Breeding Rabbits: Holland Lop Rabbits

What Your Need to Know About These Adorable Rabbits!

Holland Lop rabbits are a breed of rabbit whose origin is from the Netherlands. This breed of rabbit was recognised in 1964 by the Rabbit Council of Netherland and in 1979 by the Rabbit-Breeders' Association in America.

The Holland Lop rabbits are well known house pets and a popular for possessing a non-aggressive behaviour and a sweet temperament. They are juniors till they are 6 months old. From 7 months onwards, they are considered as seniors.

This breed came into existence when a rabbit breeder named Adriann de Cock from the Netherlands sought to breed the Netherlands Dwarf buck and the Fresh Lop doe. After several attempts of breeding and interbreeding of the litter, he came up with the Holland Lops. De Cock's Holland Lops were 2.4 or 3 kilograms in size. He then came up with the most desirable less than two kilograms of weight specimens and he presented them to the Rabbit Council of Netherlands. After this, the Holland Lop got recognition as a new rabbit breed.

The Holland Lop rabbits are well-liked and are popular among several breeders, pet owners and rabbit enthusiasts due to their inherent attractiveness and compact size. This is one of the smallest rabbit breed in the lop-eared category. Their muscular-appearing stocky body can be characterised by short-thick legs, deep chests and bread shoulders. They usually are white, black, broken black and tortoise-shell shade in colour. The Holland Lops comes under the dwarf category. The Holland Lops grow and live normally and can easily weigh up to 5 ½ lbs. The ears of a Holland Lop hang down 1 inch under their jawbone. They have their heads high on their shoulders.

It is essential for the owners of this breed to keep the weight of the rabbit in control. Take precautions so that the rabbit does not become too fat. Reproductive problems could arise id fat gets accumulated around the ovaries. Hence, keeping a Holland Lop's weight under control will ensure good health.

Though the Holland Lop rabbits are small in size, they are known to be quite playful and active. Hence, when kept as a pet it is advisable to cage them in a cage that is spacious. This rabbit breed is also a good choice for a first time rabbit owner. In certain cases, they ted to be a little hyper and skittish, so handle them a little carefully.