Characteristics of the rabbit Dwarf ram and rules for keeping it

Fold-eared rabbits, whose faces resemble small lambs in appearance, were described in his works by the naturalist Charles Darwin. During his extensive experience of traveling around the world, the scientist more than once admired these cute creatures. You will learn more about the Dwarf Ram rabbits in this article.

Lop-eared rabbit “Dwarf ram”

Decorative breed of rabbits “Dwarf Ram”

The breed is the result of crossing a dwarf rabbit and a French ram

Description of the breed

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Rabbits of the Fold Sheep breed are loyal and affectionate pets who will become true friends for household members if you treat them with love and care, never leave them alone and keep their home clean.

External features

Fluffy, cute rabbits do not have any common characteristics with lambs, but the name “loop-eared sheep” was received by the animals due to their short, massive head and wide forehead. The animals have a strong back of the head, serious large eyes and plump cheeks. These characteristics make the rabbit look like a cute little charmer.

Fold-eared sheep rabbits have very long ears hanging along their heads, which are their main attraction.

In adults, the length of the ears can reach 25 centimeters. The shell is turned inward, the shape of the ears resembles horseshoes. The drooping ears are slightly rounded at the tips, and their bases are thickened.

The physique of the decorative breed of fold sheep is very interesting: the body shape is cylindrical, the chest is wide, and the neck is short. The back of the body is rounded, the tail is small.

Weight

Fold rams are often shown at international and local exhibitions. By the time of their maturity, lop-eared dwarf pets weigh no more than 1-2 kilograms.

If the weight of dwarf animals is above 2 kilograms, they are not allowed to exhibit. There are anatomical differences between biologically identical males and females: females are larger than males and lack a dewlap.

Character

Fold-eared rams are responsive to the affection of people, and if treated with a friendly attitude, they are distinguished by peaceful habits and a very friendly character.

It’s not worth offending big-eared kids, thinking that they can’t stand up for themselves. Rabbits can bite an offender very painfully. It’s quite difficult for such a big-eared family pet to get along with a cat.

Rabbits are very careful animals, so adaptation to a new owner occurs gradually. Attempts to forcibly remove the little ear from the cage will only frighten him.

Huddled in the farthest corner, the animal will warily watch the human hands. It is better to open the cage door slightly, calmly waiting until the baby rabbit’s natural curiosity overcomes the feeling of fear and he wants to stick his nose into the open doorway.

You need to approach the cage with calm steps, without sudden or sweeping movements of your arms. You can interest your pet in a tasty treat by talking to him in a friendly, quiet voice.

A rabbit that is showing excessive aggressiveness should be gently pressed to the floor with your hand. The rabbit, in order to defeat its opponent, jumps on the animal's back. With such a movement, a person demonstrates that the force is on his side, forcing the pet to yield leadership rights to the owner.

In his free time, the decorative ram rabbit loves to dig trenches and holes, jump on heights, make his way through long tunnel passages to the goal, chase small bouncing and rolling objects, and tear everything that yields with his teeth.

In the absence of suitable toys, an angry pet can tear upholstery on chairs, tear off wallpaper that has slightly peeled off the wall, or tear a newspaper thrown in a hurry to shreds.

To entertain your rabbit, you can purchase or build small houses, tunnels, houses, and baskets yourself. You can move some of the toys into the eared cat’s cage. You can distract the attention of a pet that has had enough of playing with a tasty treat and slowly send it back to its cage. Things valuable to people should not be on the playing area.

Selection rules

If you nevertheless decide to have such a baby at home, in order to be sure to purchase a purebred representative of the breed, when purchasing it, you should pay attention to some of the features that distinguish real dwarf rams.

Signs of purebredness

The health and purity of a rabbit is indicated by:

1. Animal fur. It should be shiny, thick, smell nice, and evenly cover the entire body of the animal.
2. Eyes. They should not be inflamed, watery, or have crusts on them.
3. Ears. The hearing organs of dwarf ram rabbits should be between 24 and 28 cm in size.
4. Teeth should be straight and white.
5. The entire body of a healthy, purebred rabbit should be elastic, muscular, strong and proportional.

Important! Remember that it is better to buy a dwarf ram in certified pet stores, where all the necessary veterinary certificates about the animal’s health are attached to the animal.

Signs of culling

If you notice one or more of the following signs in a rabbit that you are offered to buy, then it is better to refrain from the transaction:

1. The animal's fur has bald spots, is dull and has an unpleasant odor.
2. The little animal's eyes look inflamed, they are red and watery.
3. The ears of an adult stick up or are much shorter or longer than normal.
4. The rodent's teeth grow in uneven rows, are partially absent or significantly affected by plaque.
5. The rabbit looks sick, does not want to make contact with people and looks very scared.

Origin story

The characteristic external features of lop-eared rabbits attract many breeders. Slightly enlarged head cartilages and ears turned inward by the pinna give them some resemblance to rams. Fold-eared sheep were mentioned in his works by Charles Darwin, who more than once encountered unique species of plants and animals in his travels.

In the 18th century, when crossing rabbits of the dwarf breed and French lop-eared rabbits, dwarf lop-eared ram rabbits were born. In 1950, Dutch breeders developed the first dwarf breeds. The world learned about a new interesting breed of rabbits 2 years later, after which the rapid conquest of lop-eared lambs in European countries began.

Only in 1997 did this breed become known in Russia. The first nurseries of this breed were just beginning to appear in large Russian cities. In Europe and the USA during these years, fold-eared rams were already bred with all their might.

Breeders encountered some difficulties at the beginning of their experiments. The ears of a small dwarf ram do not differ in massiveness and length. For this reason, these individuals had them standing upright rather than hanging.

Painstaking work and thorough research helped achieve the desired result. As soon as the age of the dwarf rabbit approaches 12 weeks, the ears that stubbornly stick out to the sides and upwards begin to lie along the head.

Sometimes this can happen in one ear first, and then in the other a few days later. During this period, pets look a little comical, resembling naughty pranksters in appearance.

Temperament

In general, decorative dwarf rabbits are very friendly and calm. However, sometimes among them there are real fidgets. Communication with them is reminiscent of communication with small children - they are inquisitive, playful, affectionate and childishly naive. Rams love independence.

Give your pet the opportunity to walk around the apartment on his own more often, but still keep an eye on him so that the rabbit does not accidentally get injured. If you pick up a small ram, it will immediately try to climb onto your back, as if demonstrating who is boss.

Breed varieties, color

In terms of external and qualitative characteristics, the varieties of the lop-eared sheep breed are very different:

• Meissen is a rare breed found in Germany;
• French - has become widespread in all countries;
• English - the owner of tiny front paws and large ears;
• plush - a rabbit with short, thick and soft hair;
• fleecy - distinguished by long hair;
• Dwarf and Dutch are the smallest breeds that live primarily in domestic conditions.

Valuable “coat”, high quality meat and attractive appearance are characteristic of all these breeds. The coat of animals is characterized by a wide variety. Plain white, black, gray, brown coat tones are often diluted with spots of a different color or tan marks.

Advantages

The fold-eared ram has a pleasant appearance

• The fold-eared ram has a pleasant appearance. He stands on a par with such beautiful rabbits as Hermelin, Lionhead, and Japanese.
• The ram is the calmest and most peaceful representative of the Zaitsev family.
• Unlike many other breeds (for example, silver rabbit, mardera, white giant, etc.), a ram can have different colors.
• The breed's coat is soft and fluffy. The wool is high quality. However, in terms of density it is inferior to the Russian Himalayan rabbit and chinchilla.
• Like the gray giant, the lop-eared ram is unpretentious in food and care.
• Unlike Flanders, Risen, Butterfly, etc., lop-eared rabbits do not eat their offspring. They conscientiously take care of newborn babies.

Price

You cannot buy a “rabbit in a poke”. Before purchasing, the animal must be carefully examined:

• A healthy pet should have a cold and wet nose;
• the eye sclera should be shiny and clean;
• Frequent scratching and matted fur may indicate fleas;
• An animal that constantly licks the anus and tries to sit on the floor with its backside may be infected with worms;
• Diseases of the internal organs may be indicated by cloudy eyes, protruding bones, and an empty, sagging abdomen;
• Bald spots on the body indicate infection with lichen.

The price of a lop-eared ram rabbit varies depending on the pedigree, beauty and rarity of the breed. An ornamental animal without a pedigree costs from 1 to 2 thousand rubles. A pet-class lop-eared cat costs on average from 1 to 2.5 thousand rubles.

If the owners intend to breed a certain breed, it is necessary to purchase a breed-class rabbit-ram, for which they will have to pay from 2 to 4 thousand rubles.

Handsome men with pedigree displayed at exhibitions (show class) are valued at 3-5 thousand rubles. Prices for beautiful and very rare breeds, for example, Dutch Folds, can reach up to 8 thousand rubles.

The purchase should be made during the period when wool does not grow. This will allow you to carefully examine the coat for bald spots.

Owner reviews

The dwarf sheep is widespread throughout the world. It is perfect for keeping in a family. Children over 10 years old can communicate with the animal independently. When getting a rabbit for a small child, you need to control it so that it does not cause injury to this animal.

Most owners note the proud disposition of fluffies. Despite their modest size, they are very active and require a lot of attention.

The undoubted advantages of keeping a dwarf lop-eared sheep rabbit include:

• the animal is harmless, cute and fluffy;
• does not require constant washing;
• Rabbit food is inexpensive;
• is easy to train to the tray;
• With good care, it lives for about 10 years.

The most common disadvantages of keeping rabbits at home are:

• frequent mood swings;
• shedding every few months;
• in some cases may cause allergies in children;
• require constant attention of the owner;
• may have a slight odor.

Breeding

Breeding dwarf fold rabbits is not difficult. Starting from 6 months of age, rabbits can reproduce safely. Fold rams are not particularly fertile. The female carries the rabbits for 28-36 days. With proper care, female rabbits can produce 6-7 rabbits in one litter.

A pregnant rabbit needs to be provided with maximum care. You need to keep the cage clean and give the animal more protein-rich, nutritious food.

Fresh, clean water is important for the female; it is recommended to give low-fat homemade cottage cheese and a hard-boiled egg once a day. In order for a mother rabbit to feed her babies for a long time, you need to disturb the animal as little as possible.

Sterilization and castration

At the onset of puberty, the ram rabbit begins to mark its territory and becomes restless and restless. Games with children are no longer interesting for the eared boy.

For females, the solution to the problem is sterilization, and for males, castration. After the operation, the ram becomes peaceful and calm. He is sleeping well, is interested in play again, and has a healthy appetite.

Starting from 4 months of age, females can be sterilized, but, according to many veterinarians, it is better to postpone the operation until 6 months of age, when the animal’s body becomes stronger and more mature and recovers faster after surgery.

The best age for castration of a male is 3.5-5 months. Experts do not give a definite answer as to whether it is possible to operate on individuals who have reached the age of 1-3 years. Most are inclined to believe that the operation is much more difficult for pets in this case. Before carrying out it, you must pass all the necessary tests and check the condition of the internal organs.

Productive qualities

Dwarf female ram rabbits can easily produce offspring starting from the age of six months. With proper care, the female herself, without outside help, is able to give birth to 5-7 rabbits and feed them with her milk for quite a long time.

The main condition for this is the cleanliness of the cage, a sufficient amount of clean drinking water, regular feeding and the absence of irritating factors.

Feeding

The rabbit's diet should be nutritious, complete and varied:

• Among vegetables, the ram prefers potatoes, broccoli, carrots; you should not feed him potato tops, tomatoes, beets, white cabbage and cauliflower;
• slightly dried and fresh meadow grass, dandelion, nettle will be a good source of vitamins in the summer;
• oats and wheat are suitable for grain crops;
• In winter, a fold-eared ram will like an armful of dry, fragrant herbs.

For rabbits, the main food is hay and nutritious grain mixtures. Before 6 months of age, you should not treat your baby to raw vegetables and fresh herbs, because the delicate digestive tract is not yet ready to absorb fiber and coarse fibers.

A grown rabbit can be given vegetables, fruits and green grass daily in small quantities. There should always be hay in the cage - a source of vital substances for the rabbit.

Oats, wheat, and crackers can be given as solid food, but in very moderate quantities. Rabbits should not be given dairy or meat products. Pets can sometimes be given milk for up to 2.5 months. There should always be standing, clean water in the cage. A mineral stone sold in pet stores should be attached to the wall of the cage.

Care and maintenance

By nature, fold-eared dwarf baby rams are rodents, so it is not at all surprising that they constantly need to chew something.

Rabbits will mercilessly tear apart wires that are not removed to a safe distance in the house. Eared pets can receive an electric shock at any time.

The permanent “place of residence” of a dwarf lop-eared ram will be a cozy, spacious cage that meets the following requirements:

1. Dimensions no less than 0.7x0.5 meters.
2. It is advisable to arrange a “house” in the cage - a safe shelter for your pet, in which he will feel completely protected.
3. The location of the cage should be selected very carefully. It should be ventilated, but without cold drafts, well lit.
4. Dwarf rams are quite clean by nature, so they will choose a corner for the toilet, in which you need to place a tray. Designed for cats is quite suitable for this purpose. You can use a special triangular corner tray.
5. To prevent your pet from throwing cups in different directions and clinging to them with his paws, it is better to attach a drinking bowl with water to the wall of the cage, and use heavy ceramic dishes for the feeder. Moreover, no matter how much he wants, the baby will not be able to chew on it.
6. It is advisable to let the rabbit out of the cage at least once a day for several hours so that it can stretch its legs.
7. Use a special nail clipper to remove sharp claws so that the furniture in the house is not scratched.

The cleanliness of the feeders must be constantly monitored and the availability of clean water must be constantly taken care of. Animals eat frequently; the work of their gastrointestinal tract is based on pushing food through the arrival of new portions.

Pets can eat and defecate at the same time. For convenience, a feeder with hay is placed next to the tray. Well-dried wood shavings or finely shredded newsprint without printing ink are the best bedding materials.

Folds take care of the condition of their fur themselves, so they are bathed very rarely. The main thing is not to forget to clean their cage regularly and provide the animal with a clean tray every day. A ram demanding cleanliness will not go into a dirty litter box.

The rabbit is sick, what should I do?

Some rabbit diseases are indicated by the following symptoms:

• The rabbit's fur stops shining and looks unhealthy.
• The animal does not eat anything at all, does not even look at its most beloved hay and grain.
• The lop-eared rabbit is not interested in anything, he does not pay attention to anything or anyone.
• The animal has a very high temperature.

If your pet has all of these symptoms listed above, then you should contact your nearest veterinary clinic as soon as possible.

To calm the animal down a little and not shake from the temperature, place ice wrapped in a cloth on the rabbit's ears.

To prevent your beloved pet from getting sick, always watch him, keep his cage clean, and don’t leave him alone for a long time. Then the animal will respond to you with love and devotion.