It's difficult to do a good assessment from photos. And without them being posed (yes, Hollands can be pills about it!) it's hard to give a lot of feedback, given that general type accounts for 84 out 100 points in Hollands. But I can give you my first impressions generally on head and ears, which count for 42 of those points.
- but that's not how they normally hang
My bucks ears normally fall right behind his eyes. But yeah they do have that folded look. These rabbits were never handled or fooled with. I kept trying to pose him even though I don't know what I'm doing. Lol I'm used to meat rabbits...lol and the harlequin doe is the big girl my buck just fell on her back. She is my favorite..LolIt's difficult to do a good assessment from photos. And without them being posed (yes, Hollands can be pills about it!) it's hard to give a lot of feedback, given that general type accounts for 84 out 100 points in Hollands. But I can give you my first impressions generally on head and ears, which count for 42 of those points.
What I'm assuming is the buck has a nice bold head and good round cheeks but looks like he might have a low and/or slipped crown (note how far back away from his eyes his ears fall in photos 1919 and 3714). Color is only worth 4 points out of 100, but he's got pretty squirrel color and ring pattern. His ears may be a bit long, perhaps with a tendency to fold. He may be long in body but again, without seeing him posed and getting my hands on him, I can't be sure.
The first doe (lynx?) has ears of a better length, and I like the shape, very rounded at the bottom with no suggestion of a tendency to fold. Her crown is narrow rather than bold. Her head is okay, not bad, but maybe a bit long and narrow for a Holland.
The harlequin doe would be my pick for the best of the bunch. She has a nice full head and better crown placement and width, and her ears look like they may have better "substance" (thickness and furring), although possibly thinning a bit toward the back edge of the ear. She also seems inclined to naturally sit in a more appropriate posture for a Holland - more upright than the others.
One thing I have noticed about Hollands (and in fact many other breeds) is that if their build is correct, they'll often naturally hold themselves in the right pose. Here is my daughter's Grand Champion and Best in Show Holland buck Drizzle. In this picture he has not been posed (he was on a display table at the Fair for people to pet, and he was twisting to see everyone, and tipping his ears back to hear the people behind him), but he just naturally holds himself more-or-less correctly. You can also see how wide, open and rounded at the tips his ears are.
View attachment 37973
Here's another shot of him giving you an idea of a good head and ear balance. In this photo his crown looks like it could be slightly pinched - his ears are sticking out slightly and angled forward rather than hanging straight down, as he investigates some delicious urine on the wire
View attachment 37974
My advice would be to take your rabbits to a few shows and get various judges' opinions on them. They're certainly not extremely poor quality, and look like they could produce some good bunnies for you. There is no such thing as a perfect rabbit, and every rabbit will have some fault in someone's estimation. How they do will depend on both their breeding and condition, as well as what the competition is that day. You'll also find out if they have some DQs you've missed (mismatched toenails, malocclusion, etc.)
When I have questions about quality in my rabbits - some of us get a little bit "barn blind" and need another opinion or two or three - I consider the show entry fees a payment for some expert opinions. Unless the class is huge, even if they have DQs (color, nail color, weight, etc.) a judge will usually give you a useful assessment.
Here is how Conway's ears normally looksIt's difficult to do a good assessment from photos. And without them being posed (yes, Hollands can be pills about it!) it's hard to give a lot of feedback, given that general type accounts for 84 out 100 points in Hollands. But I can give you my first impressions generally on head and ears, which count for 42 of those points.
What I'm assuming is the buck has a nice bold head and good round cheeks but looks like he might have a low and/or slipped crown (note how far back away from his eyes his ears fall in photos 1919 and 3714). Color is only worth 4 points out of 100, but he's got pretty squirrel color and ring pattern. His ears may be a bit long, perhaps with a tendency to fold. He may be long in body but again, without seeing him posed and getting my hands on him, I can't be sure.
The first doe (lynx?) has ears of a better length, and I like the shape, very rounded at the bottom with no suggestion of a tendency to fold. Her crown is narrow rather than bold. Her head is okay, not bad, but maybe a bit long and narrow for a Holland.
The harlequin doe would be my pick for the best of the bunch. She has a nice full head and better crown placement and width, and her ears look like they may have better "substance" (thickness and furring), although possibly thinning a bit toward the back edge of the ear. She also seems inclined to naturally sit in a more appropriate posture for a Holland - more upright than the others.
One thing I have noticed about Hollands (and in fact many other breeds) is that if their build is correct, they'll often naturally hold themselves in the right pose. Here is my daughter's Grand Champion and Best in Show Holland buck Drizzle. In this picture he has not been posed (he was on a display table at the Fair for people to pet, and he was twisting to see everyone, and tipping his ears back to hear the people behind him), but he just naturally holds himself more-or-less correctly. You can also see how wide, open and rounded at the tips his ears are.
View attachment 37973
Here's another shot of him giving you an idea of a good head and ear balance. In this photo his crown looks like it could be slightly pinched - his ears are sticking out slightly and angled forward rather than hanging straight down, as he investigates some delicious urine on the wire
View attachment 37974
My advice would be to take your rabbits to a few shows and get various judges' opinions on them. They're certainly not extremely poor quality, and look like they could produce some good bunnies for you. There is no such thing as a perfect rabbit, and every rabbit will have some fault in someone's estimation. How they do will depend on both their breeding and condition, as well as what the competition is that day. You'll also find out if they have some DQs you've missed (mismatched toenails, malocclusion, etc.)
When I have questions about quality in my rabbits - some of us get a little bit "barn blind" and need another opinion or two or three - I consider the show entry fees a payment for some expert opinions. Unless the class is huge, even if they have DQs (color, nail color, weight, etc.) a judge will usually give you a useful assessment.
Your buck may very well be a chocolate chin. He looks quite blue on my screen, but that's one reason that evaluating rabbits electronically is challenging! Look at the dark edging on his ears - that should help you decide whether he's blue or chocolate.My bucks ears normally fall right behind his eyes. But yeah they do have that folded look. These rabbits were never handled or fooled with. I kept trying to pose him even though I don't know what I'm doing. Lol I'm used to meat rabbits...lol and the harlequin doe is the big girl my buck just fell on her back. She is my favorite..Lol
She is a sweet heart and due the 5th if Conway got his job done.
My other doe is not friendly she is standoffish. I have no clue what color she is I thought maybe a blue fawn but I don't really know. Your daughters buck is stunning.
I will work with them and see if I can't get them closer to a posed position without them pulling their ears back.
The girl told me my buck was a chocolate Chinchilla. Is that correct? I notice you said squirrel?
Ok. I will get some outside pics of her tomorrow. Thank you
Sorry for not getting pics sooner. I have been pretty sick. Here is a picture of Loretta
Yes, from those photos it looks like she's a cream to me, aka blue fawn, or possibly lilac cream; she looks much lighter in these photos than in the original body shot. Do you have her pedigree, or know if there's chocolate or lilac in her background? In the U.S., cream is genetically a non-extension orange, an many orange/red breeders use chocolate-based lines instead of black, because chocolate smut doesn't show up as much as black smut.
Thank you very much yes she has pedigreeYes, from those photos it looks like she's a cream to me, aka blue fawn, or possibly lilac cream; she looks much lighter in these photos than in the original body shot. Do you have her pedigree, or know if there's chocolate or lilac in her background? In the U.S., cream is genetically a non-extension orange, an many orange/red breeders use chocolate-based lines instead of black, because chocolate smut doesn't show up as much as black smut.
She's quite pretty! I'd love to hear what a judge/judges would say. Up here the competition in Holland Lops is ferocious - they're frequently in the BIS line-up (Best in Show, Reserve Best in Show and 2nd Reserve) - but I wouldn't hesitate to show your three at least once. I'd even show the harlie, to get comments on type.
Hope you're feeling better!
Yes, I am feeling better.. I am not one that gets that sick very often. Thank you for askingYes, from those photos it looks like she's a cream to me, aka blue fawn, or possibly lilac cream; she looks much lighter in these photos than in the original body shot. Do you have her pedigree, or know if there's chocolate or lilac in her background? In the U.S., cream is genetically a non-extension orange, an many orange/red breeders use chocolate-based lines instead of black, because chocolate smut doesn't show up as much as black smut.
She's quite pretty! I'd love to hear what a judge/judges would say. Up here the competition in Holland Lops is ferocious - they're frequently in the BIS line-up (Best in Show, Reserve Best in Show and 2nd Reserve) - but I wouldn't hesitate to show your three at least once. I'd even show the harlie, to get comments on type.
Hope you're feeling better!
