Cages:

Belgian Hares love to run and jump and cages should allow for this. An ideal size is 6’x2’x2’, although the majority of ours are 7’ long and slightly narrower. The extra length is definitely appreciated by the hare, and the width is not so crucial, though any hutch should not be less than 20”, no matter how long. The 2’ height should be compromised as little as possible.

Hutches should at all times be sited out of direct sunlight and provided with some form of additional shelter during bad weather. While the Belgian Hare is a very hardy animal, excessive heat, draughts and damp will soon prove to be their downfall.

Our hutches are provided with a 6” high divider as a “jumping board” centrally. Some breeders frown upon their use, but we’ve found the Hares really love to bounce back and forth at great speed, turning on a sixpence at each landing. Such displays of gymnastics usually occur immediately prior to the evening feed and are quite amazing to watch. Our young hares though are not provided with boards until they move into individual hutches at 10-12 weeks, when they are big enough and their bones strong enough to cope with this addition in safety.

The floor of the hutch is covered with a good layer of woodshavings to absorb urine and provide a soft cushion for the narrow feet of the Belgian Hare. The woodshavings should be renewed when soiled and at least weekly. Unsanitary housing conditions encourage disease and and this should definitely have no place in any rabbitry. Please note that we do not recommend wire floors for Hares with their feet being so narrow, as the risk of injury is highly likely.

Diet:

Like many other fanciers we prefer to mix our own feed. We feed a high fibre diet based on two types of rabbit pellets, avoiding ingredients that are high in starch. We also feed freeze dried grass and quality hay both morning and night. Additionally the morning meal is complimented with a small piece of apple or dandelion leaves depending on time of year. Carrots are fed with the evening meal. Note that our Hares are fed twice per day with two smaller meals rather than one large one. Belgian Hares are certainly good eaters and will gorge themselves if allowed, so two meals lessen the potential risk of digestive disorders by keeping digestion moving.

Grooming:

The Belgian Hare has a short coat and if kept clean, requires little grooming other than an occasional rub over to remove any dead coat. When in moult the coat benefits from a good combing through every other day to remove the old coat. This will help bring the new coat through faster and minimize the old fluffy undercoat matting up when it’s on its way out.

Training: