Learn about the different breeds of rabbits and find pictures, information, breed history and more on each individual rabbit breed.
Believe it or not? The Rabbit Breeds Picture above is a real photograph. Rabbits do indeed come in all different shapes and sizes. Some rabbit breeds are huge when full grown while others can weigh less than five pounds. In this article I will be providing you with a rabbit breeds chart which will help you learn more about the many breeds of domestic rabbits.
Types of Rabbit Breeds
There are two main types of rabbit breeds in which all other classifications fall into; domestic and wild rabbit breeds. All of the breeds of rabbits recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association are domestic breeds. Domestic rabbits can be kept at home and raised while wild rabbits should not be handled. Today's domestic line of rabbits originated from the European Rabbit which was selectively bred for desirable traits over a long period of time.
Since there are literally hundreds of rabbit breeds kept worldwide, in this article I am going to focus solely upon the ones recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association. If you wish to learn more about how rabbit breeds are classified check out our Types of Rabbits article.
Breeds of Rabbits: A through Z Listing
The 47 ARBA recognized rabbit breeds are as follows, listed in alphabetic order…
Rabbit Breed Chart
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rabbit Breed |
Rabbit Size |
Rabbit Body Type |
Rabbit Fur |
Rabbit Breeders |
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Table by Rabbit Breeders – Jump to Top
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| American | 9-12 lbs | Semi Arch | Flyback |  |
| American Chinchilla | 9-12 lbs | Commercial | Rollback | |
| American Fuzzy Lop | Max 4 lbs | Compact | Wool | |
| American Sable | Max 10 lbs | Commercial | Rollback | |
| Belgian Hare | 6-9 lbs | Full Arch | Flyback | |
| Beveren | 8-12 lbs | Semi Arch | Rollback | |
| Blanc de Hotot | 8-11 lbs | Commercial | Rollback | |
| Britannia Petite | 2.25-2.50 lbs | Full Arch | Flyback | |
| Californian | 8-10.25 lbs | Commercial | Flyback | |
| Champagne d’Argent | 9-12 lbs | Commercial | Flyback | |
| Checkered Giant | 11+ lbs | Full Arch | Flyback | |
| Cinnamon | 9-11 lbs | Commercial | Flyback | |
| Creme d’Argent | 8.25-11 lbs | Commercial | Flyback | |
| Dutch | 4-5.25 lbs | Compact | Flyback | |
| Dwarf Hotot | Max 3 lbs | Compact | Rollback | |
| English Angora | 5-7.5 lbs | Compact | Wool | |
| English Lop | Min. 10 lbs | Semi Arch | Flyback | |
| English Spot | 6-8 lbs | Full Arch | Flyback | |
| Flemish Giant | 13-14+ lbs | Semi Arch | Rollback | |
| Florida White | 4-6 lbs | Compact | Flyback | |
| French Angora | 9-10.5 lbs | Commercial | Wool | |
| French Lop | 11+ lbs | Commercial | Flyback | |
| Giant Angora | 9-10.5+ lbs | Commercial | Wool | |
| Giant Chinchilla | 13-15 lbs | Semi Arch | Flyback | |
| Harlequin | 7.5 lbs | Commercial | Flyback | |
| Havana | 5-6 lbs | Compact | Flyback | |
| Himalayan | 3-5 lbs | Cylindrical | Flyback | |
| Holland Lop | 3-4 lbs | Compact | Rollback | |
| Jersey Wooly | 3-3.5 lbs | Compact | Wool | |
| Lilac | 6-8 lbs | Compact | Rollback | |
| Mini Lop | 5-6 lbs | Compact | Rollback | |
| Mini Rex | 3-4.5 lbs | Compact | Rex | |
| Mini Satin | 4 lbs | Compact | Satin | |
| Netherland Dwarf | 2-2.5 lbs | Compact | Rollback | |
| New Zealand | 9-12 lbs | Commercial | Flyback | |
| Palomino | 8-10 lbs | Commercial | Flyback | |
| Polish | 3-3.5 lbs | Compact | Flyback | |
| Rex | 8-9 lbs | Commercial | Rex | |
| Rhinelander | 6.5-10 lbs | Full Arch | Flyback | |
| Satin | 9-11 lbs | Commercial | Satin | |
| Satin Angora | 8-9 lbs | Commercial | Wool | |
| Silver | Max 9.5 lbs | Compact | Flyback | |
| Silver Fox | Max 12 lbs | Commercial | Rollback | |
| Silver Marten | 6-9 lbs | Commercial | Flyback | |
| Standard Chinchilla | 6-7.5 lbs | Compact | Rollback | |
| Tan | 4-6 lbs | Full Arch | Flyback | |
| Thrianta | 4.5-6 lbs | Compact | Rollback | |
Selecting a Rabbit Breed
Selecting a rabbit breed is definitely one of the most important decisions that you will make for your rabbitry. Luckily for you, there are over 47 different breeds of rabbits to choose from. This is when you will want to recall the “purpose” that you decided on at the beginning of this book. Any rabbit breeder will tell you that some breeds are definitely more ideal for different purposes.
Things to Consider When Selecting a Rabbit Breed
- Purpose of your Rabbitry
- Rabbit Size
- Rabbit Body Type
- Type of Fur
- Color/Markings
- Growth Rate/Litter Production
- Your Climate (is it too hot or too cold?)
Meat Rabbit Breeds
If you plan on raising rabbits for meat I strongly recommend that you choose a large “commercial” rabbit breed which will produce fast growing offspring with a good meat to bone ratio. I personally recommend raising Californians or New Zealands as meat rabbits. They grow fast; have large litters and overall make excellent “meat rabbits”.
Here is a list of “for meat” rabbit breeds that many different breeders recommend
- American Chinchilla
- Beveren
- Blanc D’Hotot
- Californian (My favorite breed)
- Champagne D’Argents
- Crème D’Argents
- Flemish Giants (Giant animals but tend to have lower meat to bone dress out ratios)
- Florida White
- French Lops
- New Zealand (Highly Recommended)
- Palomino
- Satin
- Silver Fox
Some breeders recommend raising a crossbred animal such as a Californian-New Zealand hybrid for meat purposes.
One of the most popular hybrid rabbit meat breeds is the Altex (Although not recognized by ARBA). The Altex was developed from a cross of the Flemish Giant, Champagne D’ Argent and Californian. At adult size these cross bred rabbits weigh between 10 and 20 pounds. Studies performed at the Texas A&M University have shown that Altex fryers tend to reach market age earlier than other meat breeds. Many rabbit breeders however don’t recommend that your primary herd animal be the “Altex” for several reasons. The Altex doe will generally give birth to smaller litters than other meat rabbits. To solve this issue, many breeders recommend breeding an Altex buck to a Californian/New Zealand doe or an Altex doe to a New Zealand buck.
Show Rabbit Breeds
If you plan on primarily raising rabbits for show, you will have an excellent variety of breeds to choose from! All 47 ARBA recognized breeds are eligible to be shown at any major rabbit show. However be warned; most local shows will not accept every breed. If you plan on raising up one of the “rare” breeds such as the Blanc de Hotot; you might have to drive a distance in order to find available shows.
A good practice when choosing a show breed is to ask other breeders in your area for their opinion on selecting a breed. In Southeast, Texas for instance most breeders raise Californians or New Zealands. They are multi-purpose animals which can be shown at two different types of rabbit shows; Meat Pen Rabbit Shows and Rabbit Fancier Shows. Even if you don’t plan on eating rabbit yourself, raising either one of these breeds will help guarantee that you have an outlet to sell unwanted rabbits.
Here is a list of “for show” rabbit breeds that many different breeders recommend
- American
- Californian
- Dutch
- Flemish Giant
- Lilac
- Lop
- Mini Rex
- New Zealand
- Palomino
- Polish
- Satin
- Tan
These are simply a few recommendations that breeders have given me… if you fall in love with a different breed (not on the list), feel free to experiment!
Fur Rabbit Breeds
Most breeders agree on what the best fur rabbit breeds are. If you are choosing to raise rabbits particularly for fur, I highly recommend that you select a breed labeled as having either having wool or angora fur. The most popular “for fur” breed is the Angora Rabbit.
Here is a list of “for show” rabbit breeds that many different breeders recommend
- American Fuzzy Lop
- English Angora
- French Angora
- Giant Angora
- Jersey Wooly
- Satin Angora
Pet Rabbit Breeds
In many countries rabbits are quickly becoming one of the most common pets. When choosing a “for pet” rabbit, I suggest that you select one of the small or medium breeds. These animals will generally be tamer than the larger breeds such as the Californian and will be easier for young children to handle. Remember, the best production animals don’t usually make the best pets.
Here is a list of “for pet” rabbit breeds that many different pet bunny owners recommend
- Belgian Hare
- Cinnamon
- Dutch
- Dwarf Hotot
- English Spot
- Flemish Giant (Size is great for impressing a friend)
- Harlequin
- Himalayan
- Lionhead
- Lops (My favorites are the Holland and Mini Lops)
- Mini Rex
- Mini Satin
- Netherland Dwarf (So tiny and cute)
- Rex
- Tan
- Thrianta
Also if you are planning on raising rabbits for pets, it is important to consider whether or not you want to breed rabbits. If you are new to rabbit raising and plan on breeding for pets, you might want to start off with a medium breed (they tend to have less birth complications than smaller breeds). Some small breeds such as the Tan and Mini Satin are still great choices for the first time breeder. Just make sure the breed that you choose weighs over 4 pounds at adulthood.
Rabbit Breeds – Chart Analysis
The rabbit breeds chart above categorizes the different rabbit breeds by Body Type and Fur Type…
Resources for Rabbit Breeders
For more information about raising the different breeds of rabbits discussed in this article check out the following resource links for rabbit breeders…
- Free Rabbit Breeders Newsletter – subscribe to our free monthly informational rabbit breeders newsletter
- How to Raise Rabbits – learn more about how to raise rabbits and discover useful resources
- Facts about Rabbits – find cool rabbit facts about the different breeds
- Types of Rabbits – learn how rabbit breeds are classifieds and about the different rabbit types
- Breeding Rabbits – discover information on the topic of breeding rabbits
- Rabbits for Sale – find rabbits for sale using our huge rabbit breeders directory
- Rabbit Supplies for Sale – search for rabbit supplies for sale using our online supplies catalog
Alright this concludes our article about the different breeds of rabbits. If you have any questions about the material mentioned in this article you can ask us questions on our Rabbit Breeders Facebook Page. If you enjoyed this article and would like to share it, please click on the Facebook "like" button below.
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