The Champagne d’Argent Rabbit is one of the oldest recognized rabbit breeds. It is a rather small rabbit breed with a very good-natured character. The exact origin of the Champagne d’Argent rabbit is unknown. But records show that this breed existed in France in the mid-1600s.
Champagne d’Argent means “Silver [кролик] Champagne.” And the word Champagne does not refer to the silver color, but rather to the region of France where the breed was actually bred. After development, the breed was recognized French silver rabbit because of its silver coat.
The Champagne d’Argent Rabbit is a very old breed, once prized for its skin, and at the time it was a common breed of rabbit. Champagne d’Argents is also very popular for its meat. And they were very popular because of their fatty and tough meat.
There are at least seven breeds of Champagne d’Argent rabbits available in the world today. The British Rabbit Council recognizes five color varieties: blue, brown, cream, black and champagne.
But the American Rabbit Association only recognizes two varieties of champagne d’Argent – cream and champagne. Today, the breed is bred primarily as a pet and as a show animal.
Characteristics of Champagne d’Argent Lapin
The Champagne d’Argent Rabbit is a small breed of medium length. Their undercolor is depicted as dark blue with a bluish-white body. They have strong hips and lower backs, and their backs are slightly arched.
They have elongated, black hair interspersed with fur to give a silvery hue when viewed from a distance. The breed has a well-developed ribbed section, shoulders stuffed with tough, dense flesh.
A Silver Champagne rabbit’s ears, legs, nose, and tail are the same color as its coat color. The breed is best known for its coat color rather than its body type. They have thick, silky fur that lies freely on the body.
Champagne d’Argent goes well with meat. The middle part of their body is broad, strong and fleshy, with as much flesh as possible on each side along the length of the body. Their loins are wide and deep, with the body as dense as possible and tightly balanced by their hips.
The thighs of these rabbits are wide, soft, rounded and stuffed with heavy, tough flesh. The lower thighs are also well developed. The bone structure is fine, which allows them to produce more meat.
The average body weight of these rabbits is 4.3-5.5 kg. Although body weight may vary depending on the variety. Photo from Wikipedia.
Advantages
The Champagne d’Argent rabbit is primarily kept as a pet and as a show animal. The breed also has a very high meat to bone ratio. Therefore, it is also very suitable for the commercial breeding of rabbits for meat production. They are also very good at producing high quality hides.
Special Notes
Champagne d’Argent rabbits are generally very friendly. They are therefore very good as pets. They are very clean animals and generally groom each other equally well.
Like most other rabbit breeds, this rabbit breed also likes to live in groups. They feel comfortable and grow peacefully when kept in pairs. They have a relatively calm temperament and have a very good character.
The average life expectancy of rabbits of this breed is 5-8 years. They need good nutrition and proper care to grow fast. However, check out the full profile of this rabbit breed in the table below.
video
| Breed name | silver champagne |
| another name | French silver rabbit |
| Purpose of the breed | They are mainly kept as pets and show animals. Also very good for commercial meat production. |
| Breed size | Small to medium |
| The weight | The average body weight is 4.3-5.5 kg. |
| Suitable for commercial production | Yes |
| like pets | Yes |
| climatic tolerance | All |
| Varieties of colors | Today, there are at least seven colored varieties of Champagne d’Argent rabbit available worldwide. But the British Rabbit Council recognizes five color varieties, namely blue, brown, cream, black and champagne. And the American Rabbit Association only recognizes two color varieties of Champagne d’Argent rabbits: cream and champagne. |
| scarcity | general |
| Native country | France |
