Ok Im going to call this the History ofLionheads 101. Im going to try to make it brief and easy tounderstand
but knowing me dont count on it really being brief.
This is Hyacinth. I bought her from Bob Whitman in 2005. She is a direct import from England.
Notice how she sits like a little pot bellied pig or something. She is a sable chin (chinchilla) lionhead in coloring.
Now this next set of photos is of Harry. He is a single mane chinchillalionhead that is 2 steps away from being an import
in other words hisgreat grandmother was an import I think.
While I am showing Harry sitting up he does not NATURALLY sit up. Heprefers to lay down on the ground much like Hyacinth does.
Now I bred Harry to a very upright doe I had ~ and his daughter,Anissa, took my very first homegrown Best of Breed in December of2005. I was shocked.
Here she is as a junior shortly after her win.
Now she naturally sits up like that. It is more comfortable for herto sit like that than it is for her to lay down like her father.
The next photo Im going to show you is of Anissas daughter. I sortof have great hopes for her except for one thing and Ill share thatin a bit.
Now do you see how her daughter is sitting up even more (and has a much nicer mane)? This is closer to what I want.
But the problem is the lionhead standard really calls for a shorter rabbit as far as body length goes.
Let me show you Miss Bea as an example
compared to Anissa again
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Can you see how Miss Bea is just LONGER from the back of her head toher tail? And Anissa is shorter (and that is what makes her sit taller)?
Now let me show you some pictures of one of my nicest does Ive produced
Im going to show you four pictures of the same doe. In two of them she is older and in two of them she is younger.
Notice her stance or her topline as she sits. She sits very upright
her body is short and what some will call cubby.
Unfortunately she is tort otter or fox which is not a showablecolor per the colors on the certificates of development. However, Iwill keep her (her name is Foxy Lady) as she has something to offer mybreeding program.
Now lets look again at my blue doe from Anissa who was about the same age when this photo was taken..
Can you see how her body is longer?
For a show quality lionhead, I look for the shorter babies like the one I showed you right before I showed you this blue doe.
I am getting to the point now where I can tell by looking in thenestbox if I may have something promising. I look at the length andchubbiness of the body and I look at the ears and the width of the head.
Now do me a favor. Hold your hand out in front of you and look at it.
If I have a baby that is proportioned like your middle finger I cry.This baby is going to be pet quality I can almost guarantee it. Putbig ears on it and it will DEFINITELY be pet quality.
Now look at your pinkie finger. If I have a rabbit that is proportionedlike this yes it is shorter
and that is good. It might havepotential as a breeder rabbit
maybe.
But the rabbit babies I want to see are going to be proportioned likeyour thumb. I want short and chubby. Give me that and Ill rejoicewhile I want to see how the rabbit develops and if it has any mismarks,etc.
Let me know if you have any questions
ok?
Basically though, lionheads have gone from looking like Hyacinth lowto the ground to the tort otter doe that I showed you.
Peg
P.S. One last thing....a rabbit that has the short body thatis so desireable PREFERS to sit upright and it is almost as if it isuncomfortable for them to not sit upright (unless they lay down tosleep). They often look like they're sitting at attention.
