Dutch rabbit
It is easily identifiable by its characteristic color pattern and was once the most popular of all rabbit breeds.
Nevertheless, the Dutch rabbit remains one of the top ten most popular breeds worldwide.
During the 1830s rabbits were imported to England from Ostend in Belgium every week for the meat market.
Junior bucks and does are those under 6 months of age with a minimum weight of 1.75 lbs (0,793 kg).
Lilac, (UK: Pale Grey) A uniform, medium dove gray with a delicate pink tint to the surface.
Color is to be carried well down the hair shaft to a slightly paler dove gray.
Chinchilla, an agouti color with bands of pearl white and black with a slate blue undercolor.
Tortoise, (UK: Tortoiseshell) a bright, clean orange with slate blue shadings along the ears, whisker beds and hindquarters.
Eyes—Brown The British Rabbit Council recognizes Tri-Coloured Dutch, but they are a separate breed.
The most striking aspect of the breed is the marking pattern: The blaze is an even wedge of white running up the rabbit's face.
The saddle is to be a straight line running behind the shoulders and continuing underneath the rabbit to the undercut across the belly.
The stops are located on the rear feet, which should be white from the toes to a point one third the length of the foot.
(15 points with Blaze) Clean Neck means free from coloured fur immediately behind the ears.
(10 points) Stops white markings on the hind feet, about 11⁄4 inches long, and to cut cleanly round the foot in a similar manner to the saddle and undercut.
Skin tight, gloss on coat, bright eyes, lively, alert.
Trimming (attempts to straighten out irregularities, dyeing white spots on coloured fur etc.).
Black - Deep, solid and carrying well down to the skin, with blue under colour, the deeper the better.
The general impression should be light or nut brown on ears, cheeks, body, hind feet and top of tail, the whole ticked with black hairs.
The general impression should be biscuit tipped with black on ears, cheeks, body and top of tail.
The exact shade is not so important as that the colour should be even and extend to the belly or undercut and no eye circles.
In fact, a self colour free from chinchillation on cheeks and hind feet.
Description of terms used: Flecking or Mealiness - Individual hairs more than one colour in selfs.
In flecked or mealy exhibits the individual fur would be black, then dark grey, then a deeper shade before merging into blue at the base.
Chinchillation - A mixture of colours ticked with a darker shade, often found on the cheeks of yellows.
