The Jersey Wooly is a breed of

domestic rabbit The domestic rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus'') is the domestication, domesticated form of the European rabbit, a member of the lagomorph order. A male rabbit is known as a ''buck,'' a female as a ''doe,'' and a young rabbit as a ''k ...

weighing about 3 pounds with a bold head and

wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

fur A fur is a soft, thick growth of hair that covers the skin of almost all mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an ...

on their body.National Jersey Wooly Rabbit Club
(in Japanese) Retrieved November 21, 2022.

Origins

Bonnie Seeley of

High Bridge, New Jersey High Bridge is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 3,546, a decrease of 102 (−2.8%) from the 2010 ...

bred the Jersey Wooly starting in the 1970s from a

Chinchilla Chinchilla refers to either of two species ('' Chinchilla chinchilla'' and '' Chinchilla lanigera'') of crepuscular rodents of the parvorder Caviomorpha, and are native to the Andes mountains in South America. They live in colonies called "her ...

buck and a black Silver Marten doe with a

dwarfing Dwarfing is a process in which a breed of animals or cultivar of plants is changed to become significantly smaller than standard members of their species. The effect can be induced through human intervention or non-human processes, and can include ...

gene. A Blue rabbit doe, without the dwarfing gene, was also involved in the breeding process. These early rabbits maintained the oblong body shape of the

French Angora The Angora rabbit () is one of the oldest groups of domestic rabbit breeds, which is bred for the long fibers of its coat, known as ''Angora wool.'' They are gathered by shearing, combing or plucking. Because rabbits do not possess the same alle ...

. By 1981, Seeley was mating the rabbits to Netherland Dwarfs, which produced the more petit representatives of the breed that would make their first appearance at the 1984

American Rabbit Breeders Association The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) is a national club for domestic rabbits and cavy breeders. The ARBA is headquartered in Knox, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Its membership is composed of rabbit and cavy exhibitors, commer ...

(ARBA) Convention in

Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...

. The breed was recognized by the ARBA in 1988 at the

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

, convention. A separate breed of Jersey Wooly was under development in

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

as of 2004 and was pending the approval of the Rabbit Council of New Zealand.

Appearance and personality

A full grown Jersey Wooly weighs 1–1.5 kg (2.5–3.5 pounds) with 3 pounds being considered ideal. They have a compact body type. The ears are small and erect, standing about 2 inches long. 3 inch ears are the maximum length allowed for exhibition stock per the ARBA's Standard of Perfection. When showing a Jersey Wooly, the head and ears have the most points. The head is bold and squarish which led the breed to being affectionately referred to as the "Mug Head." These rabbits are very affectionate and playful and most Jersey Woolys have very friendly personalities. As pets, they range from laid-back lap bunnies to outgoing explorers. The ease of care of the rabbit's coat is a point of popularity for the Jersey Wooly among small breeds.

Lifespan

The average life span of a Jersey Wooly can depend on many factors, including genetics and care. It is not uncommon for a Jersey Wooly to live 7-10+ years when properly cared for. There is a common myth that those who have had litters die sooner, but this has not been scientifically proven. Many rabbit breeders have healthy Jersey Woolys who have had multiple litters live just as long as pet Jersey Woolys who have never had babies. It is also believed that neutering and spaying these rabbits will add years to their life span. Without neutering or spaying, rabbits can develop cancer and tumors that are life-threatening. A competent, experienced exotics veterinarian is the best way to minimize surgical complications.

References

External links

Jersey Wooly Rabbit Breed HistoryRabbit Breeds History
Rabbit breeds Rabbits as pets Rabbit breeds originating in the United States

Origins

Appearance and personality

Lifespan

See also

References

Further reading

External links