Champagne d'Argent
The Champagne d'Argent is an old French domestic rabbit breed from the Champagne region and one of the best known members of the Argent group. The name refers to its silvered coat: kits are usually born black and develop a mix of black hair and white-tipped guard hairs as they mature, producing the adult old-silver appearance. It is a medium-large rabbit with a commercial body, broad hindquarters, upright ears, and a calm, practical farm-breed look. Historically it supplied both meat and pelt, and that combination shaped its type more than extreme size or ornamental markings.
Modern Champagne d'Argents are kept by show breeders, homesteads, and pet homes that have space for a substantial rabbit. The coat is short and straightforward, but breeders pay close attention to the timing and evenness of silvering, dark undercolor, and good body depth. Young rabbits can look unfinished for months, so color should be judged with age in mind. As with other meat-type rabbits, they do best on high-fiber feed, steady sanitation, and housing that allows a full stretch rather than a small hutch. In hot weather their dense body and coat make shade, airflow, and cool water especially important.
Colors: Agouti, Black, Blue, Broken, Charlie, Chestnut, Chinchilla, Chocolate, Cream, Fawn, Harlequin, Himalayan, Lilac, Lynx, Magpie, Marten, Opal, Orange, Otter, Pointed White, Red, Sable, Seal, Silver with Dark Undercolor, Squirrel, Tortoise, Tri-Color, Vienna Marked, White
