FOR EXHIBITION AND MARKET 



Havana was really an accident. In the year 1898, a 

 common black and white doe became the mother of the 

 first Havana. The sire was unknown. It is the only 

 rabbit having a fiery red eye, and when crossed with 

 the Himalayan rabbit, the result is black rabbits and no 

 red eyes, which only adds to the mystery of their make 

 up. They were first called "fire eyes." The body color 

 was good and eyes red, but poor feet, a great many of 

 them being white. They were also called "castors," and 

 finally named Havanas, by the French, and then adopted 

 by the different countries. By crossing them with Black 

 and Tans, the white feet disappeared and they have been 

 breeding true to color ever since. 



Owing to there being very few good bucks in 

 America, it is necessary to inbreed them in order to 

 produce the best stock. By breeding the son to the 

 mother, and the best daughter to the father, then later 

 breeding brother and sister from that litter, you will be 

 able to establish your own strain. The does are apt to 

 grow coarser than the bucks. They should be kept as 

 slender as possible. Inside hutches are probably the best 

 for this variety, as the sun fades their beautiful brown 

 color in a very short time. The Havanas can be kept 

 in the same sized hutches and fed the same as the 

 Dutch. The hutches should be kept perfectly clean at 

 all times. Their coats should be in perfect condition for 

 showing, and should be well rubbed each day. They 

 should appear small, neat and short, with short, silky 

 coats free from dewlap and white hairs. The color 

 should be a rich uniform brown all over, with a pale 

 gray under color. Size about five and one-half pounds. 



They should resemble the Black and Tan type. The 

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