Hailing from New Jersey, the Jersey wooly rabbit is a small mammal weighing less than 2 kg and with long hair. It is the result of the cross between the French Angora rabbit and the Dwarf Dutch rabbit in the 70s of the last century. It is a happy, friendly, loving and sociable rabbit, who loves to go out to meet, play and show affection to his caregivers. It is, therefore, a very good breed for company and very popular in the United States. Their care does not differ too much from that of other rabbits, except for their long fur, which requires careful maintenance. Keep reading this article on our site to learn about the Jersey wooly rabbit or woolly rabbit, its characteristics and care.
Origin of the Jersey wooly rabbit
The Jersey wooly rabbit comes from the United States, specifically from New Jersey, and emerged in the 1970s, the product of a cross between the French Angora rabbit and the Dutch Dwarf rabbit. At the beginning of the crosses, the first Jersey wooly kept the characteristic length of the body of the French Angora, but, with the passing of generations, they were born smaller and smaller, due to the genes that cause the reduced size of dwarf rabbits. dutch Today the Jersey wooly is a small rabbit, but not a dwarf, with woolly fur thanks to the genes of the Angora.
It was recognized as a breed by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) in 1988, although, in 1984, a woman, Bonni Seeley, already introduced the first specimen in an exhibition held by this association. It is currently one of the rabbits that participate the most in shows and exhibitions in the United States and America, in general, and is one of the favorite breeds for company in the home.
Characteristics of the Jersey wooly rabbit
The Jersey wooly rabbit is small size and weighs no more than 2 kg. Its body is strong and it has a proportional and square-shaped head. It is also known as "cup head". Their ears are straight and small, measuring 5 to 7 cm in length. The eyes are round and bright and their color matches that of the coat. The body is short but compact, with well-developed shoulders and hind limbs.
However, the most striking feature of his physical appearance is his woolly-looking coat, which comes in various colors and shades. Unlike Angora rabbits, this woolly coat is easier to care for because it has numerous guardhairs, which are thicker than the curly hairs beneath the wool, giving it a thicker, more textured texture. easy to care for.
Colors of the wooly Jersey
Coloration divides these rabbits into six types:
- Wooly agouti: are the brown, squirrel, opal or ivory colored rabbits.
- Wooly broken: it is one of the most frequent types and they are white rabbits, with or without other colors in combination.
- Wooly tan-Exotic colors such as Black Silver Sable, Otter Blue, Pearl, Pearly Silver, silver with blue or with black or otter black.
- Wooly self: Includes black, lilac, chocolate, blue, and white with blue or red eyes.
- Wooly shaded-Refers to Tortoise or Smoke Pearl colors.
- Solid colors: this type includes blue, black, lilac or chocolate Jersey wooly rabbits.
Jersey rabbit character wooly
Jersey wooly rabbits are very good companions at home and are magnificent thanks to their good behavior They are affectionate, calm, intelligent and docile, as well as very sociable and playful, enjoying the company of their own. Despite their small size, they love to get out of their cage and explore the house, checking out people, animals and all the objects they come across.
Something to highlight about these rabbits is their great sociability, getting along very well with children,who they don't usually kick or bite, although it is always necessary to warn the little ones in the house that rabbits are living beings and not toys, so they must always be handled with care and without harming them. In general, they get along well with people of all ages and don't hesitate to turn to people for affection, play and attention.
Jersey wooly rabbit care
To keep the fur of these rabbits perfect, tangle-free and clean, they should brush 1-2 times a week, if necessary increase the frequency during shedding, which usually occurs in spring and summer. Unlike one of its parents, the Angora rabbit, Jersey woolies do not require clipping to maintain their wool. On the other hand, bathing is not recommended in this species, as it is a very stressful procedure for them and can cause problems such as heart problems. So when your wooly Jersey is dirty, simply wipe it with a damp cloth.
On the other hand, these rabbits must live in a spacious cage, according to their size, so that they can move and jump freely. In addition, they have to go out for a few moments each day to stimulate their minds and release their energy more effectively, while receiving and offering love to their caregivers. The cage must contain places for resting and for food and be cleaned daily. It also has to have a smooth floor covered with straw or wood chips.
The feed must be based on at least 70% hay, completing the menu with fruits, vegetables and rabbit feed. They will have fresh and always accessible water, better in waterers for rabbits than in containers. On the other hand, the teeth have to be checked and maintained. For this you have to offer them wood or objects to gnaw. In this way, disorders such as malocclusion or growth problems and asymmetry are avoided. Instead, nails should be trimmed only when necessary and with proper technique. We explain it to you in the article How to cut a rabbit's nails?
Finally, our Jersey wooly has to go through check-ups and routine vet checks in order to prevent diseases, check his he alth, vaccinate against hemorrhagic disease and myxomatosis, as well as regular deworming to keep it free of internal parasites, such as coccidia or worms, and external ones such as mites.
He alth of the Jersey wooly rabbit
Jersey wooly rabbits have a life expectancy of 7 to 10 years, depending on how well they are cared for. The most common pathologies that can affect them are:
- Viral Hemorrhagic Disease: May cause death following fever, bleeding, nasal discharge, cyanosis, shrieks, opisthotonus, pneumonia, anorexia, prostration, gait disturbance or seizures, among a wide variety of other serious symptoms.
- Myxomatosis: viral disease that produces myxomas, which are nodules on the skin, and can also cause inflammation of the eyelid, otitis, dyspnea, fever, or seizures.
- Dental malocclusion: consists of non-uniform wear of the teeth, causing dental asymmetry with lesions on the gums and in the mouth and predisposing to infections.
- Respiratory system problems due to microorganisms such as Pasteurella: in these cases clinical signs such as runny nose, dyspnea, cough, sneezing or pneumonia.
- cutaneous myiasis: the long hair and skin folds of these rabbits can be ideal places for flies to lay their larvae and worms form. Fly larvae destroy the skin, excavating galleries and causing itching, pain, infections and lesions.
- Fungi: These organisms cause changes in the skin, forming lesions such as papules, pustules, circular alopecic areas and wheals.
- Digestive system problems: occur when the rabbit eats an unbalanced diet, which predisposes it to infections by microorganisms, which also They can be caused by internal parasites or by obstructions as a result of hairballs, due to the length of their fur. Clinical signs are vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea, dehydration and malaise.
Finally, it is important to sterilization or castration to prevent tumors of the reproductive system (cancer of the testicle, ovary, breast) and other problems such as cysts or infectious or inflammatory processes to which they seem to have a certain predisposition. Remember that to maintain the he alth of the Jersey wooly rabbit, it is necessary to periodically visit the exotic veterinary center to carry out a good preventive medicine and diagnose, early, he alth problems.
