help me understand what to look for in a lionhead

[joybellfarm]

K my daughter was given a lion head doe so she wants to get her a good mate. Well i cant find hardly any info on what to look for and such.
The broken one below is one buck im looking at right know. Im asking for more pics he is 8 weeks old. How can i tell if he is single or double maned lol he looks all fluffy lol. Is there a age range i should look at lol. Im totally not sure what to look for.
This is the link to my post about the new rabbit. there bad pics of her on there i know
post205272.html#p205272

 

[Dood]

I cannot say if he is a double or a single. Both are pretty fuzzy as kits but the single will shed out to much less fur. The breeder should know as double maned kits look quite different at 5-10 days old but then get too furry to tell.

I will say he looks like he has terrible pinched hips and should not be a father. It could just be the way he is sitting in this picture, so getting a photo of his belly and bottom of his back feet will help determine if he has this problem.

His head seems a bit cobby and his ears seem quite small so I believe he is a true dwarf, however I don't think your doe is a dwarf so you shouldn't get any peanuts.

If you plan to breed for pets your first consideration should be temperament and health. Most of the Lion Heads I've known have been rather timid and flighty and quite a few were very messy and could not be trained to use a litter box. Making sure the teeth are properly aligned and they don't have pinched hips will prevent passing on these genetic diseases to their future children and grandchildren.

 

[Bad Habit]

From what I can see in that photo, that buck has potential. What Dood sees as pinched hips, I see as a young kit who was facing the camera but has turned away, resulting in an odd body position, with his shoulder closest to the camera.

What you want to see, is the rabbit posed(or attempted to pose, kits are so difficult, lol!), side view, front view, top view and bottom view. You also want to see pictures of the parents, or preferably see the parents in person, to see what kind of Sr mane they have, and also to ensure the saddle is clean and the break is there. As I stated on your previous topic, you want to find one that has a very clean, well defined break to help balance your doe's lack of break(or what seems to be a lack of break on the photos provided).

 

[joybellfarm]

For know pet but after 3 generations show. But i need a starter buck lol. After 1 generation if he is not great i can sell. But know can i bred him to a tort? I thought he was a tort but know im thinking he is a orange.

 

[Dood]

I'd say he is a tort. He looks like he has darker ears and his sides are fading to dark instead of light.

Orange / Fawns are agouti based so he whould have the typical agouti traits like a cream/white coloured belly, white fringe on the ears and white eye rings.

 

[Bad Habit]

I think that regardless if your breeding goals are for pet homes or the show table, your main goal should be temperament and health. I think that you should be discussing with the breeder as well, what you're planning on using him for - a lot of breeders will sell lesser quality animals as pet animals, rather than breeding animals, and if they know you're wanting him to breed, they may suggest another buck instead. They can also tell you if their animals are easy going or not, if they(the breeder) have tried litter training at all, how prone to matting their fur is. I would suggest joining one of the many lionhead groups on FB to find an ideal breeder to buy from, who is willing to mentor you, answer questions that only they can answer(about their lines and the rabbits they breed), view your doe and help you select a buck that will work best with your girl. You will probably pay more for a buck from a breeder with the intent to breed, however he is more likely to fit your long term goals and be better in the long run for your rabbitry.

I also agree that that buck is a tort. If you look on his side, you can see a bit of shading going on. His points aren't as dark as I'd like to see, but I have seen other rabbits darken with age, so hopefully he will.

 

[joybellfarm]

Thanks guy she has gotten them as pets and she is still learning. Thats the big thing i cant find a close breeder. The nearest one is 2 hr drive. Im on 1 group on fb but it looks like everyone is in Europe on it

 

[Bad Habit]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/lionheadrabs/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/260053444055130/

 

[joybellfarm]

Those fb pages never showed up. When i serched lionhead it just brought up the one i joined and it did not sound local.

 

[Bad Habit]

can you join them now via the links? You can also often find a local or state buy and sell

 

[joybellfarm]

yes i asked to joined waiting to be excepted.