When do Lops ears drop?

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Plymothian_Sophie

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I have a mini lop who is 16 weeks old today, and her ears don't seem to have lopped fully, they're not as floppy as other lops I've seen. Will they ever drop or will I have an airplane bunny forever lol (not that it matters, just wanted to know if they'll ever fully drop as at the moment they're at an angle lol) I have added a pic so you can see her ears :D

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I have not owned a lop before but I have heard that it can take time to fully lop or they may never totally lop due to having some ear control. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Maybe someone else will be able to answer your question better than me. Your rabbit is extremely cute btw!
 
I have not owned a lop before but I have heard that it can take time to fully lop or they may never totally lop due to having some ear control. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Maybe someone else will be able to answer your question better than me. Your rabbit is extremely cute btw!

I have heard that too, but not sure how long it normally takes, not sure if I should just accept I have an airplane bunny ;)
Haha thanks, she is a cutie :D (well I think so anyway :p)
 
Unfortunately, I am not able to answer your question. However I do know that your bun is absolutely adorable.
 
I think since she is still young she has a chance that they will drop more. She is super cute!
 
Whether they drop or not has a fair bit to do with the rabbits genetics. If the rabbit has a narrow crown, they may never lop at all. You will probably have to wait and see how the head develops, but they may airplane forever.
 
All lop breeds, with the exception of the English Lop, have a ridge of cartilage on the top of the head. This area is commonly referred to as the crown. The development of the crown is what determines ear carriage.

Ideally, the crown will be wide in two directions - from side to side and from front to back. If those proportions are achieved, the ears lop well and the rabbit loses ear control.

Sometimes those proportions are thrown off, and one or both directions are narrow or undeveloped. When this happens, rabbits will have varying levels of ear control. Some ears stand almost vertical, others and halfway ("airplane ears") and others will carry one up and one down.

Age also determines ear carriage. Young lops often go through growth spurts where the proportions of the crown are askew. Obviously during those times, the ears can get kind of wild. Every genetic line develops at different rates, so rabbits go through these stages at different times.

Based on your rabbit's age and current ear carriage, I suspect she will always have a bit of ear control. However, she may surprise you. In my experience, crowns seem to continue to develop until the rabbit is 2-3 years old. Usually by 6 months old, you have a pretty good idea of how severe their carriage may be, and by 1 year old, the ears start settling into their final position.

Some rabbits develop much earlier and drop their ears within the first couple months. It just depends. :)
 
Hi,

I breed my mini lops from time to time & their ears seem to drop nicely by around age 6 weeks. I give them a little massage on the muscle at the top of their ears, at a downward angle at that stage, to help them along, maybe just a couple of times, so that they drop as much as they are going to.

As their ears get larger & heavier they drop a little more once again, by themselves from the gravity.

I will include a photo of a couple of my little ones for you to see, as an example.

They may stay the way they are, depending on her genes, but one suggestion I could make, is for you to gently but firmly, massage the muscle at the top of her ears, in a downward motion, which should encourage her ears to drop a little more hopefully.

It's worth giving it a try, maybe a couple of times a day, over a short period of time & it shouldn't hurt her. You will know if it does, by her reaction.

Hope this helps!

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Hi guys! Thanks everyone for your replies and your compliments on how cute she is! I think she's cute too xD
Her genetic line is good, I got her from a breeder who shows her rabbits, both of her parents have won best in show in various rabbit shows the past 3 years. Both her parents have floppy ears, and because I was hoping to show her in the summer I was hoping hers would drop too :(
But if they don't I'll just have to have an airplane bunny ;)
 
I have a mini lop who is 16 weeks old today, and her ears don't seem to have lopped fully, they're not as floppy as other lops I've seen. Will they ever drop or will I have an airplane bunny forever lol (not that it matters, just wanted to know if they'll ever fully drop as at the moment they're at an angle lol) I have added a pic so you can see her ears :D


First off, what a cutie!!!

Second, I just got a Holland Lop and she is 9 months old this month and her ears have fully dropped I think it will range from 4-6 months depending on her growth, etc... but have no fear.. it will happen... :)

here is a pic of Lady, the Holland Lop..

Vanessa

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First off, what a cutie!!!

Second, I just got a Holland Lop and she is 9 months old this month and her ears have fully dropped I think it will range from 4-6 months depending on her growth, etc... but have no fear.. it will happen... :)

here is a pic of Lady, the Holland Lop..

Vanessa

Awww she is so cute! I wanted a Holland Lop, but saw my Truffles and fell in love with her instantly and had to get her!
I really hope her ears do drop, I really want to show her as she's beautiful and meets the breed standards (apart from her ears). If they don't then ah well, doesn't make her any different, just means I can't show her
 
Awww she is so cute! I wanted a Holland Lop, but saw my Truffles and fell in love with her instantly and had to get her!
I really hope her ears do drop, I really want to show her as she's beautiful and meets the breed standards (apart from her ears). If they don't then ah well, doesn't make her any different, just means I can't show her

Thank you, we both have some really cute rabbits don't we! :p

Truffles is soooo adorable... I would have picked her as well!

Just give her ears a bit more time... she is still sooo young.. and she is beautiful. I think you would be able to show her in a bit... just wait and
do the massage thing with her ears if you want that the other individuals posted earlier in this thread. If her ears don't drop, she will at least love the attention and massage!! :brat:

Vanessa
 
Such cute buns!

Alfie is about 17 weeks and his ears were dropped when I got him at 10 weeks. He's started to move them a bit- he sticks one behind him listening when he's eating sometimes it's really cute! ImageUploadedByRabbit Forum1389306216.892190.jpgImageUploadedByRabbit Forum1389306269.493125.jpg
 
Thank you, we both have some really cute rabbits don't we! :p

Truffles is soooo adorable... I would have picked her as well!

Just give her ears a bit more time... she is still sooo young.. and she is beautiful. I think you would be able to show her in a bit... just wait and
do the massage thing with her ears if you want that the other individuals posted earlier in this thread. If her ears don't drop, she will at least love the attention and massage!! :brat:

Vanessa


We do have cute rabbits ;)
I give her massages currently as at the zoo I volunteer at I was taught that making circular massages up an animals spine, calms an animal and apparently makes them trust you more due to them being able to be in a relaxed state with you or something? (not sure if it's true but I do this to all animals now)
Will defo try to massage her ears! Hopefully it'll work as I reckon I have a champion ;)
The breeder I got her from has encouraged me to take her to shows, infact she's taking me with her to a show she's doing next month to see if I enjoy it, if so she said she'll pay for my BRC membership as she really wants Me to show Truffles!
 
Truffles & Lady are 2 cuties :big kiss: I love the Lops!

I'd be surprised if Truffles ears don't improve for you, especially since she has come from people that breed & show rabbits

:mrsthumper:
 
Truffles & Lady are 2 cuties :big kiss: I love the Lops!

I'd be surprised if Truffles ears don't improve for you, especially since she has come from people that breed & show rabbits

:mrsthumper:

I really hope they do! I reckon she'll be quite the little show rabbit! Her head has a perfect roundness to it and her coloring is where and what it should be! (According to the woman I got her from) she said she wishes she kept Truffles instead of the one she kept as the other one isn't as shapely lol. Besides floppy little ears melt my heart which is one reason I wanted a lop! ;)
 

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