NETHERLAND DWARFS :D
- Thread starter medlefang
- Start date
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OneAcreFarm
Well-known member
Hi Medlefang, the easiest way would be to use the "Search" function in the top, right hand corner. Just put in Netherland Dwarf or even ND and see what you come up with. Welcome to RabbitTalk!
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
Welcome, Fang!
I would pick a topic you want to learn about, and select that forum from the board index. If you have a specific question, there is a search box at the bottom of the page on the left. "Rabbit care" would be a good place to start since if you don't know the basic care requirements you wont ever get to a show! Once you have some general information to work with you can post a comment or question on the topic you are reading and someone will reply.
There is a lot to learn, so I'm sure time will fly by and April and your bunnies will come before you know it!
I would pick a topic you want to learn about, and select that forum from the board index. If you have a specific question, there is a search box at the bottom of the page on the left. "Rabbit care" would be a good place to start since if you don't know the basic care requirements you wont ever get to a show! Once you have some general information to work with you can post a comment or question on the topic you are reading and someone will reply.
There is a lot to learn, so I'm sure time will fly by and April and your bunnies will come before you know it!
I haven't noticed they require anymore care than any other rabbit even for coat condition. I feed nothing special and my show quality bucks (except odd things like white toenails which is how I got them) shine. They have coats like satins. Only difference is they practically live on air because the show quality ones have been bred to have so little to them. Sometimes the bin feeders will sit there not empty for a month since filling when it lasts my mini rex 2 days. Same with hay. I think it's been 2months since I filled Rhi's hay silo and I fill the other breeds weekly or daily. My does are not as show quality and a bit bigger build without the really round head or as good of coat but they breed better. I would say genetics would help more for coat condition than feeding them supplements.
Mainly look up rabbit care because it's mostly the same for all of them and then look up posing, body type, and approved colors for a netherland. They are one of the compact breeds posed upright instead of as commercial type. Joining arba and your local netherland dwarf club would help. Along with buying a SOP (standard of perfection) from arba.
The only other thing is that ND are horrible breeders. The show quality, tiny does are difficult to get live kits out of and when you do it's only 1-4, usually the lower end, with possible peanuts which mean quick death for those. I'm kind of glad my does are not really good show type and it still took 3 tries with 2 full dead litters to get kits out of my pedigreed doe. My non pedigreed doe is from someone who produces for the pet crowd and doesn't touch shows so she is more of a production type and looks more like your generic rabbit except far smaller but produced a perfect first litter. I'll take that over breeding problems of trying to create show quality from all my does.
Mainly look up rabbit care because it's mostly the same for all of them and then look up posing, body type, and approved colors for a netherland. They are one of the compact breeds posed upright instead of as commercial type. Joining arba and your local netherland dwarf club would help. Along with buying a SOP (standard of perfection) from arba.
The only other thing is that ND are horrible breeders. The show quality, tiny does are difficult to get live kits out of and when you do it's only 1-4, usually the lower end, with possible peanuts which mean quick death for those. I'm kind of glad my does are not really good show type and it still took 3 tries with 2 full dead litters to get kits out of my pedigreed doe. My non pedigreed doe is from someone who produces for the pet crowd and doesn't touch shows so she is more of a production type and looks more like your generic rabbit except far smaller but produced a perfect first litter. I'll take that over breeding problems of trying to create show quality from all my does.
I disagree they are horrible breeders.mine breed redily.usually without difficulty or assitance which i have had too do with some giant breeds we had.my show quality does are not too small too have live babies.people breeding very tiny dwarfs are not breeding too the standard.neither are people breeding those oversize gargantuans that they import.i wish more judges would use the scales.
All dwarf in this area that have not been bred away from standard and toward the pet industry are difficult breeders. Perhaps some areas that is not true but it is something to definitely watch for. You are breeding a rabbit quite smaller and different from what a standard wild rabbit would be and the farther you get an animal from it's wild version the more breeding difficulties and health problems you tend to have. ND are one of the extreme breeds so need more care to keep problems out of the gene pool.
Cattle Cait
Well-known member
I've heard that they're difficult breeders also. I think they're very cute though, I always wanted a little chestnut ND.
