Animals

Introduced into England from Holland in 1864, the Dutch Rabbit is one of the oldest of the domesticated rabbit breeds and are referred to as Hollander Rabbits in Holland. They are bred as pets, for showing, and as lab animals.

The Dutch rabbit, easily identifiable by its characteristic colour pattern, was once the most popular of all rabbit breeds. However, after dwarf rabbits were developed, the popularity of the Dutch rabbit dwindled. Nevertheless, the Dutch rabbit remains one of the top ten most popular breeds worldwide.
The adult size is about 4 1/2 pounds. Medium sized and large sized rabbits can get much larger than that! Dutch rabbits can be identified by their distinctive markings, which include the white blaze on their faces and the white band around their upper bodies.
 
Unfortunately, after dwarf rabbits were developed, the popularity of the small rabbit dwindled. However, he still remains in the top 10 and a favorite of rabbit lovers worldwide.

It is thought that the Dutch rabbit was first developed in the lowlands of the United Kingdom with ancestors from Holland and Belgium. In the beginning of the 19th century, the Dutch rabbit was imported into England where it continued to thrive as a meat breed.

For rabbit breeders, the Dutch may be best known for her extraordinary fostering abilities and some rabbit breeders always have a few Dutch does around in case another mother just isn’t doing the job.