When I tell some other rabbit breeders that I raise Lilacs, they ask "Lilac what?" It’s true that many other breeds have a lilac colored variety, but we raise "Lilac Rabbits" as in the breed called "Lilac." I am an avid fan of rare and heritage breeds of rabbits, but honestly, the first thing that won me over with the Lilacs is that they are pink. Yes! Pink rabbits! It frustrates me that I have yet to see, let alone take a photo, that captures the incredible pink hue of these lovely rabbits. When I learned that their pink hue came from breeding in blue Beverens, I knew why it was that I was also won over by the Lilac sweet and docile temperament, too!

I got my first breeding pair of Lilacs, Edith and Felix, from Ernest Stolzfus in early 2006. It wasn’t long before I had a herd of Lilacs. You can get lost petting their silky, luscious fur. The fur color and texture is so important that 50% of show points go to fur. I understand that Lilacs in the UK have even more pink in their coats than the American rabbits! There is also a Lilac rabbit in Belgium called "Gris Perle de Hal."

The Lilac is considered a rare breed by both ARBA and the American Livestock Conservacy. It originated from sports of the Havana crossed with blue Beverens. The Lilac first appeared in the UK around the turn of the20th century and spread into Europe. Lilacs were accepted by ARBA in the US around 1930.

The roll-back fur of the Lilac may appear brown at times but ideally is a dove gray with an overall pink hue. The Lilacs are extremely sensitive to sunlight and light in general. They sunburn very quickly easily, turning their coats to a burnt orange, almost rusty in color, and the texture of the fur will become rough. They are similarly prone to heat stroke. Lilacs must be housed in a light and sunlight controlled rabbitry for best coat color, but it’s worth it! Lilac eyes should match the coat color but have a ruby red hue when seen in light. Some problems with Lilac color reported by breeders is white toenails and white spots or stray white hairs in the coat. We have not seen this in our herd, but have heard about it in some other rabbits. If you show, judges will be looking for nail color and white spots as these are disqualifiers.

It is a meat rabbit despite its relatively small size. They are class four rabbits with bucks averaging 6-7 pounds and does averaging 7-8 pounds. But don’t be fooled. The dress out ratio for Lilacs, which we have found to be about 80%, make it an ideal meat rabbit. The Lilac rabbit type is semi-arched and compact.

We have found Lilacs to be easy, prolific breeders. Rarely if ever does a doe refuse breeding, "miss" (breed but not produce a litter) or "scatter" (have kits on the cage floor without building a nest, usually resulting in death of kits). The does are good mothers, building good nests and raising healthy young. Our litter sizes have been 5-7 kits per litter.