Rabbit Hermelin ⋆ 👨‍🌾 Farmer-online ⋆

Hermelin is a breed of rabbit that was bred by crossing albinos, Dutch, silver and wild rabbits. It is distinguished from rabbits of other breeds by its always white color. It gives it a “toy” appearance. Prettiness is added by small ears and a shortened muzzle.

History of origin

In the middle of the 1920th century, breeders from Poland bred a breed with white fur and catchy eyes. Continuing work on it, in XNUMX they received a blue-eyed hermelin. Polish rabbit breeders did not stop there and reduced the size of the rabbit. Today germelin is the smallest representative of dwarf breeds.

In 1998, they learned about the dwarf representative of the rabbit kingdom in Russia. It happened at the Moscow exhibition.

Character traits

Hermeline has a special appearance. Description of the breed:

coat color – snow-white;
eye color – red or blue;
weight – ideally 1,3 kg;
the length of the ears is ideally 5,5 cm (permissible length is 4,5-7 cm), they are erect, they have a beautiful shape, close fit and good hairline;
body size – compact (neck is not visible);
head size – large;
front legs are short;
hind legs are long and strong;
the tail is small, it fits snugly to the back.

How to choose?

Beginner rabbit breeders often buy, instead of a dwarf rabbit, an ordinary one. They are let down by ignorance of the distinctive features of the breed and the desire to save money. In order not to be disappointed in the future, they go to the nursery for germelin. Before buying, they get acquainted with the documents and the parent couple.

You can not choose a rabbit by size: at a young age they are all small. When choosing, consider it from all sides. The Hermelin rabbit always has snow-white fur. It has no spots or yellowing. He has erect, softly rounded ears, a rounded muzzle and a small tail.

If the appearance of the pet is not suspicious, assess its health. According to a number of signs given below, it is determined whether he is healthy or not:

manifestation of curiosity;
inability to sit in one place for a long time;
clean ears;
no discharge in the eye area;
lack of traces of bald patches on the coat;
shine of wool;
even breathing.

Care and maintenance

Hermelins are decorative pets. They are kept in cages, but not like ordinary rabbits – in a barn, but in an apartment or house. Their appearance and life expectancy depend on how they are taken care of.

Cell

Before buying a rabbit, they prepare an ideal place for keeping it. Depending on the budget and skills, the cage is either bought at a pet store or made by hand. In both cases, it must be made of galvanized mesh.

The presence of a pallet is preferred, but not required. The cage with the pallet is washed, cleaned and disinfected every day. If it is absent, then the litter is replaced twice a week with mandatory disinfection. For this, experienced rabbit breeders use purchased (a 5% solution of iodine in alcohol, Ecocid-S, Virkon or Glutex) or folk (washing the cage with a solution of whiteness, burning with fire, treating with burnt lime or hot lye) means.

You can not neglect the rules of hygiene. The cage is cleaned on time. Otherwise, germelin will develop an acute infectious disease. There is a great risk that he will die. In particular, such an outcome is inevitable if he has coccidiosis – damage by parasitic protozoa of the liver and digestive tract. It doesn’t heal.

You can not choose a place for a cage at random. It is forbidden to put it in a deep shade, hiding the pet from the direct rays of the sun. In conditions of insufficient lighting (lack of cell movement to a well-lit place for an hour or two a day), he will develop a lack of vitamin D. Because of this, calcium-phosphorus metabolism will be disturbed. Rickets will form in the young, and decalcification of the skeletal system will occur in adults. More serious consequences of vitamin D deficiency: curvature of the paws, dysfunction of the locomotor apparatus, deformity of the spinal column, growth and developmental delay.

Life

Hermelins, like chinchillas, are nocturnal and get frightened by hearing loud noises. During the day, you should take care of their peace.

Therefore, a portable house made of plywood or wood is bought in a cage for the animal to rest.

Hair and claw care

The coat of the Hermelin rabbit is cared for. To do this, buy a comb, mat cutter or slicker. From time to time the hair is combed. Noticing the tangle, remove it with a tangle cutter or slicker. If you have not bought a special tool, cut it with ordinary scissors. The rabbit’s nails are trimmed once a month and a half.

Hermelinus is neither a cat nor a dog. Under no circumstances should you bathe him.

Feeding and drinking regimen

The basis of rabbit nutrition is high-quality compound feed with a grain mixture, mineral and vitamin supplements, animal proteins. You can not feed him stale food of poor quality, as this leads to problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Food in winter and summer is different. Organizing it, take into account three nuances:

it must be varied;
food not eaten during the day is removed from the cup, it should not be stale;
you can not overfeed the animal (otherwise there will be a progression of dwarfism in rabbits).

Hay is harvested for the winter, vegetables, fruits and root crops are stocked up. Tree branches and crackers are placed in the cage so that the rabbit does not have problems with teeth and oral cavity. In summer, the pet is fed with fresh herbs, including spicy ones (celery, cilantro, parsley). Like all rabbits, hermelins love carrots. It is given fresh and always purified.

For grain and compound feed, they buy a bunker feeder, and for water – a drip drinker. The rabbit rarely drinks because it eats mostly succulent feed. In a volumetric and open drinking bowl, water becomes contaminated and stagnates.

With the help of a drip drinker, it is easier to give him supplements and vitamins that are soluble in water.

Breeding

Not every Hermelin rabbit is suitable for breeding. Before the case is not allowed:

germelins, in which the weight varies between 1100-1350 grams;
females younger than seven months;
males under eight months old.

If you mate before the individuals reach puberty, then there will be problems with the young. Do not be upset if pregnancy does not occur the first time. This is due to blank coatings.

In this case, the female is again brought together with the male until pregnancy occurs.

Females are not characterized by high fecundity. They rarely give birth to two or more rabbits in one litter. After the birth of the rabbits, the rabbit demonstrates the best qualities of the mother, and only occasionally (the reason is immaturity) does she ignore her maternal duties.

Hermelin rabbits fall in love at first sight. He has a good-natured personality and a “toy” appearance. It will decorate the life of a single person or a family with children. Having bought it, they get a real and devoted friend. How long he lives depends on the breeder himself. If he allocates time for care and buy high-quality food, then he will live 10 years.