2026 HERITAGE RABBIT CENSUS
Heritage rabbit breeds are historically and agriculturally significant and represent irreplaceable genetics that may be important to the future of agriculture. Heritage breeds often hold the widest genetic diversity within the species, serving as reservoirs from which to draw improvements in temperament, maternal ability, growth rate, fur, fiber and meat production and quality, and adaptability to climate, diseases and management systems. But now, these breeds exist in small populations, where the loss of even a few breeding animals can significantly reduce genetic diversity and increase the risk of extinction.
The 2026 Heritage Rabbit Census, conducted by The Livestock Conservancy, is the first comprehensive census of breeding populations for all rabbit breeds currently included on the Conservation Priority List (see the list below to the right). It is fundamental to conservation efforts and to assessing the extinction risk of endangered rabbit breeds in the United States. Census counts include only breeding animals, as this is the population necessary for long-term breed survival.
The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) makes important contributions to this effort by sharing annual registration and exhibition data. These numbers provide valuable information about breed activity and population trends. But, many breeding rabbits are never registered or exhibited, making a direct census essential to developing a more complete picture of these populations.
We invite anyone breeding any of the rabbit breeds currently on the Conservation Priority List to complete the census. The greater the participation, the more precise the picture we will have of heritage rabbit populations in the US. Your responses will be kept anonymous, but you may opt to share your contact information with The Livestock Conservancy. This will help identify breeders who maintain herds of high conservation value, which are important to the long-term genetic diversity of endangered rabbit breeds. Once all of the data has been collected and analyzed, we will share a detailed summary of census results.
The 2026 Heritage Rabbit Census will remain open through late winter 2026–27, providing breeders across North America an opportunity to make sure their animals are counted.
To participate in the 2026 Heritage Rabbit Census, please fill out the survey by clicking below.
The 2026 Rabbit Census survey will open in a new window or tab.