The New Zealand is a breed of

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...

, which despite the name, is

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

in origin. The breed originated in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, possibly from rabbits imported from

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. New Zealand rabbits are available in five colors recognized by the

American Rabbit Breeders' Association The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) is a national club for domestic rabbit and cavy breeders. The ARBA is headquartered in Knox, Pennsylvania in the United States. Its membership is composed of rabbit and cavy breeders throughout, fanc ...

(ARBA): white, red, black, blue, and broken. Crossbreeding can result in many other variations, such as gold tipped steel and chestnut agouti. They average with the does being slightly larger than the bucks. New Zealands are bred for meat, pelts, show, and laboratory uses, being the most commonly used breed of rabbit both for testing and meat production. They are also bred as pet rabbits but mostly breed for meat.

Physiology

New Zealand rabbits have a broad, muscular, and deep body of medium length, with well-rounded haunches. The ears stand straight up rather than being lopped. Fur is of normal length and "flyback," which means that when brushed in the wrong direction, it immediately returns to the original position. New Zealands are medium to large rabbits. Bucks (males) weigh , while the does (females) weigh . Female rabbits may have a

dewlap A dewlap is a longitudinal flap of skin or similar flesh that hangs beneath the lower jaw or neck of many vertebrates. More loosely, it can be various similar structures in the neck area, such as those caused by a double chin or the submandibula ...

, a fatty flap of fur below the chin which female rabbits sometimes use as a source of fur for lining their nest. Breeders prefer females with only a small dewlap and males that have none. White New Zealand rabbits have a genetic deviation called albinism that results in a snowy white coat. Albinism is caused by a lack of

melanin Melanin (; from el, μέλας, melas, black, dark) is a broad term for a group of natural pigments found in most organisms. Eumelanin is produced through a multistage chemical process known as melanogenesis, where the oxidation of the amino ...

, a pigment found in most organisms. The most noticeable characteristic of white rabbits is their bright eyes, which are a ruby pink color. For this reason, they are often described as REW (ruby eyed white). REW is a recessive trait and

epistatic Epistasis is a phenomenon in genetics in which the effect of a gene mutation is dependent on the presence or absence of mutations in one or more other genes, respectively termed modifier genes. In other words, the effect of the mutation is dep ...

to most other color genes in rabbits.

In shows

Though the ARBA treats all New Zealand rabbits the same, the British Rabbit Club (BRC) holds red New Zealand rabbits to a different standard. The blue New Zealand rabbit is recognized by the BRC and in the United Kingdom. The

American Rabbit Breeders Association The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) is a national club for domestic rabbit and cavy breeders. The ARBA is headquartered in Knox, Pennsylvania in the United States. Its membership is composed of rabbit and cavy breeders throughout, fa ...

(ARBA) has recognized blue New Zealands since late 2016. When shown in competition they are judged primarily on body type.

Origin

New Zealand rabbits were likely developed in California from a mix of breeds, possibly including Belgian hares and Flemish giants. They were developed for their quick growth rate and meat type, and were added to the US rabbit standard in 1916. Originally they only came in red. The white variety was created in 1917 by William S. Preshaw out of some white New Zealands born in a litter of reds. While the reds remained more popular for meat for some time, whites quickly caught on because of their white pelt, which could be easily dyed and was more valuable in the fur market.

Commercial use

New Zealand rabbits were not originally bred to be a domestic pet; they were bred for their fur and meat. Fryers are slaughtered at 8-12 weeks, and older rabbits are sold as roasters. White rabbits are preferred for fur, because it's easier to dye. The rabbits with high grades of fur are used to make fur coats and fur trimmings. The lower grades are used to make felt hats and glove linings ("Commercial Rabbit Raising"). The New Zealand is commonly used as a meat rabbit with a high feed to meat ratio with fine bones, and are considered one of the best breeds for meat production. Production rabbits are fed more protein (18-20% rather than the typical 16-18% for non-production rabbits), and sometimes alfalfa hay.

Laboratory testing

New Zealand rabbits are a common choice for

laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physicia ...

testing because of their docility and good health. Rabbits react similarly to humans to diseases and medications. This reaction allows them to be used at

pharmaceutical A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and re ...

laboratories, the U.S. Public Health building,

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

research centers, and

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

s. New Zealand rabbits have been used to develop tests and drugs for diseases like

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

, cancer, and

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

. The effects of skin creams,

cosmetics Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...

, special

diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...

s, and food additives have also been tested on New Zealand rabbits.

Breeding

A doe (female rabbit) becomes fertile between 8-12 weeks of age and can be safely bred at 5-8 months of age depending on the rabbit. Breeding before this age can cause harm or death to the doe and/or kits. Does are fertile all year long although day length can affect that some. The

gestation period In mammals, pregnancy is the period of reproduction during which a female carries one or more live offspring from implantation in the uterus through gestation. It begins when a fertilized zygote implants in the female's uterus, and ends once it ...

is around 28–35 days, although most will kindle (give birth) at 31-32 days. A nest box should be provided for the new mother two to five days prior to the expected kindling date. The doe will pull fur from her abdomen and

and along with hay or other materials provided she will create a nest. The young are born hairless, deaf, and blind. Fur begins to grow in by day 3 to 5 and after 7 to 10 days the kits' eyes will open. By 2 weeks they may begin exploring and sampling outside food sources. At the age of three to four weeks their mother will begin to wean them off milk, meanwhile the kits will switch to eating hay and pellets. The average number of kits per litter is seven but commonly range from one to fourteen. Because rabbits are induced ovulators a doe can become pregnant by the simple act of mating if conditions are right. A doe can get pregnant within 24 hours after giving birth. Cannibalism is rare but can happen. In the wild it is a defensive mechanism to remove all blood and dead tissue from the nesting area to avoid detection by predators. If young are stillborn or die after birth, the doe will often eat the remains. Cannibalism can also be prompted by a severe lack of fluids and feed. Bucks have little to no part in raising the young. They do in some cases act as babysitters and a heat source for the young kits in group settings known as a

colony In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the ''metropole, metropolit ...

. Contrary to popular belief bucks do not kill and eat kits under normal circumstances.

References

External links

New Zealand Rabbit Breed HistoryBreeds of RabbitsNew Zealand rabbit
on HereBunny {{Portal, Rabbits and hares Rabbits as pets Rabbit breeds originating in the United States Rabbit breeds