Today, to go over a single breed rabbit. (there aren’t multiple related like the Argente rabbits) I would like to go over the Belgian Hare. As always, I will be going over the history, common characteristics, common medical problems, and more.
The History Behind the Belgian Hare Rabbit:
The Belgian Hare originated from Belgium, not very surprising, and they blew up to be awesome rabbits to breed. They were mainly known to be meat rabbits due to their “hearty meat”. It was already 1873 by the time that this breed was transported to England.
The breed was then transported to America in 1877, and was accepted into the National Belgian Hare Club, which was formed in 1897. The breed’s name was constantly being changed, but in 1972, the Belgian Hare breeders came together as a group and discussed. Not long after that, the breed was called the Belgian Hare.
Common Characteristics:
The Belgian Hare will usually have brownish-grey fur, a very curved back, and a thin looking structure. They are quite sturdy rabbits, despite their small stature. The rabbit’s coat is also very thin and doesn’t need any maintenance besides occasional run throughs.
Common Personalities:
This breed is very known to be sweet, but can be extremely protective from being known for being nervous. These rabbits are very active as well, so making sure that you are taking time to bond with this rabbit is very important, since it is quite skittish.
Size/Weight:
Belgian Hares are large sized rabbits and can really show it. They are very tall rabbits with long legs as well. Their backs arch tremendous amounts and are quite skinny, even though they can weigh quite a bit.
Belgian Hares will average a healthy 6 to 9 pounds of weight. Considering their tall stature, that isn’t much. If they were stockier, they would be a heady breed of rabbit.
Common Medical Problems:
The site says that this rabbit is susceptible to flystrike and mites from being outdoors since they are known to be “outdoor rabbits”, but no rabbit should ever be kept outdoors. Make sure that this rabbit is always kept indoors for general housing, like any other rabbit, especially since rabbits get spooked so easily, this breed in particular.
This rabbit has very short fur and should be monitored for any sort of skin irritations. The skin is very exposed compared to most rabbits, and for this breed in particular, I feel that it could show many signs needed to possibly save its life someday.
Even though that came from my mind and not from research, honestly, it’s common sense. This rabbit could also be more sensitive to cold, and that could also dry out its skin. I feel that your rabbit’s skin is like yours, it’s dry if hydration isn’t proper, remember that.
Extra Care:
The rabbit does have a little bit of extra care that I would like to recommend for anyone with this rabbit, or getting this rabbit. I would recommend bonding sessions with just you and the rabbit at least once a day. Since this rabbit is so skittish, you will want to build the trust in order to do more with your rabbit and give it a happy and very healthy life.
Sources:
https://www.petguide.com/breeds/rabbit/belgian-hare/
Thank you for the continuous support that has been given. I will be posting like I have been, so come back in 2 days for a new post. In the mean time, share proper rabbit care and I will talk to you soon, bye!
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