Belgian Hares are also domesticated rabbits and weigh about 9 pounds. These hares have got long ears and legs. Their bodies have got a rich reddish color tan with undercoat color which comes in slate of blue. The life span of Belgian Hares is about 10 years or even more. A female hare begins to litter at an age of 9 months. In fact, the first litter is born before a female hare reaches 1 year old. This is due to the fact that after 1 year, their pelvic bones begin to fuse and they will not be able to naturally give birth. After 3 years of age, they will not have any further litters. Their average number of baby hares per litter is anything from 5 to 12.

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HISTORY

The Deilenaar rabbit was developed in the fruit growing region of Betuwe, in the town of Deli, Holland where the breed gets it’s name. When going to Holland buy a visitor insurance. Mr. G.W.A. Ridderhof developed the breed in the 1930s, however he did not let it be known what breeds were used in the Deilenaars makeup. Leading rabbit authorities suggest that Flemish Giant, New Zealand Red, Chinchilla and Tans were used to create the breed we know of today. There is a strong belief that the Belgian Hare may have also been used to produce the rich fiery red agouti color and unique mackereling of black ticking. The Deilenaar was accept to the Dutch Standard on May 1, 1940, just mere days before the occupation of Holland during World War ll. The breed was slow to reach other European countries because of the war. The United Kingdom recognized the Deilenaar rabbit to the British Rabbit Council’s Standards in the late 1980s.

Deilenaars are a friendly, but lively rabbit. They are strong and robust, with a short body that is muscular throughout. The coat is the most eye catching feature of the breed, being longer than most other breeds. The warm red color is accented by the very heavily spotted black ticking referred to as “Mackereling”. The coat has a marvelous luster to it and unique to the breed, the fur is shorter on the head, ears and legs from the rest of the body.

TYPE – The type is short, thickset and well rounded. Head is carried on an invisible neck. The build is firm, with broad fore and hindquarters. The legs are firm and short.

FUR – The fur is of sufficient length so that the wavy ticking is shown to full advantage. The fur is close, very dense and lustrous.

HEAD & EARS – The head is strongly developed especially in males. The length of the ears should be 10 – 12 cm. (4 to 5 inches) with the ideal being 11 cm. (4 1/2 inches). The ears are strong and erect.

WEIGHT – 2.5 – 3.5 kg. (5 1/2 – 7 3/4 lbs.)

TOP & BELLY COLOR – The top color is warm red brown, with strong wavy ticking. This refers to the entire body except the belly and the inside of the hind legs. Muzzle, jaw line and the inside of the ears are tan colored. The ears are laced with black. The forelegs are heavily ticked, but more regularly ticked than the body because of the shorter fur on them.

The ticking on the back, flanks and head should be wavy, to give a “Mackerel” appearance. The triangle on the nape is a rusty red. The color of the belly is cream to sandy red. There is a thin rusty red line dividing the belly and body colors. The chest is warm red brown with slight ticking. The eyes are dark brown, the nails are darn horn and the whiskers are colored.

INTERMEDIATE & BASE COLOR – The intermediate color is rusty red brown. The base color of the body and chest is slate blue and to be evenly divided. The belly under color is creamy except at the rust red groin streaks, where the under color is blue.

CONDITION – The body should be meaty and muscular, in other words it must be hard. Flabby, thin or too fat animals are fundamentally wrong. The nails should be regularly cut and clean. The fur should be clean and without matts. The eyes should be bright and twinkling of spirit. The animal should be allowed to show itself resulting in a good posture.

MINOR FAULTS – Slight deviation in type; a few white hairs, weak “mackerel” or poor ticking; banded forelegs; and white whiskers.

SEVERE FAULTS – Severe deviation in type; many white hairs; very weak intermediate and under color; wrong top color – too grey or too yellow; completely even ticking (i.e. lacking “mackerel”); chest completely tan; tan belly; and blue under color at belly or tail.

HISTORY

The Belgian Hare, as the name suggests, originated in Belgium by crossing the wild European rabbits with various domestic rabbits. It was imported into short term health insurance a health insurance for short duration. England in 1874 by two brothers by the name of Lumb, who regularly imported livestock from the low countries. The Belgian Hare is a true rabbit and not a Hare as the name implies. It is the British rabbit fanciers that are to be given credit for developing the graceful Belgian Hare that we know today. The first standard for the Belgian Hare was written in England in 1882.

The first Belgian Hares to arrive on American soil where imported by Mr. E.M. Hughes of Albany, New York in 1888. Mr. Hughes, along with a Mr. W.N. Richardson of Troy, NY and Mr. G.W. Fenton of Barr, MA were the three movers and shakers for the new breed, exhibiting and promoting them across the country at various small stock shows. The American Belgian Hare Association was soon formed, but disbanded within a year. Another club for the breed known as the National Belgian Hare Club of America was organized in 1897. By 1898, there was no less 600 rabbitries in the Los Angeles, California  area breeding Hares, with some having more than 1000 animals. By 1900, Mr. C. H. Lane reported that there was over 60,000 Belgian Hares in Southern California alone and the numbers were steadily on the increase. Great numbers of Belgian Hares were being imported from England and changing hands at fabulous prices, some animals selling for as high as $1,000.00 each. The “Belgian Hare Boom” would finally come to an end in the early 1920s. The “Bust” was so great that the lovely “Race Horse of The Rabbit Fancy” is quite scare throughout the United States. Although Belgian Hares are accepted in every country that has a national rabbit governing body, they are left in the hands of the dedicated rabbit fancier. BE WARNED, once a Belgian Hare breeder, always a Belgian Hare breeder.

COLORS OF BELGIAN HARES
The standard color of the Belgian Hare is known as the Rufus Red, being a brilliant deep rich red of a tan or chestnut agouti shade. This is the only color accepted in the ARBA Standard of Perfection today.
BLACK – In the early 1920s the National Pet Stock Association, now known as the ARBA accepted the Blacks under the name of “Black Siberian Hares”.
BLACK AND TAN – The clever Belgian Hare breeders in the Netherlands developed the beautifully graceful Black And Tan Belgian Hare a number of years ago.
RUBY EYED WHITE – Yes, there is a Ruby Eyed White Belgian Hare that was developed in Belgium several years ago, but these are quite rare and it is very difficult to breed.

HISTORY

In 1977 Mr. J. de Graaf of the Netherlands began to cross-breed Blue Eyes White Netherland Dwarfs (they are known as Pools in Holland) with a small White Vienna. Mr. de Graaf did this as he wanted to investigate the inheritance of certain characteristics of the Vienna color (Blue Eyed ) rabbits. His first attempt was unsuccessful, as he fail to breed any young rabbits using the small Blue Eyed White Netherland Dwarfs. Mr. de Graaf then tried another route to reach his goal. He obtained a large German Ruby Eyed White Netherland Dwarf (they are known as Hermelin in Germany) which he could mate to a small White Vienna. He used the German Ruby Eyed Netherland Dwarf, because they are generally bigger than The Blue Eyed White Dwarfs, and also beause the German Dwarfs are bigger than those found in the Netherlands. This time Mr. de Graaf was successful in producing some youngstter in a variety of colors. To obtain the blue eyed rabbits he was looking for he next mated the youngsters to each other and to the Blue Eyed White Dwarfs from the Netherlands. This gave him two strains to work with, one with blue eyes and the other with red eyes. Mr. de Graaf noted that the Blue Eyed strain had some very desirable features unlike any other breed of rabbit and began working intensively to set these characteristics on his new breed. In 1984, Mr. J. de Graaf’s Hulstlander was accepted to the standards of the Nederlandse Konijnenfokkers Bond (Dutch National Rabbit Organization). The Hulstlander gets its name from the district  in the Province of Overijssel where Mr. de Graaf lived and developed the new breed.

HULSTLANDER STANDARD (UK)

TYPE – The body is short, with well developed front and hind quarters. The front legs are short and sturdy. The body should be well covered and the muscles firm.

WEIGHT – 2.0 to 2.75 kgs. (4 lbs. 7 oz to 6 lbs. 1 oz)

COAT – The coat is normal length, thick, with a very dense undercoat. The coat surface should be even, without excessively protruding guard hairs. The coat should be smooth and glossy, free from moult or matting.

HEAD – The head is strongly formed, short and broad. The eyes are clear, bright and lively.

EARS – The ears are held wide apart with well rounded tips. Ear length is 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches), ideal 9 cm (3 1/2 inches).

COLOR – The coat is pure white, free from any trace of ivory or yellow, from head to toe. The eyes are pale blue. The nails are colorless.

PRESENTATION AND CONDITION – Conforming to the general standard.

FAULTS – Slight variation from the correct type. Fur slightly too long, too thin, coarse, harsh, or wooly. Slight yellowish tinge. Faults common to all breeds.

DISQUALIFICATIONS – Considerable variation from the correct type. Fur noticeably too long, too thin, coarse, or wolly. Wrong colored. Disqualifications common to all breeds.

HULSTLANDER STANDARD (UK)

TYPE – The body is short, will well developed front and hind quarters. The front legs are short and sturdy. The body should be well covered and the muscles firm.

WEIGHT – 2.0 to 2.75 kgs. (4 lbs. 7 oz to 6 lbs. 1 oz)

COAT – The coat is normal length, thick, with a very dense undercoat. The coat surface should be even, without excessively protruding guard hairs. The coat should be smooth and glossy, free from moult or matting.

HEAD – The head is strongly formed, short and broad. The eyes are clear, bright and lively.

EARS – The ears are held wide apart with well rounded tips. Ear length is 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches), ideal 9 cm (3 1/2 inches).

COLOR – The coat is pure white, free from any trace of

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