I think one of my Giant Angoras might be lopping?

[furtoplease]

One of my Giant baby's ears keep on folding down. She doesn't want to keep them any higher than about a 45 degree angle at the best of times, and they got really low today.

She's about six weeks.

This is about the worst they've gotten-http://rabbittalk.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=4&image_id=2790

Is it possible that they'll pop back up again when she gets older, and how did my angoras end up carrying lop

I'm so confused.

 

[SableSteel]

Lop isn't a single gene, its a combination of many, so it's harder to breed in/out. Nothing you did wrong. But this is a DQ for showing by ARBA standards.

It could end up straightening up when she gets older, too.

There are two reasons it could be lopping: the ear could have weak cartilage at the base, or it could have too much ear tassling (as in weighing it down). If it has large tassles, it will probably grow out, but that's the less likely of the two.

I've seen some breeders tape the ears together as babies, like a splint with the ears, so the loppy ears are in a position for the cartilage to grow normally. It probably won't be completely normal, but enough for it to be above the horizontal. Like braces for the ear. But you have to be careful that the rabbit does not hurt itself, it's not hurting the ear and the rabbit cannot eat whatever you are taping them together with.

 

[Peach]

I have a friend of mine that keeps a head of 200-300 Mini Rex, but in the GA humidity during the summer, some look like velveteens! They correct themselves as soon as it gets cold. So you can wait and see when it starts getting cooler. Sometimes they do have weak cartilage and then those probably shouldn't be kept for breeding, but it's all part of the learning process!

 

[furtoplease]

Okay, thanks for the advice. I'd hate not to be able to use her for breeding-she's a beautiful cream that I may never get again. But I'll see if her ears perk up on a cooler day or when she gets older.