Blue sheep rabbit breed

History of the breed

The blue sheep appeared in France around 1850 as a result of crossing an English fold and a Flemish giant. In record time, the breed also conquered neighboring countries - Germany, Belgium, Holland. The blue ram has gained incredible popularity. After the war in 1870-1871 between Prussia and France, the Germans began to breed rabbits of this breed on their own, having adopted the experience of their breeding from the French. In Germany, such rabbits were known as Patagonian or Andalusian sheep. German breeders improved the breed, later it came to Holland. If at the beginning of its appearance, the French blue sheep was considered some kind of exotic, then after a while the representatives of the breed settled on all continents.

Description of the breed

Rabbit French ram (blue) has one distinctive feature - it's hanging ears. In addition, representatives of this breed grow quite quickly, and therefore legitimately occupy the first place in size and weight among lop-eared rabbits. Females reach a weight of more than five kilograms, while males, on the contrary, have more modest parameters - 4.5 kilograms. Rabbits have characteristic protruding frontal bones on a fairly wide muzzle with plump large cheeks. The paws of the animals are strong, and the body is elongated, with a deep chest and a wide back. The hanging ears of a rabbit reach 45 centimeters in length. However, the blue sheep is known not only for its ears, but also for its very thick and incredibly soft to the touch coat. It is thanks to the presence of such characteristics that the animal has become incredibly widespread on all continents.

Breeding Features

Rabbit French ram (blue) is a very unpretentious creature in breeding, which is propagated mainly because of good and high-quality meat. For a comfortable living, animals need a spacious cage or aviary, inside which there should be no foreign objects that could injure their delicate ears. Also for rabbits it is worth buying drinkers and feeders adapted specifically for this breed (long ears should not fall into them). Animals grow incredibly fast, so, for example, already nine months after birth, females are able to breed. Cubs are born in the womb of mothers for 30-32 days. The first litter of a rabbit appears before she reaches the age of one year. At one time, the female is able to give offspring, consisting of twelve rabbits. An interesting fact is that animals have anatomical absurdities; in a year, the pelvic bones of rabbits are connected in such a way that in the future, during childbirth, she cannot do without outside help. And at the age of three, females are not allowed near males at all, since anatomical features make subsequent births very dangerous for their lives.

Feeding and care

The blue sheep breed (photos are given in the article) is among the champions in terms of life expectancy. Such animals can live for more than seven years. They are most active at night and last until morning. During the day, rabbits are very lethargic and just sleep off. It is worth noting that the large size of animals uniquely leaves an imprint on their entire lifestyle. They are quite reluctant and move little. But with all this, they have an excellent appetite, so the owners need to ensure that the pets do not overeat. Otherwise, the animals may become obese. Hay and dry food must be given in certain proportions. In order for rabbits not to have health problems, it is recommended to remove any fresh vegetables and fruits from their diet, as they provoke the development of diarrhea. For such large pets, it is worth buying heavy metal bowls, since they easily turn over ordinary dishes and even gnaw. The drinking bowl should look like a bottle, the water from it should not flow into the cage.