Getting into new breeding.

[Kez-bunniemom]

I breed Mini/Dwarf lops and have been pretty succesful over the past year and a bit.
I have an eager buyer wishing to buy my entire breeding stock off me and I'm only too happy to oblige because I've been interested in getting into a different breed anyway.

My only problem is that I haven't had that much experience in any other breeds than mini and dwarf lops. I'm currently busy doing research on other breeds but could do with some real human advice on which the best breed will be to start breeding with.

Could you advice me based on general upkeep costs, ease of selling and other stuff to do with which breed I choose.

 

[katt]

well, what are you interested in? have time for?

angora/wooled breeds require grooming time, full arch breeds like a rhinelanders take time learning a different way of evaluating type, do you want a popular breed or something a little harder to find? do you want many colors or just a few colors? what about size? do you want a large breed, or small breed? what about pattern, do you just want to deal with a solid rabbit, or both solid and broken(i think you call them butterfly pattern. . .could be wrong there)? or do you want something that has a major patteren to it like a dutch or spot?

there are SO many breeds out there. . . narrow it down a bit!



katie

 

[SugarGlider]

Thats very good advice

When I was talking to my breeder this weekend she was telling me about the different breeds she does and whats important to them. Like with dutch you have color, markings, size, and confirmation (probably more that I'm forgetting!) while with others you add in fur type (rex and velveteen) and in Flemish you breed for bone size too. English lop ears might be a consideration when breeding, I'm not certain.

Good luck with whatever you choose

 

[Kez-bunniemom]

Well, I have been researching, as I said and have discovered a delightful new breed that was recognized in 2004 by the british rabbits association.

It is a beautiful mix of two of my favourite breeds, the Lop and the Lionhead. Resulting in adorable Lionlops!

I hope to get into the raising these. Thank you for all of you help in this regard, I apologise that I have already made my decision

 

[katt]

i would suggest before deciding the raise a lionhead lop that you look into their genetics A LOT! i know that here in USA there mane is still very unpredicatable (in the lionhead, i don't know of really anyone working on the lop form of it)

but they are cool rabbits!

katie

 

[TinysMom]

Good luck in working with lionlops. I just hope that you know that they will probably never be "showable" - at least with ARBA.

Certain bloodlines of lionheads are doing fairly well at getting and keeping manes and I'm pretty pleased with what I'm seeing in my lionheads now.

Peg

Kez-bunniemom wrote:

Well, I have been researching, as I said and have discovered a delightful new breed that was recognized in 2004 by the british rabbits association.

It is a beautiful mix of two of my favourite breeds, the Lop and the Lionhead. Resulting in adorable Lionlops!

I hope to get into the raising these. Thank you for all of you help in this regard, I apologise that I have already made my decision

 

[Kez-bunniemom]

I'm not really interested in the showing side of things, I just enjoy raising rabbits so that isn't much of a problem for me

 

[pamnock]

TinysMom wrote:

Good luck in working with lionlops. I just hope that you know that they will probably never be "showable" - at least with ARBA.

The "Mini Lion Lop" is an accepted breed in the UK (where the poster resides).



Pam

http://www.thebrc.org/minilionlop.htm

 

[TinysMom]

Pam,

Thanks for pointing that out - I never even thought to check where the poster lived...shame on me!

And what an adorable bunny...I LOVE IT!

Peg