Origins of the Domestic Rabbit

Rabbit geographical distirbutionRabbits are believed to originate from Spain.  The Romans kept rabbits in walled gardens with deep foundations to the walls so that the rabbits could not burrow out.  They were introduced into Britain by the Normans. Originally the rabbit enclosure or "Coneygarth" as it was known, consisted of a small field surrounded by trees and hedgerow.  In the 15th Century islands were built to house rabbits.

Wild rabbitThe rabbits kept in this way retained much of their wild characteristics.  True domestication seems to be due to the monks who wanted a food suitable for Lent.  Unborn or newly born rabbits known as laurices and much favoured by the Romans.  Breeding experiments were taking place in French monasteries from the 6th Century but it wasn't until the 16th Century that we have records of colour variations.

Domestic breeding began in earnest in the 17th Century.  One later notable advocate of rabbit breeding was Emperor Napoleon III of France who established smallholdings for workers on condition that they bred rabbits as it would not have been possible to allocate each smallholder with enough land for pigs and goats..  This produced millions of rabbit pelts that were used to line soldier's cloaks.

Source:  Exhibition & Pet Rabbits by Meg Brown - Meg Brown is co-author of Rabbitlopaedia with vet Virginia Richardson.

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