Jersey Wooly Rabbit: Appearance, Lifespan, Temperament, Care Sheet

Because of their grand look and awesome temperament, the Jersey Wooly continue its popularity up to this day! If you plan to get one, and wants to know more of the breed, read on and learn more about the Jersey Wooly rabbits.

Short Breed Info Chart

Breed Name

Jersey Wooly Rabbit

Size

Small

Weight

 1 lb. to 3 lbs.

Lifespan

7 years to 10 years

Temperament

Gentle, Docile

Color

Variety

Rarity

 Common

Similar breeds

Netherland Dwarf Rabbit, French Angora Rabbit

Best suited for

New rabbit owners, children, and Seniors

Jersey Wooly Rabbit Background and History

jersey wooly bunnies

Jersey Wooly is one of the most celebrated rabbits. Because of its look and stature, the rabbit was also commonly known as ‘Mug Head Rabbit,’ ‘No-Kick Rabbit,’ or ‘Fluff of Fancy.’

This rabbit breed was initially introduced to the public in 1984 when a New Jersey-based American Rabbit Breeder named Bonnie Seeley showcased the rabbit in one of the rabbit shows.

The Jersey Wooly’s eye-catching look, which results from cross-breeding a Netherland Dwarf Rabbit with a French Angora rabbit, captivated the spectators. In 1988, the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) recognized the Jersey Wooly rabbit breed.

After two years, the breed was exported to the United States, where it instantly made a name with good reviews as pet show rabbits and house rabbits.

Jersey Wool Rabbits Breed Standard and Appearance

jersey wooly rabbit.

The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) has set the standard or the ideal appearance of how the Jersey Wool rabbits should look like. Here’s a quick info:

Overall Appearance

The rabbits’ standard appearance can be classified into several categories, including the body type, which has five subcategories. These subcategories are:

  1. Full Arch
  2. Semi Arch
  3. Commercial
  4. Cylindrical
  5. Compact

The Jersey Wooly, a dwarf gene from the Angora rabbit, belongs to the fifth category. They have a compact body size with large eyes and small erect ears that can grow up to 2 ½ inches long.

Fur

They have thick yet soft fur that can quickly get matted, so you need to ensure that this rabbit breed is regularly groomed.

Depending on their age, you may groom the Jersey Wooly three times a week to keep their coat tangle-free. They also need extra care as you need to keep their body temperature cool during the hot season. Thus, you need to cut or trim their thick fur every summer.

The Jersey Wooly may also need your helping hand during spring, as they usually shed. What makes this rabbit a good choice is that they are low maintenance compared to other wooly breeds.

Color

The Jersey Wooly is one of the rabbit breeds with a huge color group. There are several colors that you can choose from, including the following:

  • Black (Solid or Broken)
  • Chestnut
  • Blue
  • White
  • Lilac
  • Chinchilla
  • Opal
  • Squirrel
  • Chocolate

Weight

The adult Jersey Wooly rabbit breed’s standard weight is around 2.5 pounds to 3.5 pounds when it comes to its weight.

Though they belong to the compact-sized-rabbit group, the Jersey Wooly still needs a bigger space to run around.

Lifespan

The Jersey Wooly’s lifespan is dependent on several factors, which include weather conditions, health, genetics, housing, and primary care. But in general, their average lifespan is around 7 years to 10 years or more.

Jersey Wooly Rabbit Personality and Temperament

Apart from its physical attributes, the Jersey Wooly is also loved by many due to its personality and temperament. This rabbit breed is known to be docile, friendly, affectionate, and gentle, which makes them one of the best in-house pets that you can own.

Because of their personality and temperament, they are perfect pets for new rabbit owners and children. Children, however, must be taught how to care the rabbits at an early stage. They must learn how to handle and pick the rabbit correctly for the rabbits to avoid injuries.

If you plan to raise a Jersey Wooly, you must get a pair instead of raising a single Jersey Wooly alone. Keeping them in pairs will help them to be emotionally stable and happier.

Jersey Wooly Rabbit Health Issues

jersey wooley bunnies

The Jersey Wooly rabbits have a couple of health issues that you must be aware of. Most of these health issues are not genetically developed but are mainly caused by a dirty environment, bad diet, and improper grooming.

Here are some of the Jersey Wooly health problems that you must first know before getting a pair.

Stress

Stress is one of the most common causes of health issues in Jersey Wooly. If your Jersey Wooly gets so stressed, they will refuse to eat or groom themselves, affecting themselves over time.

For your rabbits to avoid stress, you must make sure that their pen or hutch is clean and regularly groomed. Rabbits are tidy animals. Most of the time, you will see them cleaning themselves if they are not munching or playing.

Anything muddy or messy will stress the Jersey Wooly rabbits.

Flystrike

In connection to stress due to an untidy living environment, flystrike is another health issue that you should be ready to face.

Flystrike happens when your untidy Jersey Wooly attracts flies. These flies then start laying eggs on your Jersey Wooly. Once the flies’ eggs turn into maggots, they will slowly eat your pet rabbit’s flesh. If left untreated, the Jersey Wooly rabbit might die in 24 hours.

Overgrown Teeth

Overgrown teeth are another common health issue that your rabbit might face. Your rabbits’ two big front teeth are one of their distinct characteristics. However, these teeth might overgrow. Along with their front incisor teeth, their back-molar teeth may also overgrow.

Their genes may cause this, or they might not just be munching much, causing these teeth to protrude.

These overgrown teeth may be fatal to the Jersey Wooly as they may affect their appetite. Once they lose their appetite and refuse to eat, their immune system becomes an easy target for bacteria and viruses.

Respiratory Issues

Rabbits have a very sensitive respiratory tract. A simple allergy can trigger an infection in a Jersey Wooly rabbit. What is worst is that you can barely detect the respiratory disease as it shows little to no sign during its early stage.

Your rabbits may show symptoms like frequent sneezing and wheezing, which seem normal. However, if these symptoms are accompanied by breathing difficulties, you should consider visiting an animal clinic to have your rabbits checked.

Jersey Wooly Health Problems Treatments

jersey wooly rabbit price

Treating your Jersey Wooly’s health issues might be a little bit costly. Aside from the medicines, you will give to them, you will also have a frequent trip to the vet for the rabbit follow-up check-up. But there is a way to avoid the hefty vet bills.

Let’s go back to the basics of rabbit-raising. One important factor that affects your rabbits’ health is their environment. If your rabbits live in a very untidy and noisy environment, your rabbits will easily get stressed.

Once stress is triggered, they will develop other health issues that may be fatal to them. Thus, before getting a pair of Jersey Wooly, you must have a designated place for them. This place must be away from noise or pollution and must be regularly cleaned.

This way, the rabbits will not be stressed and will not be infested by bacteria. It is also important that you feed the Jersey Wooly with a balanced diet. A balanced diet will help them strengthen their immune system. Their diet also helps in filing your rabbit’s teeth.

Thus, stick to your rabbit’s diet when feeding them. Always ensure that they will get at least 70% hay on their diet, and the remaining 30% must be a combination of a treat, fruit, or vegetable.

Jersey Wooly Care Sheet

jersey rabbit

Another factor that you should consider if you plan to raise Jersey Wooly rabbits is how to care for them properly. Here’s the most basic thing you need to consider when raising this type of rabbit.

Nutrition

Whether your Jersey Wooly is a house pet or for pet shows, you must give them proper nutrition.

Their diet must include hay or pellets that contain a nutritional value that will help them have better eyesight, strong bones, and shiny fur. You must also give them vegetables, fruits, and other treats occasionally.

But you must check first if these fruits and vegetables are actually rabbit friendly. Make sure that it won’t affect your rabbits’ medical condition, if there is any. It is also important that the Jersey Wooly rabbits must have access to freshwater along with hay and fresh vegetable and fruits.

Living Condition

Unlike other rabbits that you can keep indoors and outdoors, the Jersey Wooly rabbit must only be kept inside the house due to its tiny size. Keeping them inside the house will give them a high chance of not getting eaten by a snake or predator.

They will also be protected from extreme weather conditions.

Though the Jersey Wooly should be kept indoors, you must also make sure they have enough space to run and play around with their pen. Rabbits are highly active animals, and they need some mental and physical exercise.

If you want to keep the rabbits in your room, you must also be cautious with the wires. Always remove or cover the electrical wires. Rabbits are known to chew a lot. Removing or covering the cables will keep them from being electrocuted.

By any chance you want to put the rabbits outside your house, you may need to build their ideal hutch. Whether your Jersey Wooly rabbit is still months old or more than a year older, you must build a hutch with the following measurements:

Area – The area must be proportionate to their body weight. It must be 1 foot per pound. Thus, when building a hutch, the area must be for 3 lbs. rabbit since it is the maximum weight of an adult Jersey Wooly.

Width – When it comes to the width, it must be around 2 to 3 times the length of the Jersey Wooly.

Length – You must anticipate that your Jersey Wooly will live longer. Thus, the length must be computed and must be built according to the length of an adult Jersey Wooly. It must be at least 3 times its length.

Grooming

Depending on their age, the Jersey Wooly rabbit breed requires extra care. Like other rabbits, the baby Jersey Wooly shed its fur at around four months old.

If your rabbit is in the molting stage, you must help them by brushing their fur every day. This will help them remove their loose fur and their old coat. However, what is good with this breed is that it doesn’t require you to shear or trim them.

Health

The hardest part of raising a rabbit is knowing that it can quickly get sick. Regardless of their breed, one common trait of rabbits is that they clean themselves a lot. There’s nothing wrong with being clean and tidy, though. But the problem arises after the rabbits accidentally eat or swallow their fur.

Unfortunately for the Jersey Wooly, they cannot regurgitate the fur or wool that they swallowed like other animals. Because of this, they are at risk of developing GI health problems.

Once these fur or wools are ingested, they will stay in their stomach for a long time unless these wools are being digested.

If not, they will have issues with their appetite. They will stop eating their food and have problems with their droppings, and it is more likely for you to see them unusually behaved.

Call your vet immediately if you will notice any of the symptoms above.

Other Things to Consider When Raising a Jersey Wooly

wooly bunny

A rabbit’s hutch or pen needs your attention as it needs proper bedding where the rabbit will sleep, exercise, and eat. Thus, you must put a quality bedding. Cleaning the beading or the hutch regularly is also a must.

Here are the things you need to know when putting the rabbit’s bedding:

  1. It must be deep enough for them to dig in and protect them from predators.
  2. It must be soft and edible since rabbits love to chew anything.
  3. It must be made of quality hay to keep them healthy and prevent them from developing dental issues.

Summary

Raising a Jersey Wooly rabbit is just like raising a regular rabbit breed. What sets them apart from other rabbits is their health needs. If your Jersey Wooly shows changes in its behavior or temperament, consult a veterinarian and have your rabbit checked.

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