well, we are talking about my all time favorite breed! had to post some personal information on my boy for you all!
first off, thank you all for your lovely comments about herman. . . you make him blush.
as far as price goes, i can't speak. michigan holds some of the top breeders for the english lop breed, and they are readily avalible around the state as pets for around $30 or $40 dollars. it is just the location i am at. show quality will run high around $100 to $150.
you will almost never find them in rescues, simply because i don't think many people own them as pets. however crosses do tend to pop up often as people try to 'create' new breeds with long ears by crossing and english lop with whatever.
bassetluv hit everything. i cannot state enough that the english lop takes a little bit of extra care. herman has been battling an ongoing ear infection for months. cleaning his ears out every day or every other day is no fun task. . .
just to touch on the ears. they are long, and most as adults do have ears that hang on the floor. herman only gets a water bottle (sometimes i will place a bowl of water in the kitchen for him to drink while running around, but normally he attempts to swim in bowls rather then drink from them) as draging his ears in a bowl of water constantly isn't healthy. his nails get trimmed almost 2 times as much as winnies. before this ear infection problem i would only clean his ears out when they had a bunch of waxy build-up (which was every few months). now that he has entered the world of ear infections his ears get flushed and cleaned every day or every other day depending on how they look.
getting an english lop does take responsiblity. you need to find a good, sound breeder. you also really need to look at the rabbit before purchasing. piegon breast is anothercommon problem in english lops.
also some things to remember is that (like bassetluv mentioned) keeping your english lop at a correct weight is important. many people over feed their english lop because the don't realize that the breed is naturally a little lanky/boney. herman weighs 10 pounds and i personally think is a little small for his breed. they are not little rabbits.
but nothing is better then owning an english. their personality is hard to understand till you have spent time with them. they are clowns, and they love their owners. they often are clumsy. tripping over their ears, bumping into things. . . binking into the wall. you are promised laughs when there is an english lop around. as young rabbits they trip on their ears a lot. . . herman wouldn't hop around as a little guy, but instead stuck his butt in the air, kepthis front end down and crawled everywhere. . . it was funny to watch to this day he does it once in a while.
if you are looking for an independent rabbit, then don't get an english lop. they NEED to be around people, to be out running around helping their owner's cook dinner, or sit with them on the floor while watching a movie. they want to help fold laundry, clean the rabbit cage, eat your food. owning an english lop is a lot like owning a toddler that wants to touch, see, smell, and taste EVERYTHING. they get into trouble easily, but always manage to escape a scold by flirting you out of being angry.
i love the breed, i can't talk enough about them. i have owned a few before when i bred. starting with a black and white girl named ella who would do anything for a lick of pineapple juice to telamundo who while was an old man when i got him, binkied for any newcommer that entered our rabbit barn. i have worked with many breeds and i can say that this breed tends to have quirks. . . herman loves the toilet. . . loves to lay by it, lick it, hop onto (if i forget to put the lid down, then into). he loves stairs, would climb up and down the stairs all day long if i let him (and if i still had stairs to climb). he hates carriers, when we go out his gets put in a bright pink beach bag with his blanket. he is crazy for craisins, to a point of sickness. but for all his funny or bad quirks he is the love of my life. i sleep with him at night, and we eat breakfast together in the morning (winnie is way more independent in such matters). when he gets into trouble his attempts to kiss his way out of it (and it works). he has no sense of personal space when it comes to people he loves. he protects me when he meets someone he doesn't like (the only time herman ever attempted to bite someone was when i had a terrible date with a jerk, the guy came in to meet the rabbits, and well, herman didn't give him a warm welcome).
okay, i guess i should stop. . . can you tell i love this breed?
if you have ANY questions about them feel free to ask. i know that we had a member at one point that bred them, not sure if they are still around. . . other then that, i think (could be wrong) that i am the only one currently with an english lop. hopefully if i forgot anyone with one, they will also speak up about the breed.
inkbouce:
