Steen rabbit

The Steen rabbit (Dutch Steenkonijn, also stone rabbit ) is a small Belgian rabbit breed . Steen rabbits are similar in color and shape to the wild rabbit , but with a required weight of 2–3 kg, they are about one kilogram heavier than this. The rabbit breed, which is not recognized in Germany, is bred in the colors wild, hare and stone gray.

History of the breed

The Steen rabbit was bred in Flanders in the 19th century as a rabbit for slaughter for export to England. It owes its name to the Flemish unit of measurement "Steen" ("stone" about 3.5 kg), which roughly corresponded to the live weight of the rabbit for slaughter. The Steenkaninchen of that time are therefore to be regarded as a land breed.The export of Flemish slaughter rabbits to England collapsed when frozen rabbit meat became available from Australia , the breeding of Steenkabbits declined and the breed disappeared almost completely until the 1930s. At this time, the Belgian rabbit breeder and judge Delounois began to save the breed from permanent extinction. Based on a Rammler, which he bought at an exhibition in Hornu , and a rabbit similar to this Häsin, he rebuilt the breed. In 1932 Delounois showed his Steen rabbits for the first time at an exhibition, and on June 12, 1934 the breed was recognized in Belgium.

Similar races

In terms of color, the Steenkaninchen corresponds to the Gray Viennese , but it is significantly larger. The Deilenaar rabbit is comparable in size and shape , but has a red-brown fur color similar to that of the rabbit .

literature

• Fritz, P. Rabbit Breeds from Belgium - Fascinating and Little Known, Part 2, German Small Animal Breeder - Rabbits, 12/2006, pp. 14/15; ISSN  1613-6357
• Verhoef-Verhallen, E. Rabbit and Rodent Encyclopedia, Dörfler Fauna & Flora, ISBN 3-895-55073-6