Breeds With Large Ears

[Desert Rose Rabbits]

I was curious if anyone had some suggestions on breeds with large ears. I live in the desert and breed meat mutts and this is a trait I'd like to focus on aside from growth and dress out rate. I'm planning on keeping a couple of kits from my litters that have this trait, but was curious if there was another bed I might look at.

 

[akane]

Checkered giants while not a great meat breed have huge ears and can be crossed with lighter boned, heavier muscled breeds to create a meat mutt. Also crossing a compact to small commercial breed like mini rex and dutch to a large commercial breed often results in big ears on a medium rabbit. We developed mini rex x creme d'argent x checkered giant x new zealand meat mutts with big ears, silvering, big litters, all sorts of colors, and great dress out rate and crossed some of the bucks to a pure champagne d'argent doe occasionally. I sold the whole lot minus the purebred champagnes and creme to a guy wanting meat rabbits when I got my american sables.

 

[OwnedByTheBuns]

French Lops have big ears!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

American Blues and Whites are supposed to be more heat tolerant because of their ears. My Beveren have large ears as well.

Lop ears are not as effective cooling systems since they have contact with the head and there is less air flow.

 

[akane]

Actually my most heat resistant breed is the Netherlands. When I had large breeds dropping like flies in last years 100F humid temps for 2months straight I never lost a single ND. So I wouldn't go by just ears.

 

[Dood]

Small breeds have more surface area to body mass and will do well in the heat compared to large breeds.

Florida whites may be a good choice as they are small (6 pounds) but are meaty.

The biggest ears I've seen, other than on an English Lop, was a Flemish giant Mix - dad was a Flem and mom was a 5 pound mutt ( likely NZ and dutch as that's what their friends had) the thing looked like a jack rabbit

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Small breeds have more surface area to body mass and will do well in the heat compared to large breeds.

Florida whites may be a good choice as they are small (6 pounds) but are meaty.

The biggest ears I've seen, other than on an English Lop, was a Flemish giant Mix - dad was a Flem and mom was a 5 pound mutt ( likely NZ and dutch as that's what their friends had) the thing looked like a jack rabbit

My Mini Rex don't mind the summer heat NEARLY as much as my vastly-larger Champagnes. Smaller is better in the heat.

 

[Desert Rose Rabbits]

I've def noticed that my smaller doe seems to have much less of an issue with the heat. However, she also has incredibly large ears in relation to her body size so I'm not sure which is the culprit for the heat tolerance. There is a woman who is selling Flemish Giant x New Zealand mixes for $30 a head... just seems a bit pricy as she's advertising them as meat mutts. *shrugs*

 

[Wyldrose]

25% French lop, 25% NZW, 25% Flemish giant and 25% cali.
I just hope that he winters well! It's gets -40 up here.

 

[Zass]

Some americans have huge ears, they have a different body type then the loaf shaped commercial rabbits as well. They look like they would do well in a desert.

 

[Secuono]

Mini rex and lionheads didn't notice the heat we had, while the meat breeds were freaking out...Maybe there's a reason for florida whites...Were they created in Florida, for the heat, but meat as well???

 

[Ramjet]

You could use an Altex as a terminal sire ..... those things have 6 core radiators for ears , you could cool a 68 Lincoln Continental 460cdi with those things.


(absolutely worthless as a herd sire)

 

[Desert Rose Rabbits]

You could use an Altex as a terminal sire ..... those things have 6 core radiators for ears , you could cool a 68 Lincoln Continental 460cdi with those things.


(absolutely worthless as a herd sire)

What do you mean by 'terminal sire'?

 

[Ramjet]

You could use an Altex as a terminal sire ..... those things have 6 core radiators for ears , you could cool a 68 Lincoln Continental 460cdi with those things.


(absolutely worthless as a herd sire)

What do you mean by 'terminal sire'?

That any offspring produced from that buck would be slaughtered. You wouldn't retain any of the offspring for breedstock ... as the growth rate & size don't carry on to the next generation , I think my two Cali/Altex does prove that theory as they are significantly smaller than their parents and seem to grow at a turtle pace.

They do have huge radiator ears and handle the heat well , when my Rex buns are working hard to lower their body temps , those two seem to be under no stress at all even in 90+ temps.