If you have English Lops, please post some pics...Mom won't let me have them, so they're on my list of someday...I just want to see some super cute rabbits

Hendrick's Hearth and Pickles are two members with terrific English lops. Pickle's lop, named Pie, is just about my favourite rabbit around. If you look for their posts, you will find some nice pictures too.

Oh, I've seen Pie! I adore that bunny lol.

Ask and you shall receive! =D









You can see more adorable Elop pics on my site www.DumansArk.com, and I believe I have one English Lop charm left on my etsy page DumansArk.Etsy.com.

Ah! Cuteness!

Now I am curious: Why does your Mom say no?

Just for something to chew on; so far in my (perhaps somewhat limited) experience, Elops are very docile, and goofy-sweet. I got down to my last mini lop - I like the Elop temperments far, faaaar better. Once my current mini lop is done raising her litter - she will be off to a new home too. I'm head over ears with these Elops, I tell ya! I am slowly working on filling the empty cages with more of them instead.

Just a curiosity questions ( I breed min lops ) how do these guys go with hopping around with those ears? do they need speciall attention?

I quote from my mother, "They're ugly as sin! Why would you want a rabbit that looks like a donkey?"

Because, mom, they're adorable.

I know of one buck named Elvis that picked up his ears in his mouth and carried them.

But most Elops just go with it. You gotta love an animal that doesn't take themselves seriously; they just go wherever they are headed and their ears follow.

They still hop, and run and turn in a circle - for the hopping and running, their ears drag behind them. For turning, depending on how extreme the turn is, one ear can slide right over their back and onto the other side - they resemble the 80's/90s hairdos with he big hair all crammed into a ponytail on one side of their head.

But cuter. And still in style.

As for special attention; it depends on the climate I suppose.

In the cold, it is recommended to use a water bottle instead of a bowl to prevent their ears from taking a dip and succumbing to frostbite. In areas that have sub zero temps, you are laughing at this - water bottles can/will freeze within minutes, perhaps before the rabbit has had a chance to drink their fill. In that case, it is said that a water dish placed high up will allow the Elop to drink without an ear-dip. In theory. It's said the cage floor should be covered in straw or hay or be solid wood to prevent frostbite to the ears.

In the extremely hot summer weather, they do well in part because of their enormous ears.

Their nails should be kept trimmed to prevent them from scratching their ears.

They are a thin breed - I am used to Flemish and rex and round little Mini Lops; Elops are a whoooole different ballgame. I've never had to work to keep meat on a rabbit before. But you have to watch for just that. Everything is sleek and trim on an Elop - from their feet (loooong, thin foot bones) to their tail.

Beyond that - they are a very friendly animal. Very, very friendly. I love their personalities - I've heard horror stories, but so far, every one that I have met you can pick them up, turn them over, and you don't get kicked, no scratches, no bites - they are so easy going!

__________ Tue Nov 29, 2011 10:40 pm __________



LOL!!!!

You know, I ran into a few people that feel the same. But every time I look at them, all I feel is AWWW! LOOK AT THAT FACE!

=D Oh well - it's like lionheads. After years of me raising them, I found out the other day that my mom thinks they are homely. Homely? They are cute! But she's not the only person to feel that way. Amazing how perceptions can differ, eh?

They are so lovely, we do not have them in Australia, dam it!

NO ENGLISH LOPS IN AUSTRALIA?! =O

Wow, how sad... I wonder, do you know about the importation laws for rabbits to AUS from US? My sister is hoping to go there within the next year or two and IF that all works out, and IF she'd be anywhere near you - perhaps I could arrange to send her with a few for ya

Thank you DumansArk, I am not sure about the importation from US I could find out, I do know some folks that have imported from New Zealand, I will keep you posted

I raised Elops for a good bit in the past. I love the breed, but they can be a challenge as Duman's Ark said. I live in Georgia, but I wouldn't personally raise them outdoors in an area that was colder up north. Their ears are highly susceptible to frostbite, especially if they have water bowls. I heard a very sad case a year or two ago about an Elop that an owner kept out in the cold. He dipped his ears in the bowl while drinking and later on they found his head frozen to the wire.

They also can scratch and damage them even in warm weather, so it is important to keep their nails trimmed and keep them away from others that might want to take a chunk out of their ear and/or anything they could snag their ears on. When they are young other babies may even chew on the edge, so I watch them close when they were approaching weaning age to make sure their ears were still in good shape.

In addition to ears, they tend to grow slowly and can be hard to keep weight on. They have big bones (unlike many other breeds, they really would be terrible for utility- culls would not make a good choice for the dinner table). A lot of Elop breeders use supplements to pellets and hay to keep them in good condition and now that the standard has been recently changed, they have to be a half-pound bigger than people were raising them. Almost all of my stock was disqualified when the SOP was changed as they were all just above the previous standard show weights and I know I am not the only one by a long shot, so make sure to go with extra large stock when the time comes. I found even the big boys (11lbs or so) sometimes produced 9lb seniors and they would not be showable. It is sad to spend 8 months + raising one and have it not make senior weight.

Some lines are prone to structural abnormalities like pigeon breasts and spine/neuro issues among other health concerns. They have been bred for long ears, so unfortunately some of the other bits fell to the wayside in some lines.

All of this said, I still really enjoyed the breed. They are SO very personable. Love people generally and are true snuggle bunnies. My buck ET was my near constant companion- I kept him on my lap when I worked on the computer, he hung around nearby when I was doing homework, played in the den while I was watching TV/reading/cooking, and he would hold both of his ears in his mouth and run back and forth at his cage door until I petted him every time I checked on the rabbitry. I always had plenty of people looking for them when it was time to place the babies and everyone that came across them and their affection told me how wonderful they are.

Here are some pictures:

Acckkk! Stop with the cuteness! LOL Sweetness overload....

OMG even when they are tiny they have the big ears, I would have to keep then ALL !!