Mary Allen
Rabbit breeding has a long tradition that found its way from France to Switzerland in the 19th century. Today, breeders make an important contribution to maintaining breed diversity.
Rabbits are often mistakenly classified as rodents. They belong to the group of lagomorphs. They are descended from their wild counterparts and are one of the most popular farm animals. Via France and Belgium, where tamed rabbits were kept and bred in many monasteries as early as the Middle Ages, they later reached the German-speaking areas.
However, it was not until the second half of the 19th century that we recognized their importance as livestock. Until then, the meat from other animals kept on the farms was in demand. In France, on the other hand, various farmers were already keeping rabbits in pens or livestock stalls for meat consumption at this time.
Soldiers who were deployed for the North German Confederation during the Franco-Prussian War (1870 – 1871) learned a lot about rabbit keeping in France. Back home, some of them set up their own breeds based on the French model. They quickly found imitators – also in Switzerland. The long-eared rabbits were now increasingly kept in individual stables and some men began breeding pedigree rabbits. These were presented to the public from 1874 – when the first exhibition in Germany is said to have taken place in Bremen.
Eleven years later, the first evaluation specifications for five breeds (Belgian giants, French rams, Angora, silver rabbits, and Russian rabbits) were available. They enabled peaceful competitions among breeders, which became increasingly popular. During this time, the first clubs were founded with the aim of breeding pedigree rabbits and fostering camaraderie in their spare time.
Ideal Values are Important
What subsequently experienced a heyday suffered a severe setback in recent years. Various circumstances and regulations made it difficult to set up and operate a rabbit farm. Even the creation of various community facilities did not prevent the drastic decline.
The material benefit of rabbit breeding is no longer the focus today. Rather, the ideal value of this leisure activity, which creates a connection to nature, is appreciated. Committed breeders who try to achieve the breeding goals of their breeds experience many beautiful moments with their four-legged friends. This also proved to be important during the current corona pandemic, as social contacts could only be maintained sparingly. Breeders spent more time with their animals, especially during the lockdown. For understandable reasons, there were no exhibitions in the 2020 / 21 season. In compliance with approved protection concepts, some clubs and associations carried out table evaluations for their members. The presentation of the different breeds in public was completely eliminated and thus the advertising platform for this useful hobby. Nevertheless, there are always people interested in this leisure activity. But what conditions should be in place in order to be able to operate them?
Make Preliminary Clarifications
Anyone who keeps animals just like them and be aware of the associated responsibility towards the four-legged friends. Animal welfare always comes first. Rabbits want to be fed every day and their stalls need to be mucked out regularly. In addition, the young or new breeders should have the necessary knowledge about keeping the animals in order to be able to cherish and care for them. Purebred Rabbits Switzerland offers appropriate further training courses. These are organized by associations or clubs. Furthermore, the prospective breeder has to clarify in advance where he can accommodate his long-eared cats. With these questions, it is important to observe the current regulations and laws and, if necessary, to inform the neighbors about the planned project. Keeping rabbits also involves costs for infrastructure, feed, and equipment.