# What to look for in Dutch rabbits?



## Pyxis (May 10, 2017)

I have finally located some Dutch rabbits local to me and this weekend I hope to drive out and pick some up. I was hoping to get some information on what to look for when I get them. I still need to call the breeder and ask some basic questions, like whether they are pedigreed or not.

What should I look for when picking them out? They are juveniles, not sure of the age, again that is something I'm going to have to ask when I call today (the breeder refuses to anything by email, apparently). I plan to start with one male and one or two females. My goal is to breed them for pets and perhaps for showing, that's something that I'm toying with the idea of.

Unfortunately I won't be able to just go to another breeder - it's taken me a year just to find this one. So I'm hoping I'm pleased with the rabbits when I go.


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## Pastor Dave (May 10, 2017)

I think @DutchBunny03 could help with this one


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## Pyxis (May 10, 2017)

Thank you!

I just got off the phone with the breeder. She let me know that they are not pedigreed, so showing would be out for now. I could always do it after I have my own records and get a few generations in. I let her know that I would have them for pets and to breed and she told me she has one buck that has very nice markings that she will hold for me, and then I can pick my does. Some are two months old and some a little younger.


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## promiseacres (May 10, 2017)

Make sure they are within the weight limits if you are thinking of showing down the line. Very frustrating to get a nicely marked one but its too big. Their body type leads to a nice meat type but those that raise as meat like them larger than show standerds. Also look at ARBA's website for local shows. Dutch are very popular in the Midwest and I never been to a show without some. People generally bring bunnies to sell also. 
Personally I would prefer to start with pedigreed stock if you're serious about showing. To the point if I couldn't find them I would have them transported to me. Many fb sites to find transporters. 
Also make sure you've a plan in case those cute bunnies don't sell as youngesters....


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## Bunnylady (May 10, 2017)

It's been a long time since I bred Dutch, but I can give you a rough idea . . .

First of all, you don't need a pedigree to show, just for registration. Registration is required for a grand championship, so even if you have an outstanding rabbit, without a pedigree, it can't be granded. I once had a Harlequin doe that won the requisite 3 grand champion legs, but since she had an only partial pedigree, she was ineligible for grand championship. After the third leg, I stopped showing her - I figured she'd proved her worth; it wasn't her fault some records were missing. Let someone else win the legs.







The Dutch rabbit has what is called "compact" type. Other than being about half the size of a commercial rabbit, "compact" type is pretty much like "commercial" type, so what goes for the one goes for the other, generally speaking. A compact rabbit should be deep, broad, muscular; the hips are just a little bit higher and broader than the shoulders. This is where a real-life mentor would be extremely useful, because a lot of what you "look" for is better felt, and it's hard to describe what your hands need to feel. 

You want to check the teeth, of course, and make sure the top teeth overlap to the outside of the lower teeth by just a little bit. Rabbit teeth grow continuously, and teeth that  don't meet properly won't wear properly. 

Check the ears for scratches or crustiness or other signs of mites. Eyes should be bright and clear, with no signs of discharge, nor should there be any wetness around the nose (unless it is really, really hot). The coat should be bright and clean, and snap back down when stroked backwards (fly back coat type) - though a rabbit that is growing in a new coat might not be as quick and neat about it. Bare/thin patches near the shoulders may be signs of fur mites, or it may just be young does riding each other (if they are of that age).

Flip the rabbit over, and check for signs of diarrhea or any kind of inflammation of the genitalia. There are infections that can be passed from the doe to her offspring; though they are treatable, why start things with problems if you don't have to? While you are there, it's always a good idea to check the gender of the rabbit; we have all had enough visits from the "Sex Change Fairy" to be realistic about this one!

On the buck - if he's old enough for his penis to actually be visible when you do the gender check, make sure that it is straight. If it tends to curl, that may be a sign that he has a split penis. Even if the split isn't so bad that it makes him unusable as a buck, split penis is a DQ (disqualification), and it is inheritable, so any sons he sires may be worse than he is and not be showable.

If you can lay the rabbit on its back on a surface, check to see that the legs are straight, and parallel to the line of the spine. Legs that always angle in or out indicate structural problems that may take generations of breeding to get rid of.

The markings of the Dutch are pretty easy to recognize - white blaze on the face, a white band across the shoulders that goes from the cheeks to the ribs, and white "stops" on the hind feet. There are scads of nit-picky details about those markings that can make or break a rabbit on the show table. I have seen entire litters without a single showable animal in the bunch, Basically, as long as the markings are balanced, smooth, symmetrical, and pretty much like the one in the picture I included, it should be OK as a breeder.


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## Pyxis (May 10, 2017)

Thank you both very much! It's good to know that I can show without a pedigree. I did check and there will be a show near me this month (actually it looks like it will be the only one in VT this year) so I will go and check it out. Showing isn't something I'm super attached to the idea of, but I may give it a try. If I couldn't win a grand championship because of missing paperwork, that would be okay with me. Poultry is much easier - no paperwork needed!

 I'm going to see the rabbits tomorrow and if all looks good, I will probably bring some home. I also mentioned this to a friend in NH and she said her neighbors may actually breed Dutch and she will be checking for me. That would be a bit of a drive but I might end up checking those out too.


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## Pyxis (May 11, 2017)

I went to see the Dutch rabbits, and I wasn't really impressed. The buck was okay, but his blaze wasn't the greatest. The only female had no blaze at all and only a stripe of white around her middle. The mother rabbit was also completely lacking a blaze, so I can't say I'm surprised.

The breeder had other breeds too, like a pair of lionheads and some mini rexes. The breeder had six week old mini rex babies that were ready to go, all black. With them also being a small, docile, friendly breed I decided to have a look at them.

You might see where I'm going with this. I have a pair of mini rexes now. Not exactly what I wanted, but I'm happy with them. I can always pick up some Dutch down the road if I find good breeding stock.


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## Pyxis (May 12, 2017)

Further update: I'm going to sell these. I posted a picture and was told they're not even mini rexes. I'm pretty sure the father was, he seemed to have the right coat type, but I didn't really see the mother so she was likely something else. The babies I have didn't have the same coat type as the father but the breeder told me it should come in like his later, which now I know is not true. I should have done more research before buying them, that's my fault.

I also don't think that the 'breeder' really knows what she's doing anyway. After getting home I emailed her to ask the names of the colors of the parents (neither were black) and she didn't even know.

So this is disappointing, but I think I will just go to the rabbit show and try to get some contacts there. I'm sure the people showing are also breeding. Might even find some nice Dutch.


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