Teddy rabbit
The teddy rabbits are rabbit breeds , which differ from other dwarf rabbits by their long, dense and soft fur all over their bodies. With a live weight of less than 2 kg, they are counted among the typical representatives of the dwarf rabbit breeds.
features
Characteristic of teddy rabbits is the fur wedge, which distinguishes the breed from other recognized small long-haired rabbits, and the soft fur, which is also retained in adult animals. In contrast to the fur of Angora rabbits , it is not sheared and is subject to normal coat change.
All piebalds are allowed with the teddy rabbits; they are now available in many different colors and drawings, often with blue eyes. According to their ear position, the teddy rabbits are divided into teddy dwarfs with standing ears and teddy rams with drooping ears.
Teddy dwarf
The weight of the fully grown teddy bear is between 800 and 1700 g. Rabbits should have a weight of 1100 g or more, as rabbits that are too small are hardly suitable for breeding. The ideal weight for a teddy bear is 1350 g.
The weight of the full-grown rammer can be between 1000 and 1500 g, whereby here too the ideal weight is 1350 g based on the color dwarf. The shape of the body is usually short, stocky and cylindrical. It looks evenly wide from front to back. The pelvis is well rounded, the legs are short, small and delicate. The flower is tight.
Häsin and Rammler differ only slightly. Both are free from dewlap and dewlap . The fur should be long all over the body. All colors and sparks are allowed.
Despite the long fur, care must be taken to ensure that it remains relatively easy to care for, it must in no case tend to become matted quickly. The head of Rammler and Häsin should have a broad forehead. In comparison to the body, the aim is to have a distinctive, short and thick head. The neck is very short and barely noticeable. The eyes are large and protrude from under strong eye bones. The ideal length for the ears is 5 to 6.3 cm.
The ears are not very close together in order to offer enough space for the lush long hair. They are also rounded and very hairy. The genetically anchored dwarfism is not desired in the teddy bunny rabbits and should be avoided if possible.
Teddy ram
The weight of a fully grown teddy ram is 1300 to 2000 g. For the rabbit the ideal weight is 1600 to 1900 g, for the Rammler it is between 1500 and 1800 g. In construction and shape, they should represent the typical dwarf ram and correspond to the standard of the dwarf ram. They are short and stocky. Your shoulders are broad and of medium height. They have a massive, short body, uniformly wide from front to back, with a well rounded pelvis and a short, strong neck. Their runs are short and not too fine. The back line is nicely curved. The head of the teddy dwarf ram is clearly designed as a rams head , ie in profile a clear bulge can be seen on the forehead and nose area. In addition, the head is short, strong, pronounced and with a wide snout and pronounced jaws. Compared to the body, the head is massive and conspicuous. The head of rabbits looks a bit sleeker. Otherwise, Häsin and Rammler differ very little.
A special feature of the teddy rams are the crowns. At the base of the ears there are bulges that bear this name.
The ears hang down from the head in a horseshoe shape, the shell openings are directed towards them. The ideal length of the ears is considered to be 24 to 26 cm from ear tip to ear tip. The eyes should be dark. Blue eyes are also allowed.
History of the breed
Teddy rabbits are very young breeds and are only kept as pets by enthusiasts. The breed is not recognized by either the ZDRK Central Association of German Race Rabbit Breeders or the Association of German Rabbit Breeders (BDK). In the latter association, however, the teddy rabbits have been approved as new breeds since 2009. In the Czech Republic and Sweden, applications for inclusion in the association standard are ongoing. Portugal was the first association to recognize teddy bunnies. The exact origin and outbring of the teddy rabbits can no longer be traced in detail.
It is assumed that the teddy rabbits, like all long-haired breeds, originated from various crossings with Angora rabbits . The teddy rabbits originally owe the fur wedge to the French / Belgian bearded rabbit (in France this is known under the name "le lapin-lion" - lion rabbit), which was crossed with colored dwarfs .
The lion dwarfs, originally a cross between fox dwarfs and colored dwarfs, which did not have a wedge in the beginning, have also become "wedge-bearers" through the crossing of bearded rabbits.
Jamora and Belgian / French Angora dwarfs were crossed into these initial lion dwarves soon after. From this first came the Angora lion dwarves (also split-sized with regard to the fur wedge). At the end of the 20th century, the first teddy rabbits, i.e. long-haired dwarf rabbits with a fur wedge, which is pure breeding in pure breeding (TZ x TZ), appeared in the litters of various breeders. The name Teddy Rabbit was created by the Teddy Rabbit Club, which was founded in Germany in 2004 especially for these new breeds. There are now over 170 registered teddy rabbit breeders throughout Germany and other, non-organized keepers.
Teddy rabbits have long since found their way into almost all European countries beyond Germany, in many there are now teddy clubs, some of which have also joined the rabbit or small animal breeding organizations.
literature
- TEDDYKANINCHEN Teddyzwerge & Teddywidder , Brainduct Verlag, 2nd edition 2008, ISBN 978-3-940090-07-2 .
Web links
- http://www.teddykaninchen-club.de - Information website about teddy rabbits with a forum