A lop question

[Rowan]

One of my rabbits came from a petshop becauseafter a month in there and lots of other rabbits come and gone stillno-one wanted her. I can't understand why as to me she's one of thesweetest rabbits possible, maybe I'm a little biased though . The petshop woman said she came from a lop breeder so she wasalmostcertainlya lop, but she said that she would never guaranteethe rabbits that came in because she hadn't personally bred them. Forthe first ten days we had her she had one ear straight up and one earlopped. Then about four days ago her lopped ear went straight up againand has stayed up. She's around thirteen and a half weeks now. I'mguessing that she might be a lop with really strong ears?Iknow that sounds like a contradiction.

She looks socute with both her ears up but thenshe looked adorable with one up and one down I'm justwonderingat what age will I know for sure if she's going tolop or not? Her ear was lopped in the hotter weather by the way andcame up again when it got cooler. Also what kinds of lop are there?She's certainly not a dwarf, I'm guessing she weighs somewhere aroundthree pounds plus now, though that's a complete guess. I just wonderedas I'm about to make her a new cage what sort of final size she mightbe.

 

[pamnock]

Ear "lopping" is dictated by a number of factors including genetics and temperature.

It's not unusual for lops to have ear control or to even have erectears. This is often seen when "out-crossing" to differentlines or when mixing breeds. Line-breeding produces moreconsistent results and the wider crown desired to help the earslop. Warm steady temperature also help the ears to lop, wherea change in temps. can cause the ears to go erect again.


The Lop breeds in the UK are known by different names than they arehere in the US. You can check out the British Rabbit Councilsite for info on the different UK breeds.http://www.thebrc.org/


Pam

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

pamnock wrote:

Ear"lopping" is dictated by a number of factors including genetics andtemperature.

It's not unusual for lops to have ear control or to even have erectears.Warm steady temperature also help the ears to lop, where achange in temps. can cause the ears to go erect again.



Pam

New info to me Pam! Just last night I was laughing asSebastian because he was particularly active in the cool eveningweather and his ears kept standing strait up! He looked rather silly! Ihad no idea that cooler weather made their ears lop less!

 

[pamnock]

RaspberrySwirl wrote:

New info to me Pam! Just last night I was laughing asSebastian because he was particularly active in the cool eveningweather and his ears kept standing strait up! He looked rather silly! Ihad no idea that cooler weather made their ears lop less!

The change is temperature is also a factor. *Steady* warm weather hastens lopping.

Conversely, the steady warm weather can cause an erect ear rabbits earsto lop. My friends had sent me a photo of their Beveren who'sears had lopped during a hot spell.

Pam

 

[Rowan]

Thanks Pam

I looked on the site you suggested and she doesn't look anything likeany of those rabbits so she must be a cross I guess. Will her earsalways go up and down depending on the weather then?

 

[pamnock]

Do you have a photo?

Pam

 

[Rowan]

I hope to within the next couple of days. Ihaven't got any means of getting pictures onto my computer at themomentand since I've joined this forum I've really felt thelack , but a friend is going to come over with her digital camera andI'll see what I can manage. I'll be studying all the relevant posts onhow to put photos up so with luck...