New Zealand Rabbit

Facts about New Zealand rabbits. The New Zealand Rabbit is a full size rabbit. The New Zealand Rabbit has three recognized colors per the American Rabbit Breeder’s Association. The recognized colors are white, red,black, and though those with a broken pattern can be shown. White New Zealand Rabbits have red or blue eyes. Most New Zealand Rabbits have red or pink eyes. There are Blue New Zealand Rabbits, but that color does not yet have a breed standard by the ARBA.
"Scientific name for New Zealand Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus". "Fear of Rabbits Leporiphobia". All rabbit breeds are "lagomorphs" various plant-eating mammal of the order Lagomorpha ; a hare, rabbit, or pika.

Physical Characteristics of New Zealand Rabbit

Meat rabbits are bred for size. The New Zealand Rabbit is ten to twelve pounds (4.5 to 5.4 kg) in weight, males being larger. New Zealand Rabbits have upright ears. New Zealand Rabbit's fur is typically white. Their noses are usually red, pink, or light brown due to their albinism.

New Zealand Rabbits are fertile, having up to fifteen babies at a time though most have seven or eight.
The New Zealand Rabbits gain weight quickly, reaching five pounds (2.2 kg) or “fryer” weight by ten weeks of age.

Never pick up the rabbit by the ears. Instead, pick it up by the scruff of the neck and support its weight under the back legs. Picking it up by the ears can rip tissue and damage blood vessels. Rabbits regulate their body heat through their ears.

Behavior of New Zealand Rabbit

New Zealand Rabbits have not been bred for companionship like other rabbits. They can be skittish of approaching people or any shadows overhead. Fortunately, New Zealand Rabbits do not bite nearly as much as other breeds. This is in part because any rabbit that did bite would hit the frying ban before breeding.
New Zealand Rabbits are not affectionate toward humans but have good mothering instincts to their own litters.

Rabbits tend to defecate in the same place in the cage. Put urine soaked pellets over a litter box, if the cage has one, to encourage them to urinate and defecate in that location.

Care and Up keep of New Zealand Rabbit

Give New Zealand Rabbits hay to aid in digestion and reduce the risk of fur-balls impeding the digestive tract. Their diet should consist of 70% of Hay and make sure they have fresh water every day. New Zealand Rabbits can receive root vegetables like carrots and parsnips infrequently. Give them rabbit pellets for their daily consumption. Alfalfa provides the high caloric content necessary for baby bunnies development. Once rabbits reach seven months of age, gradually switch them over to timothy hay, oat hay, or orchard grass. If the rabbit is a pet, avoid giving them yard clippings, since grass is often sprayed with fertilizer, insecticides, pesticides, and other chemicals rabbits should not be eating. You can give it rabbit-safe chew toys or wooden blocks to gnaw on. Even if the rabbit is kept for meat, give it something safe to gnaw on; their front teeth grow up to five inches (12.7 cm) a year.

The New Zealand White Rabbit tends to take longer to start milk production than some other rabbits. Add calf mana to the mother’s diet to improve milk production. De-worm the rabbits once a month.

Trivia
The New Zealand Rabbit originated in the United States. The New Zealand Rabbit was developed in 1916 as a meat and fur animal.

The Czech Red Rabbit is descended from the Red New Zealand rabbit.

If someone mentions hasenpfeffer (rabbit stew), the New Zealand Rabbit has a good chance of being on the menu; it is one of the most common meat rabbits in the world.

New Zealand Rabbits are born with without fur and its eyes closed. Half of the rabbits in the world live in North America. New Zealand Rabbits are comfortable living in groups. Cottontail Rabbits are the only rabbit that does not live under ground.

New Zealand Rabbits have an outstanding sense of vision, smell and hearing. Having eyes on the side of their head and being so big, gives them nearly 360 degrees vision, allowing them to see predators from all directions. The New Zealand Rabbit can see everything behind and in front of them and have just a small blind-spot in front of their nose.

Pet New Zealand Rabbits should be kept in pairs for Companionship, its important for a rabbits happiness and it can live longer with a companion. In the wild, rabbits are very social.

New Zealand Rabbits love to run and can reach speeds of 30 to 40 mph. The average lifespan of a New Zealand Rabbit is around 5 to 8 years and in captivity can live up to 12 years. New Zealand Rabbits have 28 teeth and an incredible fact, a rabbit’s teeth never stop growing throughout its life.
New Zealand Rabbits can jump up to 36 inches (91.4 cm) and sometimes higher.
New Zealand Rabbits are very clean animals and will groom themselves and also each other. New Zealand Rabbits are crepuscular-(meaning the are most active at morning and evening) and do most of there feeding in the evening. New Zealand Rabbits on average sleep about 8 hours.
For bedding, give Rabbits wood pellets or aspen. You can use pelleted horse bedding. Do not give them pine or cedar. Clean the cage with either white vinegar or a cage safe cleaner; don’t use bathroom cleaner or other things that are toxic for the pet cage.

The male New Zealand Rabbit is called a buck and a female New Zealand Rabbit is called a doe, also both known as a bunny. A young rabbit is called a kit "kitten" or baby bunny.

New Zealand Rabbits have long ears which can be as long as 4 in" (10.2 cm). New Zealand Rabbits are herbivores (a herbivore, eats leaves, grass, hay and furns (plant eaters) and also mammal.