Creme D’ Argent Rabbits

Learn more about the Creme D' Argent Rabbit Breed. Discover cool facts, pictures, resources and find information about caring for Creme D' Argent Rabbits.

This rabbit breed information page is part of our rabbit breeds article series.

Creme D' Argent Rabbit Resource Links: Free Rabbit Breeders Newsletter | Creme D' Argent Rabbit Breed Info | Creme D' Argent Rabbit Information and History | Creme D' Argent Rabbit Care | Creme D' Argent Rabbit Resources

Creme D' Argent Rabbit Breed Info

Creme D' Argent Rabbit BreedRecognized colors: one standard color

Size: 8 ½ –11 pounds

National Specialty Club:
cremedargent.org

Creme D' Argent Rabbit Breed Photo Credit: 123exoticpet.com

Creme D' Argent Rabbit Information and History

“The color is described as orange silver.”  Sounds like an odd combination, doesn’t it?  But the result is quite attractive: the Crème d’Argent.  The Crème is slightly smaller than its Champagne counterpart, and slightly less popular, but its beauty rivals or even surpasses that of the Champagne.

The “Crème of the Crop” is a six-class breed, meaning that rabbits are not considered seniors until eight months of age, and there is an intermediate class between juniors and seniors for six to eight-month-olds.  It’s on the small side for a commercial breed, with ideal weights  at 9 pounds for bucks and 10 pounds for does.  Some Crèmes are long and lanky, but the better lines in the country produce nice round, deep rabbits that get looks on the Best in Show table.  Fur is a standard flyback.

This breed comes in only one color, orange-fawn with the silver gene.  The genotype is AA BB CC DD ee sisi.  The color is removed from wild rabbit color (chestnut agouti) by only two genes: the silvering gene, and the non-extension gene “e,” which does not allow black pigment to show, only yellow.  The silver gene causes the coat to grow white guard hairs that increase in number with age.

Fawn silver rabbits were mentioned in a French paper as early as 1877, but their exact origin is not known.   Crème d’Argent was imported to the US a few different times in the 1920’s, but it was a smaller and longer rabbit than the one we call the Crème today.  In that era, rabbit fanciers wanted breeds to be dual-purpose: good for both meat and show.   Mr. Harry Clauss of Canandiagua, New York, took interest in the breed and obtained much of the stock that had been imported.  In part through crossing to other breeds, he worked to bring the Crème up to commercial type and weed out common faults such as dark ear lacing.  The “Americanized” Crème d’Argent was recognized by the ARBA around 1940.   The Crème is still bred in Europe, but there the breed retains more of its old style type. 

Although still considered rare by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, the Crème d’Argent was moved from the “watch” category to “recovering,” due to its stable and increasing population.    If you would like to support this breed, consider joining the Crème d’Argent Federation:  www.cremedargent.org

Creme D' Argent Rabbit Care

Here is a list of resources to help you care for your creme d' argent rabbits…

Creme D' Argent Rabbit Resources

Here is a listing of creme d' argent rabbit resources to help you out with your rabbit project…

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