Despite its name, this is a purely American breed of rabbit. The most popular of this breed is the New Zealand White, but it is also recognized in red and black. Crossbreeding of these colors can result in more diverse coloring. This is one of the larger breeds of rabbit and can weight anywhere from 9-12 lbs. New Zealand rabbits are primarily bred for meat, but also for their pelts, show, and for laboratory use. Adults can be more aggressive than other breeds, so routine handling is often recommended to help curb this trait. Does bred for meat can average 8-10 kittens (babies) per litter. Breeding experiments with this breed showed that it improved the kits per litter of other breeds when crossbred, and often had a higher number of kits per litter within its own breed than other breeds.