BreedBarn

Standard Chinchilla rabbit

The Standard Chinchilla is a docile, compact rabbit of 5–7.5 lb kept for show, as a pet and for meat, and The Livestock Conservancy rates it for novices. It needs exercise and company every day. It is the smallest of the three Chinchilla breeds and is listed as Threatened, so stock may take some finding.

Checked October 8, 202612 sourcesReport an error
Temperament
Docile, Sweet, Friendly
Cold tolerance
Heat tolerance
Space needed
6.25 sq ft

Is the Standard Chinchilla right for you?

Good fit if

  • You want a docile, medium-sized rabbit and are new to keeping them
  • You want to help keep a Threatened heritage breed going
  • You have time to let the rabbit out and handle it every day

Poor fit if

  • You want the most meat per rabbit. The American Chinchilla reaches 12 lb and the Giant Chinchilla 16 lb
  • You need to buy stock quickly. The breed is listed as Threatened and no breeder pages with posted prices turned up
  • You want a choice of colours. There is only one

Appearance and varieties

A Standard Chinchilla is a compact rabbit that averages 5–7 lb, with a top weight of 7.5 lb. It is the smallest of the three Chinchilla breeds.

The coat is the point of the breed. Each hair is dark slate blue at the base, light pearl in the middle and finished with a narrow black band, which together give the silvery grey of a real chinchilla's fur. The American Chinchilla and Giant Chinchilla wear the same colour on bigger frames.124

VarietyNotes
StandardThe only variety: the chinchilla colour, with each hair slate blue at the base, pearl in the middle and tipped with a narrow black band.104

Temperament and handling

The Livestock Conservancy describes the breed as docile, sweet and friendly, and also as intelligent and curious. It rates it suitable for novices and a good family pet.

It adds one condition: these rabbits need exercise outside the pen and time with people every day.1

Animals vary within a breed. Treat this as what to expect, not a promise, and meet the animal before you buy if you can.

Production numbers

What to expect from a healthy doe. If two sources disagree, you see the full range.

MeasureTypicalNotes
Litter size6–8 kits3
MeatLighter in colour than other breeds1
Gestation31–32 days12All rabbits. Put the nest box in on day 28.

Planning a litter? Use the rabbit gestation calculator.

Housing, feed and health

Housing

New Hampshire Extension lists this as a medium breed, and UMass gives 30 × 30 × 18 in as the cage for a medium rabbit. Wire cages are easier to keep clean than wooden ones.

Plan for heat rather than cold. Alabama Extension says rabbits do not cope well above 90 °F, and Michigan State says most suffer heat prostration above 92 °F. Keep hutches shaded, keep air moving, and never let the water run out.8976

Feed

Ohio State's general guidance is a commercial rabbit pellet, which is a complete diet: 14–16% protein for adults that aren't breeding and 16–18% for growing or breeding stock. Fresh, clean water matters most of all, especially in summer.11

Health

Penn State's basics for any rabbit are clean cages, good ventilation, a close look at each animal, and shelter from sun and rain. Isolate any rabbit that is sick or injured straight away.

This is a starting point, not veterinary advice. If a rabbit stops eating or seems unwell, call a vet who treats rabbits, or your county extension office.12

History

M. J. Dybowski developed the breed in France and first showed it in 1913. It caught on at once because the fur looked like that of the South American chinchilla, a small rodent whose pelts were very expensive. It took almost 100 chinchilla pelts to make one coat; a rabbit gave a bigger pelt, faster and for less money.

The breed reached America in 1919. A breed association formed in 1923 and ARBA accepted a standard later that year. ARBA says thousands of Chinchilla rabbits were registered during the 1920s. Shortly afterwards a larger breed, the American Chinchilla, was created, and then the still larger Giant Chinchilla.

As demand for fur fell in the later 20th century, all three Chinchilla breeds became endangered.12

Common questions

What is a chinchilla rabbit?

A rabbit bred to have fur the colour of a chinchilla's. It is not related to the chinchilla, which is a South American rodent. There are three breeds: the Standard Chinchilla (up to 7.5 lb), the American Chinchilla (up to 12 lb) and the Giant Chinchilla (up to 16 lb).1

How big do Standard Chinchilla rabbits get?

Bucks and does average 5–7 lb. ARBA's maximum is 7.5 lb.12

Are Standard Chinchilla rabbits good pets?

Yes, according to The Livestock Conservancy, which calls them docile, sweet and friendly, good family pets and suitable for novices. They need exercise outside the pen and time with people every day.1

What is the difference between a Standard and an American Chinchilla rabbit?

Size. The Standard is the original breed and tops out at about 7.5 lb. The American Chinchilla was created shortly after the Standard reached the United States, as more of a meat rabbit, and reaches 12 lb. The colour is the same.14

Are Standard Chinchilla rabbits rare?

Yes. The Livestock Conservancy lists the breed as Threatened.1

Where can I buy a Standard Chinchilla rabbit?

ARBA's breed page links to its Find a Breeder listings and names no breed club website. There is no price range here because fewer than two breeder pages posted prices.2

Sources

The small numbers beside each fact point to one of these.

  1. The Livestock Conservancy, Standard Chinchilla Rabbit.
  2. American Rabbit Breeders Association, Standard Chinchilla.
  3. The Livestock Conservancy, Heritage Rabbit Breed Comparison Chart (PDF).
  4. Ohio State University Extension, Ashtabula County, Study Tips for Rabbit Breeds, revised 2016 (PDF).
  5. BreedBarn, Editorial rating, method on the editorial policy page.
  6. Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service, Rabbit Tracks: Summer Rabbit Care, 4-H 1440 (archive copy, PDF).
  7. Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Summer Heat and Rabbit Production, UNP-0082 (PDF).
  8. UMass Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, Rabbit Housing.
  9. University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, Getting Started in Your Rabbit Project (PDF).
  10. University of Illinois Extension, ARBA rabbit breed identification guide: breeds, varieties and showroom classes (PDF).
  11. Ohio State University Extension, Rabbit Basics for the Beginner, 4H-31.
  12. Penn State Extension, Rabbit Production.

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