- Man first domesticated rabbits in Africa.
- There are over 50 different breeds of domestic rabbit.
- The raising of rabbits is called 'Cuniculture'.
- Rabbits are not rodents, but belong to their own order of mammals called Lagomorphs.
- Rabbits are very clean, spending lots of time grooming themselves from ears to tail.
- Rabbits
and hares are not the same; rabbits are born hairless, helpless and
with their eyes closed; whereas hares are born with their eyes open and
fully furred.
- Dawn and dusk are when rabbits are most active.
- Rabbits have been marketed in Europe for over 1,000 years.
- They are used for food on all continents.
- The wool of Angora rabbits is lighter and warmer than any other animal fiber.
- Rabbit
is one of the most nutritional meats; being highest in protein, lowest
in fat and calories. It's also the easiest to digest, making it good
for people with stomach disorders.
- The
first recorded rabbitry was in early Roman times; rabbits were kept in
walled gardens, then consumed as needed because there was no
refrigeration, this saved waste over the large animals.
- A domestic rabbit is the only meat animal that can produce 10 times it's weight in meat per year.
- Only 7-8 % of a rabbit is bone.
- Rabbits have a set of back teeth for grinding their food and are voracious chewers.
- They have 18 toenails: 4 on each back foot and 5 on each front foot.
- Domestic rabbits have no known diseases communicable to humans.
- Rabbit manure is one of the best in the world- being high in nitrogen and non-burning.
- Each adult rabbit generates up to 50 pounds of manure per year.
- Rabbits can be bred all year round, and only have a 31 day gestation period.
- Kits
(baby rabbits) feeding off their mother's milk can double their weight
in 6 days; compared to a pig at 14 days, calves at 47, and humans at
160.
- Rabbits
are an ideal 4H project and make great pets for children, adults and
particularly the elderly or infirm because they are easy to care for
and can be trained as house pets.
- President Lincoln's sons kept pet rabbits with them in the White House!
- Rabbits
are affectionate, curious, entertaining and social creatures by nature.
They love to have their foreheads and ears stroked, but not the tip of their nose! If properly cared for they can live several years.
Thank you to Lighthouse Acres Rabbitry for inspiring our rabbit facts!
