MINK OF THE RABBIT FAMILY
Do you know in which order the Havana varieties
were accepted?

Listed below:
Black, Blue, Broken (Chocolate), and Chocolate
Havana are known as the "Mink of the Rabbit Family" because of their wonderful,
lustrous coats.   Once you have seen a deep, dark chocolate Havana coat, there is no
comparison.  Think of a chocolate Havana in relation to chocolate.  The darker the
chocolate the richer, hence better, the color.  You know you have a great chocolate
color if you think the coat looks black--but it is really that great dark chocolate color
which peeks through in good light.  It is fun when a judge has to take a double look to
see if the animal is black or really chocolate.

Remember, Havanas are known for their rich color - in all varieties. In judging, Havana
give a lot of points to color (25) and fur (20) so these are important characteristics to look
for when choosing an animal.  Remember, the darker and richer the color, the better.

Speaking of fur, it is an important consideration when you are choosing which rabbits to
take to the show. Almost half of the show points are based on color and fur, so it is hard
to be competitive when the rabbits are not wearing their best fur coats.  Have you heard
the judges' use the term "double-coated"?  This refers to the rabbit breaking in a new
layer of fur coming in. This happens just before the molting stage and those wonderful
molt lines. Think of tan lines when you have been out in the sun.  (material courtesy of
jewelsrabbitry.com)
MINK OF THE RABBIT FAMILY
Take a look at the HRBA Patch for a hint
as to the order varieties were accepted:

Chocolate
Blue
Black
Broken
The rabbits were named after fine cigars due to the rich chocolate color but they do not hail from Havana.  They
showed up in 1898 in a litter of Dutch (can you believe it?) in the Netherlands!  In 1916 they were introduced in the
United States.  Blue Havana variety was accepted next in 1965 followed by the Black variety in 1980.
Broken Havana were officially accepted in 2008.