Breeds of rabbits 4 kids

Hi! I'm going into my 10th year of 4-H and owning rabbits and have had many different breeds over the years. Like Everyone else has said I would highly recommend getting a buck over a doe. Does make great pets too, but with bucks the temperament they have the day you meet them is the temperament they will have everyday unless they are sick. My first rabbit was an English Lop buck named Pride and I agree with punk-a-doodle that they are a wonderful breed of rabbit. He was extremely docile and was happy to just lay in your lap and be pet all day. There is one reason why English Lops might not be for everyone and that is their EARS. Due to the fact that their ears from tip to tip are 21 inches or longer they drag on the ground. This means that English Lops should not be outside rabbits if you are located where it is cold in the winter. The reason being is that since their ears drag on the ground their ears can freeze to the bottom of the cages and then the rabbit could rip them trying to pull them off. If you do want it to be an outside rabbit I would suggest building a small shed that you could put a cage for him in and a heat lamp for during the winter for his ears. Another thing is that with English Lops you want to watch when you pick them up. The proper way to pick them up is to take one of your hands and hold their ears together on their back and then with the other hand hold their belly and then bring them to your chest. If you do not hold their ears then they may accidentally cut their ears with their feet if they kick them out a little. I'm not trying to say don't get an Elop, I just want to make sure you know that their ears just make them a little more special. They are truly a great breed of rabbit. My English Lop sadly only lived to be 5 years old which was devastating to me since he was my first rabbit, but like larger breeds they have shorter life spans. The breed of rabbit that I personally would recommend 100% is the Flemish Giant. I purchased my first Flemmie, Ferdinand, last June and he has quickly made the Flemish Giant my favorite breed of rabbit by far. Yes they are the biggest breed, but they are true gentle giants. They are perfect for small children due to their EXTREMELY DOCILE nature. My boy Ferdinand will be 1 year old next month on the 16th and he only weighs 13lbs which is actually on the lower end for Flemmies, but he still dwarfs my mini rex. lol The only problem with Flemish Giants honestly is their size. They really are not hard to handle at all. You just need to make sure and give them a big enough cage and since they are such a big rabbit NO WIRE flooring. This will just lead to sore hocks. sore hocks is where due to the weight of the rabbit resting on the wire they loose their fur on their hocks (hind legs think of it at as their heels) and then their skin gets red and inflammed. honestly the wood flooring is not a terrible pain when it comes to cleaning their cage. the easiest thing to do is to litter train them which is a piece of cake. My Flemmie is the coolest rabbit I've ever had. He has his own harness and leash and likes to go to the park and take car rides and he will also let me dress him up. I took him to get my senior pics done with and made him a top hat. He doesn't care if I dress him up or mess with him. He is extremely comfortable with being flipped (something you do in 4-H), and will chill with me on the couch and actually climbs on me and on to the top of the couch. Flemish Giants can be extremely inquisitive one minute and the next they will just be laying on your lap. Sorry I wrote so much. All in all, I personally prefer the larger breeds when it comes to pets, especially the Flemish Giants. Also you will not see a big increase in their food intake. You will be buying food about as often as you would with any other breed. If you want to see more pictures of my Flemish Giant just let me know and I will gladly post some. :) P.S. the rabbit in the t. shirt is my flemish giant chilling on the couch. :D
 
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Thanks Shkittles!!!!

We are debating between Holland lop, or mini lop....so I had a few questions about
both breeds,

* What is the dif. weight wise?

* Which tends to be friendlier?

Thanks!!! :)
 
Holland Lops mature weight should not be more than 4 lbs where as Mini Lops mature weight is 4 1/2 to 6 1/2 lbs. Not that much difference. I know that at my fair the Holland Lop is the most popular breed along with the Netherland Dwarf. I think the main reason why you don't see that many Minis is because people prefer the "cuter" look of the Hollands as opposed to the, in my opinion, cute old man look of a Mini Lop. I know one of my fellow club members and friend owned a Mini Lop buck and he was a very gentle rabbit. If you want to find a breeder in you area I would suggest visiting the breed websites.
Holland Lop: http://www.hlrsc.com/
Mini Lop: http://www.amlrc.com/
those sites will also tell you more about each breed and help in learning about the different varieties they come in also. :)
 
Thanks a lot, everything helps!!!
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Thanks Shkittles!!!!

We are debating between Holland lop, or mini lop....so I had a few questions about
both breeds,

* What is the dif. weight wise?

* Which tends to be friendlier?

Thanks!!! :)


LOL! How about one of each? hehee! They are so small and there would be twice as much bunny to love!

I think you might just have to flip a coin! I would have a hard time choosing between the two, myself - both are GREAT choices. Are you thinking of getting a bunny in time with Easter coming up? That would be fun!
 
I wish!!
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If I could get 2 I so would....hahaahah! We've decided on a Mini Lop,
because they're a teeny bit bigger....
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Ya know...w/a little girl it has to be kinda tough. :)
 
I wish!!
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If I could get 2 I so would....hahaahah! We've decided on a Mini Lop,
because they're a teeny bit bigger....
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Ya know...w/a little girl it has to be kinda tough. :)

Great choice!!!
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If you really want big, you could get a larger lop like a english or holland.
 
We had considered an English, but w/ it being an outside bunny, and our colder winter climate,
we didn't want it to get frostbite....but they sure are cute!!!
 
**SQUEE** We just picked out our bunny today! He's black and white with long black ears. He's a total love! I'm so excited! I'll try to get pics when we go to pick him up.
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