Swiss Feh rabbit

Young Swiss Feh rabbit exploring its outdoor enclosure (Philippe Ammann / ProSpecieRara)

Origin and development

In the early 1900s, efforts were made in various countries to develop new rabbit breeds with fur resembling that of the grey Siberian squirrel, thus making such fur more readily available. In the process, numerous grey rabbit breeds were created. From the outset, unlike elsewhere, breeders in Switzerland concentrated on perfecting the so-called pearling (salt-and-pepper coat) and on producing animals which were not too heavy. Thus, the first breeding efforts (recorded in 1918), which involved wild-coloured and blue rabbits, gave rise to a unique Swiss Feh breed. The term “Feh” refers to the grey winter coat of Siberian squirrels. The Swiss Feh Rabbit Breeders Club has a long history, dating back to its foundation in 1921.

Description

In the breeding of the Swiss Feh, great attention is paid to the pearling: in the blue-grey coat, evenly distributed small tufts of light-brown guard hairs should create a fine, readily detectable structure. The belly, chest and underjaw are light grey to white. The head is close-set, with a broad forehead and erect, hairy ears. The Swiss Feh is true-breeding for its bluish colour. A dwarf breed (various colours) was produced by outbreeding.

If Swiss Feh does are accustomed to each other, they get on well and may sometimes even raise their young in a shared nest (Philippe Ammann / ProSpecieRara)

Breeding objectives

h Small breed with good carriage and well-formed body h Typical coat structure and colour, with even pearling h Health and hardiness

References

Schweizer Feh-Züchterklub (www.schweizer-feh.ch) Kleintiere Schweiz (www.kleintiere-schweiz.ch) ProSpecieRara (www.prospecierara.ch)