Rabbits of the Ram breed: description of productive characteristics

History of breeding

It is quite easy to distinguish the ram rabbit from other brothers, because its characteristic feature is its long ears hanging down. The first mentions of furry animals with ears drooping along their heads can be found in the works of Charles Darwin.

It should be noted that drooping ears are the result of a natural mutation: they fit tightly to the animal’s muzzle and thereby make the small rodent look like a lamb. Fold rabbits, or “giants” as they are also called, are the largest among all representatives of their decorative relatives.

For many years, breeders around the world have been working on developing new varieties of this breed of furry animals. For example, Dutch specialists managed to create miniature ram rabbits. The Dutch breed was developed relatively recently by the scientist Adrian de Kock.

His first attempt to cross a Netherland Dwarf with a French ram in 1949 failed because the offspring were not viable.

However, as a result of painstaking work, in 1964, 15 years after the start of selection, the Dutch breed of miniature lop-eared sheep rabbits was officially registered. Soon, Dutch lambs found their way to European countries, and 10 years later they “reached” America.

Rabbits of the Ram breed: description with photos

Large and cute Ram rabbits impress primarily with their impressive dimensions. Their live body weight is about 6 kg. Their skins are in incredible demand. Important exterior features should definitely include:

Small rabbit of the Ram breed

• very long hanging ears;
• a large head that resembles a lamb's;
• fur cover of various colors, including white, motley, fiery red, gray;
• body of medium length;
• the presence of a small hump on the animal’s nose;
• thick fluff and other features of the Rams, which can be seen in the photo.

This breed of furry animals was bred quite a long time ago in the UK. However, rabbit breeders in all European countries dream of breeding them, so they are very interested in the description of the characteristics and reviews of other farmers.

In addition, individuals have a compact and fairly wide body, and their ears are so long that they are often pinched with special clips. Of course, the animals look very funny and cute. If the rabbit is young, then its ears will be somewhat protruding, but in an adult they droop already when it is six months old.

Animal skins are no less valuable than their meat. Their coloring is beautiful, and their cover is soft, thick and quite dense.

Appearance

Today, the breed of lop-eared rabbits has a number of varieties:

• French;
• Dutch;
• German;
• English;
• corduroy, or plush;
• Meissen;
• dwarf;
• giant;
• nappy;
• white.

Did you know? Long ears hanging down are a kind of calling card of this variety of rabbits. However, in newborn rabbits, the ears stick up for a long time, and only 5–6 weeks after birth they begin to gradually fall, thus forming the main unique feature of the breed.

Varieties of rabbits rams

Photo of English, French fold ram

Among fold sheep there are large and small (dwarf) breeds.

• The Kashmir lop-eared sheep can be large or dwarf. A simple decorative rabbit weighs about 2.8 kg, and a dwarf rabbit weighs 1.6 kg. It is believed that there is also a giant Kashmir species, but there is no exact information about it. There are about 20 coat colors - from black to white, medium length. The ears usually droop to the sides, but do not reach the floor.
• The English ram is an amazing creature. This is one of the largest breeds of fold-eared sheep and at the same time the longest-eared. The weight of the individual is approximately 4.5 kg, and the length of the ears is 65-70 cm, and breeders are still working on increasing the ears. The coat is short. The color can be any, but always rich.
• The French Fold sheep is similar in size to the English Fold, but the ears are not as long. The coat is medium, soft, the color can be very diverse.

Photo of a German lion-headed rabbit lop-eared ram

• The German lop-eared rabbit is the most famous of all large lop-eared rabbits. It can weigh up to 4 kg. Ear length is up to 35.5 cm. The color is most often agouti, but there are also variations.
• The American sheep has rather long wool, which is what makes it different in the first place. Initially, after the breed was developed, it had only solid colors. Then the color palette was greatly diversified thanks to the work of enthusiasts, but the quality of the wool suffered from new crossings. Americans weigh up to 2 kg.
• The lop-eared lion-headed rabbit ram weighs approximately 1.5 kg. This is one of the young breeds. The fur is longer on the head, where the “mane” is, and shorter on the body. The color can be varied.

Characteristics and description of the breed

Lop-eared sheep rabbits are highly valued not only for their decorative qualities, but also for their high productivity, valuable high-quality fur, and tender, delicious meat.

Animals can be classified according to the following parameters:

Important! The most sensitive part of the body of lop-eared rams are the ears: they are very receptive to various kinds of touches. Twitching, tugging and even the slightest touch cause severe discomfort and even pain in the animal.

Diet of rabbit lop-eared ram

The lop-eared rabbit ram feeds in the same way as other ornamental species.

• Stern. They are purchased in pet stores in large or small packs. There is simple food, and some with treats (dried fruits, nuts, vegetables).
• Greens are always given dried, not fresh. After collection, it should lie down for about 2-3 days and only then can it be given to the pet.

• Vegetables and fruits are desirable especially in winter, when there is no greenery. In this case, you can feed carrots, apples, pumpkin, turnips, zucchini, parsnips, and beets. Give cabbage, tomatoes, bananas, strawberries, citrus fruits with caution - only in small quantities.
• Hay is an integral part of the diet of the decorative lop-eared sheep rabbit. It is given every day if the cage is empty. It is especially important in winter as an alternative to greenery.

That, in general, is the whole diet. It is important to provide food several times a day and ensure that the rabbit does not go hungry. It is advisable to use a nipple drinker for water so that it does not quickly become dirty.

Productive qualities

As a rule, sheep rabbits are bred for decorative purposes. However, these animals have excellent productive qualities. One of the main advantages of the breed is the precocity of rabbits and rapid weight gain.

At the age of 5–7 months, when rabbits reach sexual maturity, they already weigh from 1.5 to 3 kg, with the greatest growth dynamics observed up to 3 months. The final height and weight of animals are formed at the age of 6–8 months.

Of course, the rate of body weight gain is considered one of the most important productive characteristics for farmers breeding sheep and rabbits for the purpose of selling meat products. With increased and high-quality nutrition, some individuals are able to gain weight up to 10 kg.

Important! Rams
are quite voracious rabbits, so if keeping these animals has a decorative purpose, then it is very important for breeders to monitor their diet.
Obesity can provoke health-threatening diseases, in particular, damage to the liver, heart, and disruption of the digestive tract. In addition to high meat performance, lamb rabbits can boast of high-quality and valuable fur. The animal's skin is soft, dense, the wool is thick and silky, with a beautiful uniform color.

Mr. Tail recommends: pros and cons, prospects

Despite its rather large size, in European countries this breed is more common as decorative pets. But it is also known in meat rabbit breeding.

The advantages of rabbits and rams include:

• Fairly high early maturity. By 3 months the weight reaches the values ​​required for slaughter, and by 8 months it reaches the maximum size for an adult rabbit.
• Unpretentiousness in the choice of feed.
• High yield of live weight (up to 60%).
• High-quality - thick and soft - fur as additional income.

The disadvantages of these breeds are:

• Special requirements for housing due to large size and weight and ears that are too long.
• Quite complex childbirth, the need for human assistance during the birth of babies and during care.
• High cost of young animals.

This breed today is not particularly promising due to many problems with maintenance and care as meat and fur animals, especially compared to California, Vienna or Silver rabbits.

It is much more profitable to breed decorative types of rabbits and rams. Due to their unusual appearance, calmness, slowness and almost complete lack of fear of humans, they are very popular as pets.

Temperament

Fold rabbits are distinguished by their excellent character, calm temperament, and easy-going disposition. They are very sociable, sociable, playful, easily get used to their owner and adapt to new conditions.

Their playful nature especially appeals to children. However, it is not recommended to have an animal if there are small children in the house, since they can cause pain to the rabbit, and he, in turn, is able to respond with aggression or even bite. In other cases, these animals are friendly and quickly make contact.

Many people wonder whether these rabbits live alone or prefer company. Animals can live well alone, although they do not mind sharing housing with other relatives. Usually, lambs quickly find a common language with each other and, when they get to know each other well, form close bonds and continue to be friends until the end of their lives.

You will be interested to know which breeds of rabbits are classified as meat-skin rabbits - butterfly, gray and white giant, chinchilla, and which breeds are classified as meat - Strokach, Flanders, Californian.

Advantages and disadvantages of content

Ram rabbits get along well with both adults and children, due to which they quickly win everyone's love. However, their maintenance is accompanied by a number of rules and requirements that must be met to maintain good pet health and the desired productive qualities.

• Keeping lop-eared animals has the following advantages:
• good adaptation of animals to various environmental conditions;
• calm, balanced and peaceful character;
• relative ease of care;
• unpretentiousness in nutrition;
• rapid growth and weight gain.

• Meanwhile, keeping a sheep rabbit at home has a number of difficulties:
• high susceptibility of animals to various infectious and viral diseases;
• low immunity of rams;
• regular mandatory hygienic procedures for caring for your pet, in particular, combing the fur, removing wax from the ears, trimming claws, etc.;
• daily games with a pet: a rabbit needs games and communication every day, so if he is deprived of care for a long time, he can become offended and begin to show aggression in order to attract attention.

In addition, it is very important to provide the animal with a complete diet, balanced in minerals and vitamins. Otherwise, he will begin to get seriously ill, which can even lead to death.

Rules for choosing good individuals

Fold rabbits are quite exotic pets, and to purchase a purebred rabbit, you should pay attention to some characteristic features.

Signs of purebredness

Signs of purebred ram rabbits are:

• a rounded “mutton” head with a rather wide forehead and a square-shaped muzzle;
• an almost invisible neck, shallow-lying eyes, a perfectly defined nose;
• firmly set ears, hanging down in the form of a horseshoe, 24 cm long;
• wide and strong chest;
• flat, wide back;
• strong short legs;
• tail tightly fitting to the body;
• thick, shiny, soft, dense coat distributed over the entire body;
• uniform coloring, typical of normal-haired breeds.

Find out if it is profitable to raise rabbits.

Signs of marriage

Signs of marriage in this breed include the following:

• weakly defined small head, clearly visible neck, deep-set eyes;
• vertical position of at least one ear, short ear length (less than 24 cm);
• narrow, shallow chest;
• uneven back with a hump;
• fairly long, curved, hairless paws;
• sparse, matted fur with bald spots on the body;
• atypical color, with spots, “stains” or patterns on the body.

Features of keeping rabbits at home

Despite the fact that sheep rabbits adapt well to the external environment, when keeping them, you need to follow a few simple principles of nutrition and maintenance.

Home arrangement

Regardless of whether an animal has the ability to move freely indoors or not, it needs a home.

Housing arrangement is based on the following requirements:

1. Size. Ideally, the larger the animal's cage, the better. However, the minimum dimensions of the structure are 80x80x50 cm per individual.
2. Temperature. Fold lambs are quite thermophilic, so they need a warm microclimate. The optimal temperature is considered to be 20–22 °C. In winter, animals are kept in well-heated rooms, since hypothermia of individuals can lead to their death.
3. Litter. The best bedding material for the cage is considered to be crushed, dried wood shavings or newspaper paper without printed inscriptions. It is recommended to change the litter daily, otherwise dampness may occur.
4. Ventilation. The rabbit's home should be well ventilated, but at the same time, be away from drafts or direct sunlight. The humidity in the room should average 60–80%.
5. Tray. A prerequisite for arranging a cage is the installation of a special tray where the animal will go for its natural needs. The tray must be installed in one of the corners and firmly attached to the wall. As a rule, lambs can defecate while eating food, so the food feeder can be immediately mounted above the tray.

For drinking, special ready-made drinking bowls that are attached to the bars of the cage are perfect for rabbits.
Such structures provide the animal with constant access to water. It is recommended to choose feeders from heavy, ceramic material so that the animal cannot knock them over. Important! It is strictly forbidden to keep your pet in a cage all day long. You need to regularly give him walks, play with him, and give him the opportunity to run.

Features of feeding

Fold rabbits lead a relatively sedentary lifestyle, are often prone to laziness, and have a low metabolism, which is why they are prone to obesity. To prevent overeating, you should strictly monitor the animal's diet.

The basis of the sheep's menu is: hay, which should always be present in the cage, and special feed made from a mixture of various grains. Hay contains fiber in large quantities, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive system, improves and accelerates metabolic processes.

In addition, it is recommended to include in the lop-eared menu:

• green food: meadow grass, plantain, yarrow, nettle, dandelion;
• fresh vegetables: carrots, potatoes, broccoli, radish;
• fruits: bananas, apples, pears;
• grain mixtures: oats, wheat.

You should not feed your pet the following foods:

• beets, beans, cauliflower or white cabbage, tomatoes or potato tops;
• any dairy products (however, if the baby rabbit is not more than 2 months old, in rare cases it can be given milk);
• meat and fish;
• sweets;
• crackers or chips;
• bread and flour products;
• food from a person's table.

Important! Until 6 months of age, rabbits should not be fed fresh herbs, vegetables or fruits, since the baby’s digestive system is not yet able to fully absorb fiber.

Twice a day, lambs need to be offered special fortified supplements - granules for rodents, which contain 16-18% protein, as well as all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Feed pets 2-3 times a day, preferably at the same period of time.

There must always be clean, fresh water in the drinking bowl, which the rodent will drink as needed.

Care and hygiene

Increased attention should be paid to pet hygiene and care. Rabbit ears require special care. To clean earwax from ears, you can use ordinary cotton swabs, which very carefully and accurately remove exudate.

Once every 2-3 weeks it is necessary to trim the claws, and for this you should purchase special tongs - nail clippers. It must be remembered that excessively large claws can cause deformation of the joints of the limbs, which is very dangerous for the health of the rodent.

The lop-eared pet has thick, dense hair of varying lengths, so it should be combed regularly and foreign objects removed. In rare cases, it is allowed to bathe and wash the rodent. To remove dirt, it is recommended to wipe contaminated areas of the body with a damp cloth.

It is equally important to keep your rabbit's home clean. Every day you need to change the bedding material, wash the feeders and drinking bowls. It is recommended to clean the tray at least 2 times a day - morning and evening. Complete disinfection of the cage must be carried out once every 1.5–2 months.

When deciding to purchase a fold-eared sheep, you need to be prepared for the fact that caring for it will take quite a lot of time.

After all, the animal must be provided with:

• daily walk for 1.5–3 hours;
• care of ears, coat and claws;
• everyday games;
• a complete, balanced diet.

Unfortunately, these rabbits are quite susceptible to various kinds of diseases, therefore, starting from the age of 45 days and reaching a weight of 0.5 kg, it is recommended to vaccinate the animal. The vaccine allows you to protect your pet from such serious illnesses as hemorrhagic disease, myxomatosis, and pasteurellosis.

Important! It is especially important to vaccinate animals that often leave their homes and attend various exhibitions and competitions.

For a larger number of infections, it is sufficient to vaccinate once every 12 months. Revaccination is carried out 3 months after the first injection. Next, vaccinations are given according to a specially developed vaccination schedule.

How to tame a pet?

Fold sheep are very cute, funny and playful creatures that should be trained gradually, starting from a very young age.

Babies are tamed as follows:

• they approach the cage with the rabbit quietly, calmly, without sudden movements, while addressing it tenderly and affectionately;
• the cage doors are left open so that the ram has the opportunity to independently leave its home, overcoming fear;
• if the pet shows aggression, then it is gently pressed to the floor with your palm;
• To encourage the animal, they always treat it with various delicacies;
• Every day they calmly and affectionately talk to the animal and offer food from their hands.

To properly keep rabbits, it will also be useful for you to learn how to correctly determine the sex of a rabbit, how to train a rabbit to a litter tray, and what to feed rabbits in winter.

Lambs love to spend time sitting on the owner’s hands or knees, but they have a negative attitude towards various types of “squeezing”, and can even bite painfully. Rodents get along well with cats, dogs, turtles, and parrots. Also, if the owner shows persistence and perseverance, they can learn to respond to a nickname.

Fold-eared animals' favorite pastimes include a variety of games:

• jumping from any kind of heights;
• chasing balls, small objects that jump and roll;
• digging holes and tunnels;
• running through tunnels and various obstacles.

It is necessary to remember that an angry rabbit can tear everything that comes into hand, or rather in the teeth, objects, jump, gallop, tear off wallpaper or damage the upholstery of furniture.
Therefore, his games should be carried out under the watchful supervision of the owner. Important! During the “play hour”, you should hide all things valuable to a person, since a playful animal can ruin them.

Disease Prevention

As mentioned above, lop-eared sheep rabbits, if hygiene and proper nutrition are not observed, are quite often exposed to various ailments. They especially suffer from: lesions of the ears, VGB, myxomatosis, dermatitis, disorders of the digestive system.

The risk group includes individuals who often walk outside, go to exhibitions and competitions, and come into contact with other animals.

Of course, the best prevention of infectious and viral diseases is vaccination, which significantly reduces the risk of developing the disease and reduces the likelihood of death to almost zero.

In addition, the simplest measures to prevent diseases are considered to be the banal maintenance of comfortable living conditions for the pet, a nutritious, fortified diet, a sufficient amount of fluid and the absence of stressful situations.

Particular attention should be paid if the lamb:

• refuses food and water;
• behaves depressed, sluggish, shows apathy towards others;
• begins to shed rapidly;
• doesn't react to anything.

Such symptoms may indicate the onset of the disease. In this case, the rodent should be taken to a veterinarian immediately.

Rabbit breeding

Breeding fold sheep is not accompanied by any particular difficulties, either physical or financial. The breed is unpretentious, but during mating you should still pay attention to some aspects.

Animals are fully ready for mating by 8 months. If the female and male begin to behave restlessly, they are placed in a separate cage and left for 1 week. The owner has the opportunity to find out about the results of mating only 2 weeks after he thoroughly palpates the female’s belly. Pregnancy proceeds quickly - 28–31 days.

Did you know? The record holder for the longest ears is a decorative rabbit nicknamed Nipper's Geronimo. The length of his ears from the tip of the head to the bottom is a whopping 79 cm.

Principles of selection for reproduction

For mating, completely healthy individuals who have reached sexual maturity are selected. For dwarf species, it is recommended to choose a female and a male weighing no more than 1.5–2 kg, respectively, since exceeding these figures makes the fertilization process almost impossible.

This type of rodent is less fertile than other species. In one litter, a female can bring from 4 to 8 cubs.

For the homogeneity of the tribe, it is recommended to cross individuals of the same variety, identical in color, ear shape, coat quality, approximate size and weight.

It is prohibited to cross rams with other breeds, since the offspring will, firstly, be quite weak, secondly, have genetic abnormalities, and thirdly, will lose a unique feature - lop ears.

Care and feeding of young animals

In the first month of life, newborn rabbits are kept with their mother, who feeds them milk. Next, the young animals are “transferred” to a separate cage; optimally, a group of 3 individuals is formed in each dwelling. When the babies are 3 months old, the males are separated separately.

Find out how to feed baby rabbits without a mother rabbit.

There is an opinion that up to six months, small lambs should eat as much as they want. However, this breed is very prone to obesity, so the amount of food eaten should be strictly controlled. The basis of their diet is chopped hay and special food intended for rabbits.

Rabbits do not require any special care from humans, since females have a well-developed maternal instinct and take excellent care of their offspring.

Ram English

All rabbits are famous for their long ears, although some breeds have tiny ones. But the stunning English Rams truly magnificent ears! They are simply huge, and cover a large torso like a cloak. This is a wonderful ancient breed of decorative rabbits.

Blitz information

Characteristics

It would be more correct to call Rams lop-eared rabbits, but the nickname has firmly stuck - due to the external resemblance of the muzzle to a sheep's. The English Ram is a large breed, closer to giants. The body is semi-arched, mandolin-shaped when viewed from the side. The line of the back rises gently from the short front legs to the high, rounded rear. The wide head with a convex profile is set low.

The ears of other lop-eared rabbits (French, Dutch, Mini and American Fuzzy) hang down due to a specific cartilage on the back of the head, which is called the crown. But the English Ram does not have any crown, moreover, the rabbit can be disqualified for having one. Its ears droop due to its own length and weight.

The length of the ears of an exhibition specimen, which is measured from tip to tip across the surface of the head, must be at least 53 cm. The world record was set in 2003 in the American city of Wichita, Kansas. Owners Wymond and Margaret Nipper presented the record-breaking English Fold rabbit, whose ears reached an incredible length of 79 cm!

For the ideal English Ram, not only the length of the ears is important. They should be quite wide - about ¼ of the length, and also have rounded ends. The texture is soft, elastic, without tears or stains.

Color

The breed is presented in a variety of colors, at exhibitions they are divided into two classes - solid and spotted, and into six main groups presented below.

Agouti : chestnut, chocolate, chinchilla, chinchilla chocolate, opal, lynx, squirrel.

Pointed : white with black, chocolate or lilac points.

Solid : black, blue, chocolate, lilac, white with blue or red eyes.

Color with shading (with tan) : sable point, Siamese sable, seal, smoky pearl, tortoiseshell.

Mixed (Wide Band) : cream, fawn, frosty, orange, red.

Ticked : steel.

Temperament

These are calm and friendly animals that are rarely kept as pets due to their large size and the need for additional care for their unusual ears.

It is advisable to provide the Rams with enough space and timely trim their claws, which most often cause injuries. In addition, these rabbits are colder than others, losing heat through the surface of their huge ears.

History of the breed

One of the oldest breeds of rabbits known to man. Comes from Algeria, with its hot and humid climate, where in winter the temperature stays at 15°C and in summer reaches 32°C. It is not known for certain when the line came to England, but already in the mid-1800s its intensive development began.

The adorable floppy-eared rabbits became so popular in England, Germany and throughout Europe that by the early 1900s, there were riots at auctions if the top prize went to another breed.

Then several unusual forms were created, one of them was half-fold, in which one ear is raised and the other hangs down. Breeders in those days resorted to cruel methods of preparing their show animals - they stretched their ears, making them larger. Fortunately, nowadays amateurs do not resort to such merciless methods.

Raising a show rabbit is not easy. Difficulties arise not only because of large ears, which are prone to damage and frostbite. In this weight category there are strong, large individuals with the same heavy body, for example, Bevernsky or American rabbits. It is quite difficult for a representative of the Rams to fight them on an equal footing with such a problem as huge vulnerable ears.

After the Americans approved the weight standard that exists today in 2011, many breeders in America simply despaired, gave up and sold their lop-eared pets. However, the total number of livestock is not so small as to raise concerns about the existence of the breed and inclusion in the list of rare ones. Its amazing history and originality make it worthy of preservation and enhancement.

The English Ram did for England what the Belgian Hare did for America - he popularized rabbit breeding and the culture of exhibitions. In addition, without him, other Rams that are extremely popular today would not exist: French, Mini, Dutch, American Fuzzy and the newest fold breed - the Velveteen Ram.

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