What are Dwarf Hotot Rabbits?

Breeders introduce new breeds of rabbits by crossing two different species in which one or both possess traits of breeder’s interest. Dwarf Hotot rabbits are crossed with medium Hotot rabbits that are further bred with Lionhead rabbits to get bunnies with pure white furs and bold, black, or expressive eyes similar to a mane-like lion. Therefore, the continuous efforts of breeders are responsible for attractive features in new rabbit breeds to improve their fur quality, meat production, and pelts.

Dwarf Hotot rabbits are small rabbits with solid white fur color, bold black eyes, and short necks. Moreover, their ears are short, thick, erect, and well-furred, while their eyes are encircled with dark black fur. They originated in the 20th century in Germany after a cross between Netherland dwarf rabbits and Blanc De Hotot rabbits. They weigh only 2 to 3.5 pounds and are not more than 4.5 to 6.5 inches tall and 9 to 10.5 inches long. They prefer to eat hay, fruits, vegetables, pellets, and leafy greens to fulfill their nutritional needs. Female does can remain pregnant for 28 to 31 days and the litter consists of 2 to 5 kits.

The dwarf Hotot rabbits are also called “Eyes of the Fancy” due to their prominent black eyes lined by black furs. They are not expensive, as you can get a bunny for only $35 to $60. This breed is popular as show and pet rabbits. In addition, they resemble Polish rabbits in appearance, and a few features resemble their parent, the Blanc de Hotot rabbit.

Characteristics of Dwarf Hotot Rabbits

Characteristics	Dwarf Hotot Rabbits
Appearance	Small body, erect ears, white glossy fur
Food	Hay, pellets, fruits, vegetables, leafy greens
Cost	$35 to $60
Weight	2 to 3.5 pounds
Length	9 to 10.5 inches
Litter size	2 to 5 kits
Gestation period	28 to 31 days
Common habitat	Indoor or outdoor cages
Use	Show and Pet rabbits
Temperament	Energetic and docile
Origin	Germany
Life expectancy	8 to 10 years

What do dwarf Hotot rabbits look like?

Dwarf Hotot rabbits are smaller than the standard-sized Blanc De Hotot rabbit. Their small bodies appear round. They have a round and small head with a short neck. The hips of dwarf hotot rabbits are well-rounded, and the shoulders are wide.

Moreover, their ears are erect, short, fluffy, and thick. They also have characteristic black or dark brown eyes that are encircled with dense black fur that looks like mascara or eyeliner. The thickness of the fur band present around the eyes is approximately 3.18 mm, as approved by ARBA.

The legs of dwarf Hotot rabbits are short and muscular and are involved in mobility. Furthermore, their feet are small in size and completely covered with fur.

Their solid white fur color is distinctive, and the furs are distributed all over their body. Furthermore, these furs are dense, short, glossy, or silky with a rollback feature.

What is the origin of dwarf hotot rabbits?

Blanc de Hotot rabbits were bred with the other popular bunny for the first time. This cross was made by the potential breeders at the beginning of the 20th century. Breeder’s aim was to produce fur and meat. These hotot rabbits were crossed with several different breeds of rabbits to produce a unique dwarf species. On the other hand, the dwarf Hotot rabbits were created in late 20thcentury in Germany. The same breed was developed in East Germany and West Germany by different breeders and both were further crossed for producing a next generation. They also share the lineage of Netherland dwarf rabbits.

These rabbits were created by crossing Blanc De Hotot rabbits with Netherland Dwarf rabbits. In the same century, they were brought to the United States and used as show or pet rabbits. Very Soon, the dwarf Hotot rabbits were accepted by the American Rabbits Breeders Association (ARBA) as a new or unique breed with a few features similar to their parents.

What is the average size and weight of dwarf hotot rabbits?

The dwarf Hotot rabbits are similar in size to miniature rabbits because both are small breeds. When they fully stretch their muscular bodies, their bodies can extend from 9 to 10.5 inches. At the same time, the ear length ranges between 2.5 and 3 inches. It is equal to 6.35 to 7.62 cm.

In addition, their body height falls within the range of 11.43 to 16.51 cm. On inches scale, it is equal to 4.5 to 6.5. Their body weight is around 2 pounds (0.91kg) at minimum in their young age. It increases to 3.5 pounds (1.59 kg) in the adulthood when they attain their ideal body size. Some of them gain more weight and reach 4 pounds due to overeating.

However, it is not considered a good weight for a bunny. It will cause health issues in dwarf breeds, like dwarf hotot rabbits. Furthermore, you have to keep the size of the enclosure according to their body size. These bunnies feel comfortable and get easily fit in it. Ideally, their cage size should be 4×2 feet, or its length can be increased to 6 feet.

How long do dwarf hotot rabbits live?

The life expectancy of dwarf hotot rabbits is different from medium or giant breeds. Their expected lifespan is 8 to 10 years when they live with companions. But, their parent breed Blanc De Hotot rabbits live longer than this miniature version.

Their lifespan could decrease due to external or internal factors, like environmental stress, poor diet, and predatory attacks. Moreover, they encounter health problems usually seen in other breeds of rabbits and die earlier if they get infected or ill.

The upper teeth of dwarf Hotot rabbits are just above the lower jaw instead of in front of it. So, they are highly susceptible to malocclusion. It causes problems in food chewing and affect the digestion efficiency.

Other possible issues include lag in the performance of the respiratory and digestive system. Also, they get easily infected by the pathogenic organisms, like bacteria, viruses, etc. These require immediate veterinarian visits and proper care to recover from illness.

What is the gestation period of dwarf hotot rabbits?

Dwarf hotot rabbits can engage in the breeding process when they get sexually mature. This breed takes around 5 to 6 months to reach maturity stage. This time period of reaching a maturity stage depends on several external and internal factors. It can take more than half a year if conditions are not ideal.

Feed fresh and nutritious food to bunnies during their growth period. Take care of young bunny babies so that they mature at their ideal age. Both mating partners should be mature and healthy to carry out the mating process. It will not be a successful breeding if they are not mature enough to breed or in good health.

In addition, the gestation period of female dwarf hotot rabbits is around 28 to 31 days. It is important to provide pregnant doe a nutritious diet to ensure that the kits and mother have good health.

Furthermore, dwarf Hotot rabbits can produce 2 to 5 kits in one litter, depending on external condition. The newborn kits are blind and hairless and weigh only 30 to 50 grams. Initially they depend on their mother for food and nourishment. After few weeks, they go out of their nest and become independent.

Are dwarf hotot rabbits good pets?

Dwarf hotot rabbits are good pets. They are friendly, energetic, and playful, enjoying quality life with their friends. They love to cuddle with humans and jump on the lap of an owner when they find him sitting on the couch. They have friendly nature and provide emotional support to humans. They are used as therapy animals for humans because they help divert depressed mind.

Their small bodies require less space than other medium or giant rabbits. Accordingly, this cute little breed is a good choice for people living in small houses or apartments. They are easy to control or handle and do not require regular grooming sessions. Similarly, it is easy to train them for toilet or eating.

Furthermore, they can live in both outdoor and indoor cages. But, I would suggest you to choose indoor cages for them. The indoor environment offers protection from predators and helps avoid exposure to infectious agents.

What do dwarf hotot rabbits eat?

The food requirements of dwarf hotot rabbits are not so hard to maintain as they primarily feed on hay for a healthy life. Add high-quality pellets in their diet. These pellets are compact forms of essential nutrients or minerals. You can maintain a balanced diet for them by feeding pellets.

In addition, it is better to avoid feeding food stuff with higher carbohydrate content. Avoid feeding toxic, canned, and human food. These food items negatively affect their stomach and digestive system’s functionality.

You can feed them crunchy and fresh vegetables to your pet bunnies, like cucumber and carrots. These crunchy vegetables keep their teeth in an ideal size. Moreover, offer small amounts of bananas, apples, strawberries, and other ripened fruits to adult bunnies.

You can feed them specific types of fruits as an occasional treat. Their stomach is not adapted to digest large amounts of fruits. In addition, leafy greens and grass can also be provided in safe quantities because these are rich in fiber. Fresh and clean water is also required by bunnies; otherwise, they will feel sluggish and lazy due to lack of water in their bodies.

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