Beveren Rabbit

1 Beveren Rabbit Breed Overview

Beveren Rabbit (details)

The Beveren Rabbit is not kept in large numbers; it is a relatively small pet rabbit breed, but its physical features are not especially distinctive, so it has not been extensively bred. Purebred Beveren Rabbits are also hard to find in China, so if you like rabbits you might consider other breeds instead.

Chinese name: Beveren Rabbit;

English name: Beveren;

Kingdom: Animalia;

Phylum: Chordata;

Class: Mammalia;

Order: Lagomorpha;

Family: Leporidae;

Genus: Oryctolagus;

Species: Beveren Rabbit;

Reproduction: Viviparous;

Habits: First discovered in Antwerp in the 19th century, the original color was blue, while white and black colors developed later; it is a relatively rare breed;

Physical traits: A pet rabbit, standard weight 8–12 lbs, one of the large rabbit breeds. Ears are ‘V’-shaped and no shorter than 4.75 inches, and the coat length is between 1–2 inches;

Diet: Herbivorous.

2 Beveren Rabbit Physical Characteristics

Beveren Rabbit (details)

The Beveren Rabbit’s coat is most commonly blue; later white and black varieties were discovered. The Beveren Rabbit has upright ears in a ‘V’ shape, broad but relatively short, and is a small pet rabbit breed that is deeply loved by many.

I. The Beveren Rabbit’s appearance

The Beveren Rabbit has tubular long ears (ear length several times the ear width); a tuft-like short tail, and strong hind legs much longer than the front legs. It lives on the ground and is good at running; the posterior nostrils are wide, supplying ample oxygen while running. Newborn rabbits are born with fur, eyes open, and hearing ears, and soon can run—commonly known as rabbits. Burrowing rabbits’ young are born without fur, eyes closed, ears without hearing, and only grow fur after 7 days and gain hearing when they open their eyes, requiring maternal care.

II. The Beveren Rabbit’s eye color

A rabbit’s eye color is related to its coat color: black rabbits have black eyes, gray rabbits have gray eyes, and white rabbits have transparent eyes. The blood vessels (capillaries) in a white rabbit’s eyes reflect outside light, so the transparent eyes appear red. A rabbit containing gray pigment has gray fur and gray eyes; a rabbit containing black pigment has black fur and black eyes. A little white rabbit has no pigment in its body, so its eyes are colorless—the red we see is the color of blood, not the eyeball, which is why its eyes naturally appear red.

3 Beveren Rabbit Care Tips

Beveren Rabbit (details)

The Beveren Rabbit is a small pet rabbit breed, so extra care is needed on many details when keeping it, such as the choice of equipment and food. Once you understand these, caring for a Beveren Rabbit is not difficult.

I. Preparing supplies

A rabbit cage, water bowl, food bowl, floor mat, and litter box are all essentials for keeping a rabbit, and the owner should prepare them in advance to avoid the rabbit having nowhere to settle once it arrives home. Choose a proper professional rabbit cage that is not too small, ensuring at least some room for the rabbit to move. If the cage floor is wire, the owner must also add a floor mat.

II. Food preparation for the Beveren Rabbit

Be sure to provide rabbit pellets. Besides pellets, the owner can also give the rabbit some vegetables and fruit, but be careful not to let the rabbit eat vegetables or fruit wet with tap water, as this can cause diarrhea. The amount of fruit should also be controlled, otherwise it is harmful to the rabbit’s health.

III. Key care points for the Beveren Rabbit

Rabbits are nocturnal feeders—they eat far more at night than during the day, so the owner must ensure enough food is in the bowl at night, along with plenty of drinking water. Rabbits are not very bold, and many stimuli can make them anxious. To avoid the effects of bad stimuli, rabbits need to chew to wear down their teeth, so the owner can provide a wooden stick for the rabbit to chew.

Some owners report that their rabbit does not like chew sticks; in that case, simply provide plenty of hay, which helps wear down the teeth—a once-and-for-all solution.

4 Beveren Rabbit Living Environment

Beveren Rabbit (details)

In keeping a Beveren Rabbit, the most important thing is to arrange a sensible living environment. The Beveren Rabbit likes a dry, well-ventilated environment with a suitable temperature, and the environment must be kept clean at all times. Achieving this is not difficult.

I. Temperature control in the Beveren Rabbit’s environment

One trait of the Beveren Rabbit is that it fears heat; high summer temperatures are unfavorable to its growth. Therefore, the focus of summer care is cooling and heat prevention. Outdoor cages must be shaded with awnings or by planting shade trees and melons. Indoor cages need cross-ventilation and fans. When the room temperature exceeds 35°C, cool water should be splashed on the cage floor to lower the temperature, and a bowl of cool water placed inside the cage for both cooling and drinking, refreshed regularly. Breeders without such conditions should avoid breeding during the hottest part of summer. In hot seasons, shear the Beveren Rabbit’s coat once to keep it short and help it withstand the heat and avoid heatstroke.

II. Environmental hygiene and food health for the Beveren Rabbit

Clean frequently and maintain good hygiene; rinse the floor and cage bottom clean to reduce pathogens, prevent feed from turning sour, and keep utensils free of bacteria. Eliminate mosquitoes and flies regularly to prevent newly shorn and newborn rabbits from being bitten and poisoned. In summer, feed mainly fresh greens, with an appropriate amount of concentrated and coarse feed added. Feeding times should follow early breakfast and late dinner, when it is cooler and the rabbit eats better; also provide 2% light salt water to maintain the rabbit’s nutritional balance and acid-base balance.

5 Beveren Rabbit Feeding Guidelines

Beveren Rabbit (details)

The Beveren Rabbit is a full-fledged herbivore; for it, hay suits it better than fresh grass, and rabbit pellets are also a good choice. Some owners add sausage to treats, which is very wrong. There are many food taboos for the Beveren Rabbit; below is what is healthiest for it to eat.

I. Change feed gradually

The Beveren Rabbit has already developed the ability to digest its usual feed; suddenly changing feed can cause maladaptation and easily leads to gastrointestinal disease. Therefore, transition feed gradually and step by step. Nighttime feeding accounts for more than 75% of total daily intake, so make sure to provide plenty of feed and water for the Beveren Rabbit at night.

II. Do not interrupt hay and feed

The Beveren Rabbit’s cecum contains many microorganisms that secrete cellulose enzymes and have a strong ability to break down crude fiber. But feed stays in the digestive tract only a short time, so do not interrupt feeding, to prevent food masses from hardening and blocking the cecum, causing cecal typhlitis. Each adult rabbit needs 0.5–1.0 kg of fresh or green grass per day. Feed the Beveren Rabbit on a fixed schedule and in fixed amounts: adult rabbits 4 times a day, young rabbits 4–6 times a day, each time about 70–80% full; do not add feed too often or overfeed, to avoid diarrhea and bloating.

III. Feed a balanced compound diet

Feed should be reasonably matched; do not feed a single feed. The daily diet of the Beveren Rabbit should contain the following nutrients: 10% crude protein, 10% crude fiber, 5% fat, 2800 kcal digestible energy per kg, and 10% amino acids. Reference formula: wheat bran 28%, soybean meal and barley 15% each, corn 50%, rice bran 20%, fish meal 5%, rapeseed or cottonseed cake 5%, growth supplement 1.5%, salt 0.5%. Each adult rabbit gets 100–150 g per day. If compound feed is unavailable, add soybean, soybean meal, bran, corn and other concentrates, plus juicy feeds such as carrots.