Satin Rabbit – information and facts about the Satin Rabbit Breed. Learn more about Satin Rabbits in this article. Breed photos are included.
Among the medium-large rabbit breeds, the Satin rabbit breed is one of the most popular. The commercial breeds Californian and New Zealand might be the only ones that would exceed the breed in terms of the fan base. Over the years, the breed is already highly developed, thanks to the efforts of some top breeders in the country.
Similar to other popular rabbit breeds, Satins have something to showcase. It is popular for its amazing shiny coat that really stands out on its own. Aside from that, it is also known for its wonderful translucent hair shell. The striking satin sheen on the Satin’s coat is what gave way to the rabbit’s name.
Satins are known for serving many purposes. Other than its contributions to the fur industry, it is also famous for being an excellent meat rabbit. Its awesome pelts are attributed for this. They have a high meat to bone ratio.
Satin Rabbit Facts
1. History
The first appearance of the Satin gene is in a litter of Havanas born in Walter Huey’s rabbitry in Indiana in 1932. Mr. Huey, with the desire of improving his Havanas, started inbreeding the rabbits. This process caused thee carriers of the new mutation to be bred to one another, and consequently produce offspring that would showcase the trait.
Initially, Mr. Huey showcased the new rabbits in comparison to the regular Havanas. However, other breeders think that it is unfair. As a result, the American Federation of Havana Breeders arrived at a decision to sponsor “Satin Havanas” as their own breed in the year 1934.
In the year 1936, the National Satin Club was formed, along with the development of many other breeds through the cross breeding process. While the coat of a Satin is uniquely beautiful, it is not that well received in the fur industry because it is too fine.
Mr. Price, a rabbit enthusiast and a resident of Arizona, also paved ways for the development of the breed. He crossed Satins with New Zealand White, which were the most popular meat breeds back then. By the year 1938, he was already able to develop an ivory colored Satin, which is genetically albino similar to the New Zealand White.
Throughout the years, the collective effort of passionate breeders has paid off. They were able to breed the size up to its commercial weight. And the breed was recognized in the year 1956. With the Siamese variety being the first recognized color, all the other colors then followed in quick intervals.
Since then, the Satin coats have been put on to a number of breeds, including the Mini Satin, Satin Angora, Satin Dwarf of Europe, and Australia’s Mini Satin Rex or New Zealand.
2. Characteristics and Appearance
A Satin rabbit breed can weigh around 9 to 11 pounds; the ideal weight being 9.5 to 10 pounds. It is classified as a medium-large rabbit.
The wonderful body type of Satin is well arched in nature especially when viewed in profile. When you hold the breed in your hands, it would appear to be very solid. It has a medium build and fairly broad body, coupled with strong legs, broad head, and sturdy and erect ears.
The shiny coating of the Satin is its most impressive feature. The Satin gene produces a hair shaft with a finer diameter compared to a normal fur. This characteristic is similar to Satin cats and guinea pigs. Moreover, Satin’s hair shell is translucent due to the appearance of air bubbles that fill the shell completely. In effect, light passes through the hair shell, illuminate the pigment, and correspondingly give the rabbit’s coat a highly remarkable sheen. This is best seen in a natural light.
Ideally, the length of the Satin’s fur is 1 inch to 11/8 inches. This range is normal for a rabbit hair. A study conducted in Harvard University could attest to this claim. Upon the discovery of the Satin gene, samples were sent to Harvard for research. The scientists concluded that the satin gene affected the texture of the rabbit’s fur, this creating the translucent hair shell. However, unlike the mutation of the Rex, the gene did not affect the length of the coat.
The recognized colors for the Satin rabbit breed are black, blue, broken, Californian, chocolate, copper, otter, red, Siamese, and white. The beautiful color, Copper, is a rufus chestnut, while a Siamese is a unique color which was caused by a chinchilla and non-extension genes mix.
3. Personality and Traits
Many breeders say that the Satin breed is a gentle and friendly rabbit. They are generally very good-natured and have a calm temperament. Most especially, they are also good to children.
In status quo, the Satin breed is deemed as perfect choice for a multipurpose rabbit. The breed’s large size and commercial body type are cited as major reasons why it is suitable to market pen classes. These reasons also justify why the breed is also a top choice for meat production, which is served in the family table.
Moreover, the Satin breed also gains attention for being a show animal. Indeed, it is well accounted for its competitiveness.
Just like what breeders would say, if you want a rabbit that feels like silk and shines like a gem in the sunshine, the Satin breed is the perfect choice for you.