Full List Of All 50 Show Rabbit Breeds In The United States
There are so many breeds of rabbits out there it can be hard to know which ones are show rabbit breeds.
To be a true breed of any species you have to be able to breed two identical animals together and get identical offspring. The only difference can be color. Their body type and fur texture should be the same across the board.
Breeding two different domestic rabbit breeds together and smashing the two names together does not qualify as a breed. Sorry, not sorry.
I also want to be clear that I am talking about showing rabbits in America.
This post is all about the show rabbit breeds that are recognized in the united states.
ARBA Shows Vs 4H Or Fair Projects
I want to be clear that when I am talking about show rabbit breeds, I mean rabbits that can be shown in official rabbit shows that are sanctioned by the ARBA. 4H projects do not always require purebred rabbits when it comes to pet rabbit projects. Talk to your local extension office to find out info specific to your county.
American Show Rabbit Breeds
In order to show a rabbit at an official American Rabbit Breeders Association show, they have to be recognized as a domestic rabbit breed by the ARBA.
- American
- American Chinchilla
- American Fuzzy Lop
- American Sable
- Argente Brun
- Belgian Hare
- Beveren
- Blanc de Hotot
- Britannia Petite
- Californian
- Champagne d’Argent
- Checkered Giant
- Cinnamon
- Creme d’Argent
- Dutch
- Dwarf Hotot
- Dwarf Papillon
- English Angora
- English Lop
- English Spot
- Flemish Giant
- Florida White
- French Angora
- French Lop
- Giant Angora
- Giant Chinchilla
- Harlequin
- Havana
- Himalayan
- Holland Lop
- Jersey Wooly
- Lilac
- Lionhead
- Mini Lop
- Mini Rex
- Mini Satin
- Netherland Dwarf
- New Zealand
- Palomino
- Polish
- Rex
- Rhinelander
- Satin
- Satin Angora
- Silver
- Silver Fox
- Silver Marten
- Standard Chinchilla
- Tan
- Thrianta
While it can be tempting to what to buy each breed of rabbit you like let me encourage you to go into this slowly and choose one or MAYBE two breeds you want to look into. The people who do the best on the show table and also selling their rabbits are the people who focus on one breed of rabbit.
Not the one that has 7 different breeds.
Here is why I think there is a difference in the two.
When you have one rabbit breed you are raising and you are focused on you can make decisions with a much more focused intention.
You don’t have to learn all of these different breed standards and try to “hopefully make good calls when it comes to which rabbits get to stay or go.
My Rabbitry Must Haves
What Makes A Rabbit Show Quality
I have a full post on what makes a rabbit show quality here but the basic idea is that the rabbit does not have anything that would cause it to be disqualified from the show.
So just because you see a rabbit listed for sale that says “show quality” simply means it does not have a genetic or non-genetic disqualification.
How To Find Show Rabbits
Don’t expect to be able to go buy a show stopper simply because you are able to shell out the cash. People who have had a very nice show-quality rabbit born in their herd are likely not going to sell it.
- With that said the first step is to learn the rabbit breed conformation standard. This isn’t easy and takes years to learn but do your best to at least spot when something is not right.
- Then learn the right way that rabbit breed is supposed to be sitting or “pose” for a rabbit show.
There are the different posing types for rabbit breeds recognized by the ARBA
- Semi arich
- Compact body
- Commercial type
- Cylindrical type
- Full arch type
Find someone who is willing to guide you in what to look for. If that person truly likes the breed and wants to promote it they would not have a problem teaching you how to get started.
- Start by searching the breed you want plus your state in google to see what comes up. While websites are the best way to go you can also find people on their different social channels as well.
You can also do the same on Facebook and find breeds that are tailored toward the breed you are looking for.
Start slow and look for the breed you like the best. It is more important that you love the breed you raise rather than finding a rabbit that will win every show it goes to. Which won’t happen by the way.
