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Show breeds are pets too!
Reputable
breeders are not 'rabbit mills' — we do not breed on the off chance we'll be inundated with sales —
that is not our intention. One of the main reasons a breeder breeds a show rabbit is to pick out the best from the litter.
The best are chosen on the merits of having certain features and qualities for showing and or intended for long term breeding
programmes.
Sometimes too, the breeder
hopes to produce certain colours or patterns. Another anticipation could be to duplicate specific or overall superior genetic
traits of one or both parents.
Usually
we'd love to (but it's not practical) to keep every kitten in a litter. These specially bred bunnies are sold to other
breeders, show people or as lovable family pets.
Most breeds have docile temperaments and make suitable pets though some are cuddlier and friendlier than others.
Sometimes these differences are governed by an individual's personality trait and depending whether they have been handled
from an early age.
Buyers Beware!
Please be wary when choosing
your bunny, as the main priority of some breeders is to just sell anything and everything! Take for instance: inappropriately
selling bucks as companions, ones with health issues (you end up with the medical expenses and heartache!), are timid
and fearful from rough or lack of human handling, say they’re show quality but are not up to standard or actually have
disqualifiable traits etc.
A number of studs also claim to be highfaluting, top breeders but
if you spend time shopping around your good judgement will hopefully distinguish the responsible, caring ones from disreputable
bunny mills.
Those burnt by unscrupulous breeders or have witnessed deplorable husbandry practices may report
registered studs to the member’s club president or secretary.
If nothing is done to prevent perpetrators
then they won’t be held accountable for their actions or need bother changing their ways. To tolerate or overlook breeders
behaving badly actually sanctifies and encourages them to carry on with business as per usual – and saddest
thing of all it's the silently suffering bunnies that have to continue to endure . . . L
 Chocolate Tan
 Sooty Fawn English Angora
Orange standard Rex
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Unfortunately due to Australia's import ban we're unable to offer
as many breed varieties and colour variations as other countries. However to the best of our ability we endeavour to maintain
the traits of our breeds according to British Rabbit Council standards, or if applicable American Rabbit Breeders Association.
It might seem as if there are plenty of breeds to choose from, or you could perhaps assume they are easily attainable –
unfortunately this is not the case!
In actual fact, many of our unique breeds would be classified
as rare and endangered. Due to a limited gene pool and an ongoing import ban, rabbit fanciers appreciate and treasure our
exotic rabbits. Not only are rabbit breeders widely distrubuted in our vast country, but compared to other fanciers in the
world (UK, Europe and US), the majority of us here only keep a small number of stock.
Breeds are at risk whenever
for instance fanciers give up the hobby (for various reasons) or are devastated by loss of stock due to myxomatosis, calicivirus,
rabbit syphilis, theft and so on. As a result we are well aware of the long-term consequences of our breeds disappearing and
know that the limited number we have are irreplaceable.
Breeds at risk (and therefore rare/endangered) are: English Angora, German Angora, Dutch, Smoke Pearl Marten, Miniature
Cashmere Lop, standard Cashmere Lop, English, Satin, Polish, Agente, Marten Sable, Californian, British Giant, Silver Fox,
Jersey Wooly, Smoke Pearl, Siamese Sable, Harlequin, New Zealand White, Swiss Fox and Tan. Plus also in this category we can
include 'breeds in development' such as: Plush Lop, Chinchilla, French Lop, Astrex, Mini Satin, Chinchilla Giganta,
Flemish Giant, Rhinelander and Giganta Cashmere Lop.
It is obvious
for all to see the huge discrepancy between the handful of popular breeds compared to the ones at risk. This is something
anti-breeder/breeding campaigners ought to seriously consider! What a sad and tragic day it would be if our country ended
up with only cross-bred and feral bunnies! Food for thought I should hope . . . .
View Our Breeds (in alphabetical order)
Agente Bleu – fur breed Type: compact body, short neck, broad rounded loins and well developed hindquarter.
Bold eyes and ears short and rounded.
Coat: very dense (thick), silky and glossy, lying
close to the body, ideal length 1.9 to 2.54 cms (¾ to 1 inch).
Colour: bluish white
top colour with evenly dispersed longer dark blue hairs, lavender blue under colour. Blue eye colour.
Adult
weight: 2.72 kgs (6lb)
Photo courtesy of Jenny Buckingham
British Giant — fur breed
Type: large size, long broad body, solid and firm condition, broad
head, erect ears and bold eyes.
Coat: 1.9 to 2.54cms (¾ to 1 inch) in length, thick
and very dense, medium texture (not harsh or soft).
Colour: in OZ - brown grey (agouti) &
opal – overseas white, dark steel grey & blue.
Minimum Adult weight: bucks
5.670 kgs (12 ½ lbs). Does 6.123 kgs (13 ½ lbs).
Photo: Reguli 'Yokozuna' (ACT breeder)
Californian – fur breed
Type: firm and meaty, solid body with broad shoulders and well-developed
hindquarters. Well-shaped head on a short neck, which is set close to the body. Eyes are bright, bold and pink coloured.
Coat: undercoat as dense as possible, interspersed very thickly with coarser guard hair. The coat
is so thick the fur should immediately resume its position when stroked in any direction.
Colour:
markings of chocolate, blue or lilac (as dark as possible) on nose, ears, feet and tail and rest of body should be pure white.
Adult weight: ideal 4.082 (9 lb), minimum and maximum weights: Bucks 3.402 to 4.43 kg (7 ½
to 10 lb) and does 3.402 to 4.762 (7 ½ to 10 ½ lbs).
Photo courtesy of Jenny
Buckingham (WA)
Cashmere Lop –
lop breed  Type: compact, well-muscled, short body, broad
shoulders, full chest, broad head with well developed cheeks, no visible neck, bold eyes, prominent crown. Ears are broad,
thick, rounded and lopped.
Coat: dense and silky with a thick undercoat, evenly overlayed with
longer thicker guard hairs. Length 3.81 to 5.08 cms (1½ - 2 inches)
Colour: various
colours and patterns accepted.
Adult weight:
ideal 2.15 kgs (4 ¾ lbs) maximum 2.381 kgs (5 ¼ lbs), minimum 1.81 kgs (4 lbs)
Black otter adult doe
Bonreiki 'Marzipan'
Chinchilla Giganta –
fur breed 
Type: finely boned, long, graceful body. Adult bucks heavier
boned with bolder heads. Dewlap permissible in adult does.
Coat: fur uniformly dense and silky
in texture but with resilience and length not less than 3.175cm (1 1/4 inches).
Colour: Undercolour
a deep blue slate as dark as possible from the skin to at least half the length of fur then followed by a clear band of pearl
(off white) not exceeding a quarter of the length of fur. The peal band to be followed by a distinct black line, finishing
the surface in alternating blue/grey and silver/white tippings, which are heavily intermixed with longer black tipped guard
hairs. The colour must be carried well down the sides of the belly. Eye colours blue, grey or brown and ears to have black
lacing.
Adult weight: Maximum 5.44kg (12lb), Minimum weight - does 4.07kg (9lb), bucks 3.855kg
(8 1/2lb) Photo: Reguli 'Silver Springs' (ACT breeder)
Dutch – fancy breed
Type: compact, cobby and in firm
condition. Ears are strong and short, fairly broad at the base and not pointed (i.e. to have rounded ends).
Coat:
short, glossy and healthy.
Colour: various colours in the standard Dutch pattern contrasting
with white.The coloured pattern (blaze, saddle, stops, cheeks etc) to comply with standard guidelines.
Adult
weight: 2.041 to 2.26 kgs (4 ½ to 5 lbs)
Photo: Belubula Valley 'Joshua' (NSW breeder)
Dwarf Lop – lop breed 
Type: body compact (short) thickset and firm with wide
shoulders, full chest, broad head, prominent crown and no visible neck. Ears are fully lopped, broad, thick, well furred with
rounded ends.
Coat: roll back, dense with abundant guard hair.
Colour: various colours and patterns accepted.
Adult weight:
ideal 2.041 kgs (4 ½ lb), minimum 1.93 kgs (4 ¼ lb) up to maximum 2.381 kgs (5 ¼ lb)
Tinkerbell
'Peter Pan' (NSW breeder)
English - fancy breed
Type: moderate body length, gradually extending to a broader
rounded rump, overall firm condition. Ears are erect and ideally 10.16 cms (4 inches) long.
Coat:
short, tight and healthy.
Colours: black, blue, tortoiseshell, chocolate and grey colouring
on a white base. Specific markings are: perfect butterfly smut, eye circles, cheek spots (not touching eye circles), fully
coloured ears, herring bone from base of ears to tip of tail, chain spots equally balanced on both sides of the body, one
distinct spot on each leg and six teat spots.
Adult weight: between 2.721 to 3.628 kgs (6
to 8 lbs)
Photo courtesy of Karen Amies English Angora – fancy breed
Type: broad, short head, arched back, deep chest and broad shoulders. Ears are
erect, short, tapered and generously furnished with wool/fur.
Coat: long, thick and silky giving
the effect of a rounded snowball shape. Needs to be well groomed and have an open coat (no tangles, webbing or matting) and/or
clipped several times a year.
Colour: various colours and patterns accepted.
Adult
weight: minimum 2.494 kgs (5 ½ lb) Maximum 3.402 kgs (7.5 lb)
Kanichen 'Muroco' (WA
breeder)
Fox (silver) — fur
breed Type: moderate length of body inclined to cobbiness,
slightly arched back, medium sized broad head on a short neck. Well-furred, broad ears of medium length that are in proportion
to the head.
Coat: dense with an exquisitely silky texture and length of about 3.175 cm (1¼
inch)
Colours: black, blue, chocolate or lilac. Chest, flanks and feet are generously and evenly
ticked with silver tipped guard hairs. There is a small white triangle behind the ears and eye circles, inside of the ears,
jaw line, underside of tail, feet and belly are all white.
Adult weight: 2.494 to 3.17 kgs
(5 ½ to 7 lb) (7.5 lb)
Nemesis 'Rajah' (SA breeder)
French Lop – Lop breed
(in development)
Type: massively
large, thickset and solid. Body compact, broad shouldered and overall well muscled with a well-rounded rump. Broad head, full
cheeks and good width between the eyes. Fully lopped ears, which are thick, broad, well furred and rounded ends.
Coat:
dense, rollback with abundant guard hairs.
Colour: various colours and patterns accepted.
Adult weight: as large as possible. minimum 4.535 kgs (10 lbs)
German Angora – fancy breed
Type: body should be of good width and depth that tapers
slightly from hindquarters to shoulders and in firm condition. Oval shaped head set close to the body (with cheek furnishings),
which is broad across the forehead though slightly narrower at the muzzle. Ears are erect, in proportion to head and body,
carried in a close v-shape, lightly fringed and well tassled.
Coat: as dense as possible,
length (ideal 4 inches) evenly balanced over the body, free from matting or webbing. Coat contains three types of wool: medium
fine, soft underwool, awn fluff (stronger wool with a gaurd hair tip) and gaurd hair – otherwise as known as awn hair.
Colour: no other colour but red eyed white.
Adult weight: ideal adult
bucks 40309 (9 1/2 lbs), adult does 4.535 (10 lbs)Jersey Wooly – fancy breed
Type: short, compact body, shoulders slightly narrower than the hips. The head is
bold, well rounded and set close to the body. Ears are erect and short (63 mm, 2 ½ inches), well furred (without furnishings
or tassels) with slightly rounded tips.
Coat: evenly dense under coat with a generous overlay
of thicker, heavier and longer guard hairs. Should display a healthy lustre and be full of life, ideally 50 to 76 mm (2 to
3 inches) long (minimum accepted 1 ½ inches)
Colours: various colours and patterns accepted.
Adult weight: ideal 1.360 kg (3lbs) maximum 1.587 kg (3½ lbs)
Harlequin – fancy breed
Type: a muscular, firm, well-proportioned body. The head
is longish with width between the eyes. Ears are upright and 10.16 to 12.7 (4 to 5 inches) in length.
Coat:
very dense and silky about 2.54 cm (1 inch) in length. The coat should not fly back (when stroked in the opposite direction
or too harsh in texture.
Harlequin colours: black (dense black and golden orange), blue (lavender
blue and golden fawn), brown (rich dark brown and golden orange), lilac (dove grey and golden fawn).
Magpie colours:
black (dense black and white), blue (lavender blue and white), brown (rich dark brown and white), lilac (dove grey and white).
Pattern: priority of points (60) is delegated to the importance of markings. The head is equally
divided between two colours (see harlequin and magpie colours) and the ears to have opposite, contrasting colour to the head.
Front legs should be a different colour and back legs to have the reverse colouring to the front legs. Body colour and pattern
is clearly defined with banding. Five points are deducted for each white mark or patch in any coloured areas.
Adult
weight: not less than 2.72 kg (6 lbs) and not more than 3.62 (8lbs)
 Type: exactly as for Cashmere Lop - the only difference between these two breeds is a modification to their
weight. Body is compact and cobby, solid and firm, broad shouldered, full chest and overall well muscled with a well-rounded
rump. Ears are thick, broad, well furred with rounded ends and fully lopped. The head is broad with a prominent crown, deep
broad chest and no visible neck.
Coat: dense and silky with a thick undercoat, evenly overlayed
with longer thicker guard hairs.
Colour: various colours and patterns accepted.
Adult
weight: maximum 1.60 kg (3 ½ lbs)
Bonreiki 'Hotshot' (opal colour, ACT breeder)
Miniature Lop – Lop breed
Type:
Compact body (short) thickset and firm, wide shoulders, broad head, full chest, no visible neck and a prominent crown. Ears
are fully lopped, broad, thick, well furred with rounded ends.
Coat: roll back, dense with
abundant guard hairs.
Colour: various colours and patterns accepted.
Adult
weight: ideal 1.5 kgs (3 ¼ lbs) to maximum 1.6 kgs (3 ½ lbs)
Mini Rex – Rex
breed
Type: exactly as for the standard Rex - the only difference between these two breeds
is their weight. Medium boned, body gradually slopes to a well-rounded rump. Head is bold and broad with erect ears that are
in proportion to the body. Coat: the shortest coat of all breeds being approximately 1.27 cms
(½ an inch) in length. Extremely dense, plush-like coat with a fine texture and a lustrous sheen that is devoid of
harsh or projecting guard hairs. Colour: various colours and patterns accepted. Adult
weight: between 1.7 to 2.041kgs (3 ¾ lbs to 4 ½ lbs
Netherland Dwarf – fancy breed
Type: short, compact and cobby body, broad head and shoulders
with a full chest. Ears are distinctly short 50mm (2 inches) in length, well furred and slightly rounded tips. Eyes are round
and bold.
Coat: short, dense and rollback.
Colour: various
colours and patterns accepted.
Adult weight: the smallest of all breeds with the ideal weight
of 0.907 kg (2 lbs)
Chocolate fox Cancelare 'Lachlan' (ACT breeder)
Plush Lop (breed in development) 
Type: Body short, firm and well muscled, deep
broad chest, wide shoulders, well-rounded loins creating a compact, cobby appearance. Head set well on shoulders with little
visible neck. Ears broad, thick, well furred, rounded at the ends and carried close to the cheeks hanging straight behind
the eyes.
Coat: Ideally as close as possible to the Rex breed coat.
Colour:
Any colour or patern accepted by the BRC.
Adult weight: Ideally 2.150 kg (4lb 12oz),
Maximum 1.193 (5lb 6oz)
Malvina Lake (NSW breeder)Polish – fancy breed
Type: fine boned, small breed with narrow shoulders and well-rounded head. Erect ears
are positioned close together, well covered with fur and rounded. Eyes are very bold and positioned on upper side of head. Coat: short and fine with a healthy gloss that when stroked in reverse should quickly fly back
to original position. Colour: various colours and patterns accepted. Adult
weight: maximum 1.134 kgs (2 ½ lbs)
Rex (standard) – Rex breed
Type: medium boned, body gradually slopes to a well-rounded
rump. Head is bold and broad, ears are erect and in proportion to the body.
Coat: the shortest
coat of all breeds being approximately 1.27 cms (½ an inch) in length. The plush-like coat is extremely dense with
a fine texture and a lustrous sheen as well as devoid of harsh or projecting guard hairs.
Colour:
various colours and patterns accepted.
Adult weight: between 2.72 to 3.62 kgs (6 to 8 lbs)
however there is no weight disqualification in the standard.
Devine Stud (Vic breeder)
Satin – fur breed 
Type: moderate length of body inclined to cobbiness, slightly arched back, medium sized broad head
carried on a short neck. Erect, medium length of ears, rather broad and well furred with rounded tips.
Coat:
dense with an exquisite satin like texture and sheen, rolls back when stroked in the opposite direction, length 2.54 to 3.175
cms (1 to 1 ¼ inches)
Colour: various colours/patterns accepted.
Adult
weight: 2.72 to 3.62 kgs (6 to 8 lbs)
Nemesis Stud (SA breeder)Swiss Fox – fur breed
Type: strong well rounded body, bold head with well-developed muzzle, no visible neck,
wide chest, broad shoulders. Ears are strong and erect, measuring between 10.5 to 11 cms (4.1 to 4.3 inches) in length.
Coat: ideally 5 to 6 cm long (2½ inches), thick undercoat and generous guard hairs.
Colour: various colours and patterns accepted.
Adult weight: 2.5
to 4 kgs (5 ½ to 8 ¾ lbs)
Brunker Bunnies 'Blade' (NSW breeder)
Tan – fancy breed Type:
short and cobby body, gracefully arched from nape of neck to base of tail, short erect ears positioned close together, which
are well covered with fur and insides of the ears are laced with tan colouring.
Coat: fairly
short, silky and fly back with a lustrous healthy sheen.
Colour: black & tan, blue &
tan, chocolate & tan and lilac & tan.
Adult weight: 2.041 kgs (4 ½ lbs)
Photo of a Black & Tan
Some rabbit breeds are hard to find .
. .
. . . . all
the very best and good luck in your search!
You are more than
welcome to add my link http://www.petrabbitworld.com/
to your website!
It’s
a good idea to consider having a links page, as when you reciprocate with popular sites (like mine J), these in turn help your site go further up search engines - and so, you
too can be found and seen on the top ten of Google pages!
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