Blue from Sankt Niklaas
Blue from Sankt Niklaas ( Dutch Blauw van Sint Niklaas ) are a medium-sized Belgian breed of domestic rabbits . The weight of the animals is 4.5–6 kg, with an ideal of 5.5 kg. The body is compact and cylindrical, viewed from above, the animals should appear rectangular. The 14-16 cm long ears are carried in a V-shape. The breed's coat color is a very light, even blue. The eyes are gray-blue, the claws horn-colored. The breed is not allowed in Germany.
History of the breed
The blue from Sankt Niklas comes from the area around the town of Sint-Niklaas in Waasland in Belgium , after which the breed is named. Originally they were identical to the Blauen van Beveren and also showed their typical mandolin-shaped physique. It is not known which rabbit breeds besides the van Beveren were involved in the development of the breed, the size of the breed suggests that giant rabbits were used for outbringing. Originally, the blue ones from Sankt Niklaas differed from the van Beveren by the white badges that were required at the beginning of the 20th century in the form of a forehead blaze. However, since it was not possible to achieve this badge in pure breeding, the standard was changed in 1917 so that the animals were required to be monochrome. The breed was specifically bred as a fur rabbit and was known for their coat quality. With the decline of the fur industry, so did the number of Sankt Niklaas blues.
Similar races
The sister breed van Beveren has a significantly different body shape and is slightly darker in color. Among the German rabbit breeds, the somewhat lighter and darker Blauer Wiener resembles the Blauer from Sankt Niklaas.
literature
- Official standard of the Konijnen- en Caviarassen recognized in Belgie . Samengesteld door de Belgische Stadaard Comissie, Sectie Konijnen, Uitgave 1995.
- P. Fritz: Belgian rabbit breeds - fascinating and little known . Part 1: monochrome races. In: rabbit newspaper. No. 11, 2006, ISSN 1613-6357 .
- E. Verhoef-Verhallen: Rabbit and Rodent Encyclopedia . Dörfler Fauna & Flora, ISBN 3-89555-073-6 .