What Rabbits Do You Have? Show Off Your Rabbits Here!

[Lynzi777]

Ok so I know there are a few folks on here who raise lionhead rabbits. Anyone care to give me some info on them? They're starting to grow on me and I've been contemplating getting one. But the problem is, I've seen this breed range in so many different ways as far as quality? I guess you can say? Someone has some on here and I absolutely love them! They look small and petite in size, their coats look nice and thick, their manes (if thats what you call them) look nice and rounded, thick but not too too long. Some of the lionheads I've seen look like a standard breed rabbit with a mane. If I go to a breeder and get one as a baby how do I know it will look like "true" lionhead when it is older. Also, what are their temperments like?

Inthesticks and PoultryPower I believe have some nice looking lionheads.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

The quality of the rabbit really depends on the quality of the parents. Many "lionheads" of lower quality are really mixed breeds of some sort sold at pet stores where all they care about is if it has a bit of a mane enough or not to stick under the label of "lionhead" and get some extra dollars from them. These animals often have a sort of ordinary coat, a mid-sized (4-8lb) body and some "muffs" on the cheeks. Temperment can very wildly. At a pet store a lionhead of poor quality can sell for $20-$30 more than another rabbit, even something like a mini rex which often just ends up being sold under the label of "domestic rabbit".
A good professional breeder should be able to get you a better looking animal, though it may cost more. They may be able to even get you a show quality animal with a minor disqualifying issue like the wrong colored toenails or a patch of miscolored hairs.

Lionheads in general are a VERY small rabbit (4lbs or less), good temperament, etc. Their biggest upside and downside is their fur that, while beautiful, requires a LOT of grooming to keep it free and clear of dirt and mats and they may require regular supplements of things like papaya or pumpkin to help break up fur in the digestive tract and prevent GI stasis.

 

[Lynzi777]

The quality of the rabbit really depends on the quality of the parents. Many "lionheads" of lower quality are really mixed breeds of some sort sold at pet stores where all they care about is if it has a bit of a mane enough or not to stick under the label of "lionhead" and get some extra dollars from them. These animals often have a sort of ordinary coat, a mid-sized (4-8lb) body and some "muffs" on the cheeks. Temperment can very wildly. At a pet store a lionhead of poor quality can sell for $20-$30 more than another rabbit, even something like a mini rex which often just ends up being sold under the label of "domestic rabbit".
A good professional breeder should be able to get you a better looking animal, though it may cost more. They may be able to even get you a show quality animal with a minor disqualifying issue like the wrong colored toenails or a patch of miscolored hairs.

Lionheads in general are a VERY small rabbit (4lbs or less), good temperament, etc. Their biggest upside and downside is their fur that, while beautiful, requires a LOT of grooming to keep it free and clear of dirt and mats and they may require regular supplements of things like papaya or pumpkin to help break up fur in the digestive tract and prevent GI stasis.

Thanks, I DID plan on going to a breeder if I do decide to get one. I've just seen some very nice looking ones in the groups I joined on FB and they are really starting to grow on me. The upkeep doesn't bother me, I have an angora that I groom regularly.

 

[Bunnylady]

The Lionhead has finally gained recognition by the ARBA, which means there now is an official standard for them. According to that standard, the Lionhead weighs no more than 3 3/4 lbs, and should be posed sitting up (kind of like a dog sits). The standard also has a lot to say about how much wool a Lionhead has and where it is found on the rabbit's body.

The problem with Lionheads, is that they have become ridiculously popular in a relatively short time, with everybody and their best friend trying to jump onto the Lionhead bandwagon without even knowing what a "good" Lionhead looks like. This is a good site to learn about Lionheads:
http://www.lionhead.us/

There have only been a handful of Lionheads imported into this country. With such a small gene pool to start with, outcrosses were essential to produce enough animals to meet the demand. Some outcrosses improved things like wool or type, and some just made more rabbits that had manes.

Another problem is that the gene causing the Lionhead coat is dominant, so any rabbit inheriting one copy of the gene will have longer hair in some areas on the head and neck, and perhaps elsewhere. Rabbits that have one copy of that gene, and one of the normal coat gene have what is called a single mane, which frequently molts out to just a few wisps of longer hair as the rabbit matures. Crossing two rabbits with single manes can result in animals that technically are Lionheads because that's what the parents were, but which have no manes and won't produce maned offspring (unless bred to a rabbit with a mane). For a while, there was a possibility that the official Lionhead might even have been a Lion Lop. Hopefully, now that there is an official standard, some of the excesses (I've seen "Lionheads" that looked like New Zealands with a wisp of longer hair between the ears) will become less common.

One of the "dirty little secrets" about Lionheads is epilepsy. I don't know how common it is in the Lionhead population as a whole, but since a lot of the rabbits that have it only freeze up for a moment or two during a seizure, it's hard to track.

 

[Lynzi777]

The Lionhead has finally gained recognition by the ARBA, which means there now is an official standard for them. According to that standard, the Lionhead weighs no more than 3 3/4 lbs, and should be posed sitting up (kind of like a dog sits). The standard also has a lot to say about how much wool a Lionhead has and where it is found on the rabbit's body.

The problem with Lionheads, is that they have become ridiculously popular in a relatively short time, with everybody and their best friend trying to jump onto the Lionhead bandwagon without even knowing what a "good" Lionhead looks like. This is a good site to learn about Lionheads:
http://www.lionhead.us/

There have only been a handful of Lionheads imported into this country. With such a small gene pool to start with, outcrosses were essential to produce enough animals to meet the demand. Some outcrosses improved things like wool or type, and some just made more rabbits that had manes.

Another problem is that the gene causing the Lionhead coat is dominant, so any rabbit inheriting one copy of the gene will have longer hair in some areas on the head and neck, and perhaps elsewhere. Rabbits that have one copy of that gene, and one of the normal coat gene have what is called a single mane, which frequently molts out to just a few wisps of longer hair as the rabbit matures. Crossing two rabbits with single manes can result in animals that technically are Lionheads because that's what the parents were, but which have no manes and won't produce maned offspring (unless bred to a rabbit with a mane). For a while, there was a possibility that the official Lionhead might even have been a Lion Lop. Hopefully, now that there is an official standard, some of the excesses (I've seen "Lionheads" that looked like New Zealands with a wisp of longer hair between the ears) will become less common.

One of the "dirty little secrets" about Lionheads is epilepsy. I don't know how common it is in the Lionhead population as a whole, but since a lot of the rabbits that have it only freeze up for a moment or two during a seizure, it's hard to track.

Oh ok, these are the ones I was referring to that didn't look like the nicer more fuller coated lionheads. So that makes sense. Thanks for all the info. I appreciate it.

 

[kacklinkelly]

Question: What is the most successful way of introducing your bunnies to other pets. My dog seems a little too interested. The cat seems indifferent - sniffs and walks away. My chickens are pacing around the bunny play pen. One of them began chasing a rabbit when it got loose. Not sure what the chicken would have done?

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Question:  What is the most successful way of introducing your bunnies to other pets.  My dog seems a little too interested.  The cat seems indifferent - sniffs and walks away.  My chickens are pacing around the bunny play pen.  One of them began chasing a rabbit when it got loose.  Not sure what the chicken would have done?

Rabbit are 100% prey animals. They know it and so do other animals. I don't trust any animals that are any part predator around my rabbits. My friend's trusted dog killed his rabbit "friend" not long ago. My cat is also disinterested. My dogs are way too interested. I have let them be around the chickens without incident. But I don't think if chickens as being predators. However, all said, I wouldn't let my rabbits around any predator animal no matter how well they behave, sometimes instincts kick in and then you have injured or dead rabbit.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Chickens often think small rodents are a snack and could kill a standard 3 week rabbit, but not much older than... Rabbits tend to be faster than chickens, but a chicken is an Omnivore and will eat anything that cant get away. This is why most rabbits have burrows. Bigger rabbits will fight back and they will probably learn to respect eachother. Probably.
As for the dog it depends on the dog. I have two. One likes to chase the rabbits but only if they are outside and she will stop if I tell her to. She doesn't try to hurt them but gets a little exhuberant. She sniffs them, paws at them, but generally respects them and even let our lop climb on her.
The other one is a murderer and you can often find her staring at the rabbits intently through the bars of the cage. Given opportunity she will try biting them, barking at them, chasing them through the walls and trying to break into the cage to eat them. This takes a while but it happens. Oftentimes if she is staring she stops responding to commands. My sister had a shepherd mix like this too and she never stopped trying to kill rabbits. On her last day she was allowed to chase a rabbit through my yard. Despite being 14 and barely able to walk, she did everything in her ancient body to kill that rabbit... The rabbit was fine, by the way. It basically sat and ate grass until the dog got close enough to bite, then ran across the lawn. But the pointi s that dog was ALWAYS going to kill any rabbit it could. Nothing, not even severe pain an exhaustion in its last days would ever stop it.
My sisters beagle mix freezes when presented with a rabbit and likes to sniff them politely and not touch. My sisters pomeranian is offended by rabbits. Her Chinese crested thinks they are her best freinds and snuggle buddies.
All the dogs generally ignore the rabbits when walking past and if they are securely in their cages. At a glance you could not tell the temperments apart as they walk past the cages every day. In general the dogs leave them alone, but sometimes the killer will stare and nip at cages when there are babies running in them or other activity. Most of the dogs will sniff noses with a rabbit making a show of curiosity.

Which one is your dog? Only you really know that.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Chickens often think small rodents are a snack and could kill a standard 3 week rabbit, but not much older than... Rabbits tend to be faster than chickens, but a chicken is an Omnivore and will eat anything that cant get away. This is why most rabbits have burrows. Bigger rabbits will fight back and they will probably learn to respect eachother. Probably.
As for the dog it depends on the dog. I have two. One likes to chase the rabbits but only if they are outside and she will stop if I tell her to. She doesn't try to hurt them but gets a little exhuberant. She sniffs them, paws at them, but generally respects them and even let our lop climb on her.
The other one is a murderer and you can often find her staring at the rabbits intently through the bars of the cage. Given opportunity she will try biting them, barking at them, chasing them through the walls and trying to break into the cage to eat them. This takes a while but it happens. Oftentimes if she is staring she stops responding to commands. My sister had a shepherd mix like this too and she never stopped trying to kill rabbits. On her last day she was allowed to chase a rabbit through my yard. Despite being 14 and barely able to walk, she did everything in her ancient body to kill that rabbit... The rabbit was fine, by the way. It basically sat and ate grass until the dog got close enough to bite, then ran across the lawn. But the pointi s that dog was ALWAYS going to kill any rabbit it could. Nothing, not even severe pain an exhaustion in its last days would ever stop it.
My sisters beagle mix freezes when presented with a rabbit and likes to sniff them politely and not touch. My sisters pomeranian is offended by rabbits. Her Chinese crested thinks they are her best freinds and snuggle buddies.
All the dogs generally ignore the rabbits when walking past and if they are securely in their cages. At a glance you could not tell the temperments apart as they walk past the cages every day. In general the dogs leave them alone, but sometimes the killer will stare and nip at cages when there are babies running in them or other activity. Most of the dogs will sniff noses with a rabbit making a show of curiosity.

Which one is your dog? Only you really know that.

Good advice is to keep rabbits away from dogs and other such predators. Even if someone has a dog that mostly leaves the rabbit alone, even a friendly dog and unexpectedly attack a rabbit. If you want to reduce the risk of death and injury, just keep them separate. There are general sensible guidelibes and that is one.

 

[DuckyGurl]

Hi! This is my Holland Lop, Elsie. She is the sweetest rabbit EVER. I adore her.