic pencil.
they wont need toing till at least 5 months, longer if he runs about on concrete or similar.

he does look big for 12 weeks, so could have something else in the mix too.


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## dizzylynn (Jul 30, 2010)

pigglywiggly said:


> being white you`ll be able to see the veins in his nail, so you shouldnt need a styptic pencil.
> they wont need toing till at least 5 months, longer if he runs about on concrete or similar.
> 
> he does look big for 12 weeks, so could have something else in the mix too.


He's smaller feeling than he looks I must admit, but they are estimating his age, between 12 - 14 weeks, called vet this morning, its the programme they use for ticks and fleas on bunnies, they do get fleas but not as often, more likely to get flystrike tho, that will be kept eye on and regular cleaning/grooming should prevent that, I am not gonna cut his nails yet, want to get him used to being touched and have the stuff handy for when I do. He has long nails, at the mo he's not got access to concrete yet, he's indoors for few weeks, I dont like the hutches instore poor quility, so plan a nice big job to make him a fab home outside, thats easy for me to spend time with him in the wet winter months.


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## Hammyhogbun (May 19, 2011)

corny girl said:


> They don't, the exception are the very large giant breeds like the Conti's & British giants which have a short life span due to their huge size & normal size hearts. When i was breeding i always said a rabbits lifespan was 5-7 years which is about the norm (yes you will get ones that live longer & ones that live shorter). But 5-7 is the normal lifespan for the majority of rabbit breeds :2thumb:.


I was being sarcastic really :whistling2:

I agree with others it does look like a crossbreed, so you wont know how big it will grow to.


To me the pattern kind of looks like an english pattern. so it could be an english/lionhead


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## dizzylynn (Jul 30, 2010)

Yeah was thinking that too, he is getting a nice shed house so that not the worry, and alot of bonding to be done so he is a good natured sole.


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Hammyhogbun said:


> To me the pattern kind of looks like an english pattern. so it could be an english/lionhead



Yes, type is all wrong for a Lionhead (has something else in there), looks more English to me too. Here's an English Doe i had years ago.....


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