Belgian hares back length

:wave:
i am in college and as an assignment i have chosen to investigate the back length in belgian hares,
My first belgian hare back in 2008 had to be PTS at 3 years old with a silpped disk in his lower back he lost the use of his back legs paralysing him from the hips downwards. after months of steroid injections and anti inflammatories, unable to clean, hop, and be his beautiful self, he spent his last couple of days tucked in my arms and then the heart breaking decision to let him go seemed the last kind thing we could do.
my second belgian hare had to be PTS at 5 months old, because of an awful skin infection.

i now have three Belgian hares my red buck and b&t doe (both 2yrs old) are still suffering from snuffles which seems to be a constant struggle every year, with injections and oral medications.
my new young buck seems to be the fittest of the lot but i am seriously worried about the length of his back, compared to my other two who seem to have no problems at all flying around the garden. he is only 6 months old and not fully grown yet so im optimistic for the future.

i have heard from various other UK & US breeders that they have encounted the similar problems with the back length in belgian hares, yet European breeders dont seem to have these problems? - could this be due to a shorter back? or maybe bred more slowly, allowing the back to strengthen over time and muscle to develop and strengthen supporting the backs of the hares.

i have also heard from various breeders of belgian hares that housing the youngsters in small hutches stops them from running about and "harming" themselves, and also benefits them because they appear more lean, racey and "typey" for showing, - because they are lacking the muscle on their backs, - could it simply be down to the accommodation in the UK & US that is causeing the problems in our hares.

DISCUSS!! PRETTY PELASE :thumb:

I have nothing constructive to add, but do you have some pictures of yours illustrating their back length?

It's certainly an interesting topic to choose. You'll need some good stats to answer it really. I'm sure you plan already, but getting a range of breeders from different countries to measure back length and hutch/cage size seems the best way to get an answer. A small hutch is going to restrict muscle development and also bone development, weight bearing exercise is necessary for bone density ie avoiding osteoporosis. Diet also plays a roll though, so it might be worth checking the brands/types of food they feed as well. Often breeders use the brand or limited brands of food and that could also be country dependant.

ANYONE? PRETTY PLEASE :wave: :wave:

Sorry not had any Belgium hares. Though what Tamsin said about contacting breeders seems the best way forward, send an email to as many as you can find & hopefully some will give you some info, good luck

how do you measure back lengh? from withers to base of tail? I'm willing to have a shot at measuring my two if you tell me exactly which points you want measuring from
mine are brothers, about 18 months old and fit as fleas (and probably about as easy to measure!) never been in tight restricted housing. breeder I had them off keeps her youngsters in walled garden so can exersise to max.

woo replies :3

Hello Belgian2, a measurement from base of ears along the spine, into the curve of the tail right to the very tip would be perfect thank you, and Colour, and if they're neutered or not. what substrate you use/flooring in hutches what feed they are fed on, and what guidelines you follow (100g per 2kg etc. )

thanks! xx