Last Updated on June 12, 2023 by Emma Reynolds
While the Beveren rabbit might be a little bit rarer than it once was, for those that want a fur rabbit, there is nothing else quite like it out there. Let’s take a little look at this stunning bunny breed in a bit more depth, shall we?
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Where Did Beveren Rabbits Came From?
The Beveren rabbit was first developed in Beveren, Belgium. This happened at some point in the latter half of the 19th Century.
However, as with most rabbit breeds, it didn’t really gain all that much traction until it got imported to England during the early 20th Century.
It was here that the rabbit breed went through a rapid amount of development. In fact, so much of the breed was developed in England that a lot of people regard the Beveren rabbit as more of an English breed than a Belgian one.
The beautiful fur of the rabbit meant that it quickly became e favorite of fur lovers.
Although, because rabbit fur isn’t used as much nowadays, and the only real purpose for the Beveren rabbit was as a fur rabbit, it has started to die out a little.
Some people regard the Beveren rabbit as an endangered breed. However, thankfully, there is little chance that it is going to be disappearing any time soon.
The Look of the Beveren Rabbit Breed
This is a largish rabbit that weighs somewhere between 8 and 12 lbs. While the Beveren bunny can be found in a variety of different colors, only a few colors are recognized as official versions of the rabbit:
- Blue
- Black
- White
Because the main purpose of this breed was a fur rabbit, the fur is fantastic.
While it is short fur, it is very dense. It also feels incredibly soft to the touch. Just a small amount of petting of this rabbit will tell you exactly why so many people loved this rabbit in the early part of the 20th Century.
The Beveren Rabbit as a Show Rabbit
There are still plenty of Beveren rabbit shows happening all over the world.
The main ones occur in the United States and in the United Kingdom. Although, do bear in mind that because this rabbit breed has had so much development over the years, and the rabbit breeding clubs have existed for over a century now, the requirements at shows for this breed are incredibly strict!
A lot of breeders still make a huge sum of cash by developing their rabbits and selling them to the fur industry.
Although, as we mentioned before, the rabbit fur industry isn’t quite what it used to be. This means that breeders are not making as much money from that as they did in the past.
The bulk of the sales now seem to be towards the pet market, although most rabbit owners are not really looking for the perfect specimen of rabbit.
They just want something that looks reasonably decent and is easy to raise. We will talk more about raising the Beveren rabbit as a pet in a short while.
Practical Uses of the Beveren Rabbit
There are better fur rabbits out there now. This means that you won’t really find the Beveren rabbit raised commercially for fur.
However, you will find plenty of homesteaders that do this. This is because the fur does feel fantastic to the touch, and the rabbit should be fairly easy to raise too.
In fact, if you are a homesteader that is looking for the perfect fur rabbit breed, then we would absolutely recommend that you look into the Beveren rabbit.
While the Beveren rabbit is large, it isn’t really used much as a rabbit for meat purposes. We are sure that there are some people that will eat the Beveren rabbit.
However, to be honest with you, this is going to be more of a side benefit of it being a fur rabbit as opposed to the main reason why you would raise this bunny in the first place.
The Beveren Rabbit as a Pet
Nowadays, the main reason why people raise the Beveren rabbit is that they are looking for a brilliant rabbit as a pet.
One of the main advantages of having the Beveren bunny as a pet is the fact that it is incredibly docile. We do not think we have ever heard a story of one of these rabbits being aggressive. It often comes highly recommended as a ‘starter rabbit’.
Because this is a larger rabbit, you will need to have a huge amount of space for it. For that reason, we suggest that you raise it indoors.
Obviously, it will need to have a larger hutch to sleep in, but when it is indoors, it can also roam freely around your home when it isn’t safely locked away in the hutch.
Unlike many other rabbits of this size, the Beveren rabbit is a very active breed. This means that it is playful. It also means that you will need to have space for it to run around, and it will need a lot of exercises each day.
Wherever possible, you should be putting this rabbit in a run outdoors (make sure the run is enclosed so the rabbit doesn’t fall foul of predators).
This applies even if you have an indoor rabbit. It will also need to have access to several toys to ensure that it can be mentally stimulated.
Your only concern when raising this rabbit is the fact that it does have thicker fur. This means that it will need to be bathed regularly. You will also need to ensure that you brush the rabbit at least a couple of times per week.
This will help to prevent the fur from becoming matted. You may also want to invest in a decent vacuum cleaner if you are raising this rabbit indoors because it sheds… a lot!
Other than this, just raise it like any other rabbit. This means a balanced diet, and plenty of hay to munch on so it can wear down those ever-growing teeth.
Beveren Rabbits for Sale in 2021
You can find Beveren rabbits for sale on the official ARBA breeders listing of Beveren rabbit breeders, or on the Beveren rabbit club official website.
Emma is a young, enthusiastic veterinary assistant based in Portland, Oregon. She has a natural affinity for all things fluffy, with rabbits being her absolute favorite. She got her first rabbit, a Holland Lop named Pippin, at the age of 7 and has been head over heels for them ever since. Emma holds an Associate Degree in Veterinary Science from the Portland Community College and has been working in a small animal clinic for the past 2 years.