American

The American is a large domestic rabbit that was bred up in the United States in the early 1900s. A grown rabbit usually comes in somewhere between 9 and 12 pounds, with does carrying a bit more weight than bucks. You will know the breed by its semi-arch shape, often called mandolin-shaped, where the back lifts in one smooth curve from just behind the shoulders up over the rounded hindquarters.

Two colours are recognised: a deep blue and a clean white. The blue American is one of the few breeds anywhere to carry a true slate-blue coat right across the body, and that colour was the whole point when the breed was first put in front of judges. The white variety has pink eyes and a coat that is dense and even all over.

These days the American is kept mostly as a calm companion and as a heritage breed worth conserving. It is gentle, quiet, and settles into a routine without much fuss, and it puts up with handling better than plenty of other rabbits. Being a big rabbit, though, it needs more room and more feed than a dwarf breed, so that is worth working out before one comes to live with you.

Who it suits

The American suits a keeper who can give it a roomy pen and time out on the floor every day. Its quiet, easy-going nature makes it a sound choice for older children who handle animals gently, and for adults after a companion without much drama. It is not the rabbit for a tiny flat, or for anyone who cannot commit to daily care for up to 8 years.

The American rabbit was developed in California, in the United States, during the 1910s. Credit for it goes to Lewis Salisbury of Pasadena, who set out to fix a deep blue colour and the distinctive semi-arch shape in a large rabbit kept for meat and fur alike.

The breed was first shown and recognised in 1917. It went by the name German Blue Vienna at first, a nod to the European blue breeds behind it. With anti-German feeling running high during the First World War, the name was dropped in favour of American, and that change helped the breed find favour at the time.

The blue variety came first and built the breed's early name for itself, since a coat of even slate-blue was not common. A white variety followed later, which widened the breed's appeal for fur and meat production both. Through the middle of the century the American was kept on farms across the country for its dense pelt and a good carcass size.

Once commercial rabbit keeping moved toward faster-growing breeds, American numbers dropped away sharply. It is treated as a heritage breed now and has turned up on conservation watch lists, which has brought small breeders back to the work of keeping the line going.

The American carries a long, deep body in the semi-arch class. Looked at from the side, the topline climbs gradually from the shoulders and peaks over the hips before rounding away at the rear, the shape that gives it the mandolin name. The ears stand up straight and sit well in proportion with the head and body. Altogether it should look like a solid, well-muscled rabbit rather than a compact one.

Coat and colours

The coat is dense and rolls back slowly when you stroke it against the lie of the fur, which is what gives it the prized feel. The blue variety wears an even, medium-to-dark slate-blue right across the body, with the same shade carrying down into the undercolour. The white variety is a clean, pure white with pink eyes. Both varieties should show one uniform colour, with no stray off-colour hairs, no brassy tinge, and no patches.

The American has a name for a steady, good-natured temperament. It is generally docile and puts up with being picked up and held better than plenty of highly strung breeds, so long as the handling is calm and the rabbit is well supported. Does have a reputation as attentive, settled mothers, which only adds to the breed's easygoing name.

Around family it is usually placid and takes to gentle attention once it trusts the people about the place. With strangers it tends toward cautious rather than frightened, and it comes round as it gets used to new voices and a new routine. It is a quiet rabbit and rarely thumps or struggles without good reason.

With other rabbits, the American can share a pen in compatible pairs or small groups once introductions are done slowly and both animals are neutered or spayed. As with any rabbit, dogs and cats need watching, because even a rabbit that gets on fine with people can be put under stress by a predator species nearby. A bit of patience in the first few weeks pays off, since a settled American is calm and predictable company.

The American is a hardy breed with care needs that are not complicated, but its size means it wants more room and a bigger set-up than a small rabbit would.

Grooming

• Brush once a week to clear loose fur and keep the dense coat in good order.
• Brush more often, every few days, while it is moulting.
• Check the nails roughly every 4 to 6 weeks and trim them once they grow long.
• Look over the ears and the rear end regularly for cleanliness, since a big rabbit can struggle to reach round the back.
• Skip full baths, which put rabbits under stress; spot-clean any soiled fur instead.

Exercise

• Give it at least 3 to 4 hours of supervised time outside the pen each day, in a space that has been made rabbit-proof.
• Allow room to hop, stretch up, and run, which a large breed needs to keep fit.
• Offer tunnels, cardboard boxes, and safe chew toys to keep it occupied.
• Keep the play area clear of electrical cords and any plants that are toxic.

Environment

Keep the American in a roomy, dry pen, out of draughts and away from direct sun. Irish weather runs cool and damp far more often than hot, so keeping the bedding dry and the pen free of draughts matters more, day to day, than worrying about shade. On the rare warm spell, though, rabbits cope with heat far worse than cold, so airflow and shade become important fast. Give it a solid floor or a resting board, because wire flooring can leave sore hocks on a heavy rabbit.

Grass hay should make up the greater part of the diet and be there for the taking at all times. Timothy, orchard, or meadow hay keeps the gut moving and wears down teeth that never stop growing. A measured helping of good pellets and a daily serving of fresh leafy greens fill out the rest of the diet. Fresh water needs to be on hand at all times, in a heavy bowl or a clean bottle.

Treats and extras

Keep treats small and occasional. A few pieces of carrot, apple with the seeds taken out, or herbs such as parsley and coriander make suitable rewards. Bring in any new green slowly, over several days, to avoid loose droppings. A rabbit getting unlimited hay and fresh greens generally needs no extra vitamins on top.

The American is a sturdy heritage breed without any major defects specific to it. With good care it usually lives 5 to 8 years. Most of the health trouble seen in the breed is the same trouble that affects rabbits generally, and most of it comes down to diet, worn teeth, and hygiene.

Preventive care

• Feed unlimited grass hay to look after the gut and the teeth.
• Book an annual check-up, including a dental and weight check.
• Vaccinate against the rabbit diseases going round locally, where a vet recommends it.
• Spay or neuter to prevent reproductive cancers and cut down on hormonal behaviour.
• Keep the pen clean and dry to head off skin and breathing problems.

Because the American is a large breed, its housing has to be generous. The pen should let it lie stretched right out, sit up with its ears clear of the roof, and get several hops in end to end. A common rule of thumb for a large rabbit is a pen of at least 12 square feet joined to an exercise run of around 24 to 32 square feet. A solid floor, with a resting board if the base is wire, keeps the feet safe from sore hocks.

Setup checklist

• A roomy pen with a solid area to rest on, kept somewhere sheltered from Irish rain and wind, such as a shed or outhouse.
• A heavy water bowl or a drip bottle, checked every day.
• A hay rack or pile that is kept topped up at all times.
• A litter tray in one corner filled with rabbit-safe litter.
• A hide box or a covered nook to give it a sense of security.
• Chew toys and a digging box to keep it occupied.

As a heritage breed kept partly to conserve it, the American is bred to hold on to its body shape and its two standard colours. Bucks and does of the large breeds mature a bit later than small rabbits, so breeders usually wait until the animals are fully grown, often around 6 to 8 months, before a first mating. The doe is brought to the buck's pen rather than the other way round, since does can turn territorial.

Pregnancy lasts about 31 days. A nest box lined with clean straw should go in a few days before the due date, and the doe will finish it off with fur she pulls from her own body. American does are known as good, settled mothers, which fits with the breed's gentle name. Kits are born blind and bare and open their eyes at around 10 days old.

Young rabbits start nibbling hay and pellets at around 3 weeks and are usually weaned by 6 to 8 weeks. Handling kits gently from early on helps them grow into the placid adults the breed is known for. Breeders working with this rare breed often keep in touch with one another to keep bloodlines varied and conserve the line.