Beveren
The Beveren is one of the older large fur breeds, developed around the town of Beveren in Belgium and standardised in the early 1900s.
It was among the first breeds kept seriously for pelts in Britain and remains recognised there and in the United States.
It is a large rabbit of mandolin type, weighing four to five and a half kilograms, with a notably dense, lustrous coat about three centimetres long — longer than most fur breeds — in blue, black, white or lilac. Blue-eyed white is the classic. Temperament is generally calm and friendly, and the breed is regarded as one of the more docile large rabbits.
- Origin
- Beveren, Belgium
- Size
- 4–5.5 kg
- Lifespan
- 8–10 years
- Coat
- Dense and lustrous, around 3 cm long
- Temperament
- Calm, friendly, docile for a large breed
- Recognition
- Uncommon; conservation priority in some registries
2 beveren photos, newest first
Living with a beveren
The long dense coat needs weekly grooming and more during a moult, when swallowed fur is a real risk to a species that cannot vomit.
Large rabbits need proportionally large housing — several consecutive hops and full upright standing height — and are prone to sore hocks, so use deep soft bedding and never wire flooring.
Keep in neutered pairs, feed mostly hay, offer greens daily and pellets in small measured amounts. Vaccinate annually against myxomatosis and both RHD strains. Weigh occasionally: an overweight rabbit cannot groom its own rear, which leads quickly to soiling and flystrike.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual rabbits vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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