History of the Rabbit
There is evidence to suggest that the Phoenicians exported rabbits to Spain in 1100 B.C.. The Phoenicians termed the Iberian Peninsula ‘i-shephan-im’ ( ‘the land of the rabbit’), which the Romans later translated
into the latin word, Hispania, and from which we get the modern word Spain. Romans kept rabbits in walled enclosures called ‘leporaria’, and there is evidence they may have brought them to Britain, but the colonies did not become established at this time. French monks in the Champagne region of France are credited with the actual domestication of the wild European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in the fifth century, producing the rabbit we know today as the Champagne De Argent (De Argent means silver). Most other breeds of domesticated rabbit are descended from the Champagne De Argent.
In the 12th century, conies, or rabbits as they are now called, were brought to England by the Normans. Rabbit, originally was the name for a baby rabbit, but more recently has become the term to define both adults and babies. Rabbits were bred for food and fur. These domesticated rabbits soon established wild populations.
In the 14th century, Gaston Phoebus, a French count, wrote a book (1387) in which he explained different methods of hunting rabbits. In one illustration, muzzled ferrets were sent down rabbit holes while men with nets waited at the other holes for the rabbits to pop out.
Meanwhile in Britain, for 900 years after their introduction, they were seen as a major economic asset. Rabbits were able to breed rapidly, supply fur, and (since refrigeration was not available) were just the right size for a meal without leftovers. These attributes made them a great asset. They were kept in walled enclosures called 'warrens', which is now used to refer to all rabbit colonies and burrows.
In the 1700s rabbit population in Britain greatly expanded. Farmland management began favoring extensive hedgerows enclosing fields. The hedges were an ideal habitat for the rabbit to build a burrow that was in close proximity to plentiful food supply. It wasn't until the early 20th century that their numbers skyrocketed. By the 1950s rabbits were inflicting an estimated £50,000,000 worth of damage a year.
In 1953 Myxomatosis spread from France to Britain. Myxoma is a virus that is spread quickly by rabbit fleas. It killed more than 99% of all the rabbits in Britain in two years. However, rabbits were soon to become more than just a resource of food and fur beginning the days of rabbit keeping for pet began simply been . Starting in the Victorian times, pet rabbits gained in popularity and this is the time when hutches were built to contain the rabbits. Currently, they are the third most popular mammal kept as a pet in the UK, positions one and two are held by the dog and the cat respectively.
The Belgian hare was the first domesticated rabbits to become popular in the United States. While rabbit hunting in America prior to the 1900s was common, domestic rabbitry did not become popular until the early 1900s. Few, if any, breeds were developed from the native wild rabbit population. The Belgian hare (a breed of European
rabbit) is a fairly large rabbit that first caught the attention of rabbit fanciers, but later also gained popularity as a meat rabbit. Ultimately, breeds were developed to fit the rabbit fancier, the commercial meat market, and the
fur industry. While many other rabbit breeds have followed the success of the Belgian hare, the Belgian hare itself is now a rare breed in the United States although increasingly popular here in the UK,
Their size makes them less popular with the urban populations, and few people in the UK eat rabbit anymore.
into the latin word, Hispania, and from which we get the modern word Spain. Romans kept rabbits in walled enclosures called ‘leporaria’, and there is evidence they may have brought them to Britain, but the colonies did not become established at this time. French monks in the Champagne region of France are credited with the actual domestication of the wild European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in the fifth century, producing the rabbit we know today as the Champagne De Argent (De Argent means silver). Most other breeds of domesticated rabbit are descended from the Champagne De Argent.
In the 12th century, conies, or rabbits as they are now called, were brought to England by the Normans. Rabbit, originally was the name for a baby rabbit, but more recently has become the term to define both adults and babies. Rabbits were bred for food and fur. These domesticated rabbits soon established wild populations.
In the 14th century, Gaston Phoebus, a French count, wrote a book (1387) in which he explained different methods of hunting rabbits. In one illustration, muzzled ferrets were sent down rabbit holes while men with nets waited at the other holes for the rabbits to pop out.
Meanwhile in Britain, for 900 years after their introduction, they were seen as a major economic asset. Rabbits were able to breed rapidly, supply fur, and (since refrigeration was not available) were just the right size for a meal without leftovers. These attributes made them a great asset. They were kept in walled enclosures called 'warrens', which is now used to refer to all rabbit colonies and burrows.
In the 1700s rabbit population in Britain greatly expanded. Farmland management began favoring extensive hedgerows enclosing fields. The hedges were an ideal habitat for the rabbit to build a burrow that was in close proximity to plentiful food supply. It wasn't until the early 20th century that their numbers skyrocketed. By the 1950s rabbits were inflicting an estimated £50,000,000 worth of damage a year.
In 1953 Myxomatosis spread from France to Britain. Myxoma is a virus that is spread quickly by rabbit fleas. It killed more than 99% of all the rabbits in Britain in two years. However, rabbits were soon to become more than just a resource of food and fur beginning the days of rabbit keeping for pet began simply been . Starting in the Victorian times, pet rabbits gained in popularity and this is the time when hutches were built to contain the rabbits. Currently, they are the third most popular mammal kept as a pet in the UK, positions one and two are held by the dog and the cat respectively.
The Belgian hare was the first domesticated rabbits to become popular in the United States. While rabbit hunting in America prior to the 1900s was common, domestic rabbitry did not become popular until the early 1900s. Few, if any, breeds were developed from the native wild rabbit population. The Belgian hare (a breed of European
rabbit) is a fairly large rabbit that first caught the attention of rabbit fanciers, but later also gained popularity as a meat rabbit. Ultimately, breeds were developed to fit the rabbit fancier, the commercial meat market, and the
fur industry. While many other rabbit breeds have followed the success of the Belgian hare, the Belgian hare itself is now a rare breed in the United States although increasingly popular here in the UK,
Their size makes them less popular with the urban populations, and few people in the UK eat rabbit anymore.
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