Mini Lop

[Asinaway]

Calling all Mini Lop breeders. I am leaving MR and joining the fun side and starting with Mini lops. I am quite excited, got to spend the whole day with some breeders and it was fun, and less political then the MR. People actually were nice and helpful for a change, and at the table they were supportive, you would never see that at the MR table around here. lol can ya all tell I had a bad day at the last couple shows I have gone to... I hated highschool why would I want to feel like I am back there.

Anywho, Can anyone provide me with some good reading material or some breeder websites to just get an idea what I want in my Mini lops. I learned some at the show but I want to start out right and learn as much as possible.

Maybe anyone has their own pictures to share.

How big of a cage should they need? Nesting box? Anyone familer with how they should be groomed.

Thank you

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Calling Georgia Peach rabbitry!!!! That's who I think of when I think "Mini Lops."

 

[CarsLops]

Welcome to the world of mini lops!! Not only are the people great, but mini lops are pretty easy to raise (I've never had a bad mother, as in stomping babies or scattering the nest), colorful, and total sweethearts. You'll rarely come across one that's mean or temperamental, especially if you raise them yourself and handle them. There is also nothing cuter than a month old lop. Nothing.

http://www.hoppinherdofhares.com/miniloptype.html
This website not only has picture, but the pictures have been gone over and certain things highlighted so you can easily tell what is being described. I can't find my camera and my phone hasn't been working right or I'd go take some of my own for you.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to start with rabbits with good, strong type. Stay away from rabbits with long, low shoulders and poor HQs.

For grooming, I lightly wet my hands with a spray bottle and run my hand over them. This will make all the loose hairs stick to your hands.

When you get your mini lops, be sure to post pictures! You're going to love them.

 

[Asinaway]

Thank you so much, that helped me soo much. The colors are a little different for me but im confident ill be able to learn it. A few breeders have stepped up and have offered to school me in what is good and what not, and a few are on the look out for some great quality to start me on the right path.

I'm actually shocked because with Mini rex no one was really like that when I first started. So to have the support feels really great.

And oh my god, so cuddly and sweet, the doe a lady was teaching me with was just snuggled in my arms like it was her favorite place in the world. Honestly can see my son enjoying mini lops way more then the mini rex. It's like a whole new world has opened up for me and my husband is sooo excited as well.


Once I get my first pair I will for sure post about them.

 

[Peach]

I'm going to respond to this my mom killed the Internet for work right before I could lol

 

[Rexisbest]

Good luck! Sorry to hear you are leaving MR, I have found most other breeders here to be helpful and supportive. Wishing you much success in your new breed!!!

 

[Peach]

:lol: Thanks Kyle

You're gonna love Mini Lops. Like carslop said above, they are excellent moms and you don't have to worry to much about them because they maintain themselves really good. They are generally really great milk producers, so expect some to loose a bit of weight during those times. Usually it doesn't take much for them to bounce back.

When it comes to grooming, I just take them out every few days and lightly mist,and give them a rub down like carslops.

To help them during a heavy molt, I purchased one of those horse slick/pummel stone blocks and groom them with that. Helps me get them looking good quicker! I've caught on a few people with the idea here in the south as they were watching me with curiosity grooming in the mornings.

I do give them a supplement called Show Bloom. It's about $40 for a 25lb tub, and it works great! I only give it to the show string though or a mother who's feeling a bit boney from a large litter. I love a doe that has normally only 2-3. They usually make excellent fosters. If your litters are bigger than 6, try fostering some off it you can

Always start off with the best stock that you can ( I'm sure you already know that!). Your reference should be a basket ball with a head.

My biggest recommendation is to limit your bloodlines. It will really help your herd!

You will rarely be sold a BIS winning rabbit but you can certainly get pieces of the puzzle that can get you started on the right foot. Keep an eye out for good deals and older brood does. I picked up a BIS,RIS,& Honorable Mention doe (She arrived in April, so after letting her settle in, I'm waiting on a litter in about 10 days) and her daughter that I just produced a HOT doe out of (Hoping to be my convention jr) ...just having a good relationship can get you great buys like that.

I've only one Mini Lop person I met that I didn't like, but otherwise, they are all super friendly and happy to help.

Welcome to Mini Lops

 

[Asinaway]

Peach It's so nice to hear they are good moms, I'm hoping for at least next year I'll have the start of my own line to place up on the table. Which means breeding through the winter. But from what you guys are saying, I don't think I'll have much an issue.


What size Nesting box would you suggest? I have three that fit my MR but I'm not sure if they would be to small.

Ok good so grooming seems simple, i like simple lol.

Hmm hubby is working now, maybe I can give show bloom a try where do you find it? I feed Kent now.

I have my eyes on a nice Seal Jr doe. She looks just like a cute little basket ball. Good lines on her to start. She's only $30.00 so I think I'm going to give her a go.


I guess my biggest confusion is color, holy smokes ML has soooo many colors. I though MR were confusing at first. But from what I understand you can breed them all together? I'm gonna be on here asking you guys all the time what color is this lol.

Rex: Thanks. I'm sorry to leave it to, but im no longer having fun and I'm so excited about my ML. I almost have everything sold so its kind of sad to say goodbye.

 

[Peach]

I would suggest a medium one. A good size nesting box is one that they can almost touch the sides when they are in there. We used to be sold these perfect sized ones, but some company changed the size for the normal medium and they are huge. I have had issues of them because it's too much space for some does. I'll tend to give those to the does that pull a crazy amount of hairt.That way, if they decide to have them in the far back or the far front, they will be ok. I've never had issues with the smaller medium ones. I just love the metal nesting boxes because they are reuseable and easy to scrub and clean. I have ever had problems with nestbox eye *knock on wood*

When looking at your doe, make sure to pose her correctly. Run your hands down her and really feel for width and non catchy hips. Depending on certain lines, they are certain things they will grow into and something they won't.

This is GP's Zoe. She is a very promising jr.doe and what you can tell about them will be limited, but you can get a good guess

She has very nice type for her age. I'd like her to be a touch deeper, but I can't complain. She's got more pros than cons. She may not overly deep right now, but I know her bloodline is like wine...gets better over time! She also has her ear right were I want it. Without a nice crown, the ear carriage falls apart. You want it to be loose and rest right behind the eye if you can. Sometimes it can be a deciding factor against two jrs from the same litter that are equally matched.

Same doe, baby got back! She's got very straight and wide back legs, so to be a 10 week old, with a skirt to boot (Skirt is the butt ruffle), I'm thrilled. It doesn't happen all the time so that shouldn't be a deciding factor.

As the breeder for many pictures if you can't put a hand on her. Make sure she's not trying to sell you a 4-5 week old. The older a Mini Lop is, the better you can tell about it's type.

Width and a excellent hindquarter are a big deciding factor when it comes to my show/brood does.<br /><br />__________ Wed Jun 05, 2013 7:28 am __________<br /><br />This is one of my favorites and I can't wait to show her this weekend. She's actually still a junior! Just about 2 1/2 weeks shy of a senior. She still has more developing to do, but as you can see she's very balanced and that is also very important.

GP's Sugar
Her crown isn't perfect, but it's developing very nicely.

 

[KKRabbitry]

I don't know what I can add that hasn't already been said, but welcome to the Mini Lop world!
I think you will find they really are the best as far personality goes. All of mine are big, sweet cuddly bunnies!
They certainly are great Moms! I usually have big litters of 6-12 babies, and my does usually raise them all with no problems.
Good luck on your new Mini Lop venture!

 

[Peach]

The only thing I will do with a litter bigger than 6 is foster them off. Not because they won't take care of them, but the growth rate is better I have a doe that only has 2-3 a litter, so she takes in anything and all will be fat and tubby Her babies are usually double in size of the rest of the babies born the same day. She's quite the cow and I love her cause she's got a huge dewlap and then mini ones for her front feet. I have some from big rabbitries that could care less about me (coming from herds of 50+), so they usually just prefer that I only take them out for nail clippings, give them treats, take care of their babies, and I go on with whatever I'm doing. My homebreds have the best personality cause I put so much time into them. I only had one awful mini devil Mini Lop but she's gone I'll tolerate an introvert personality, but not anything mean My brother likes to invite the ladies into the rabbitry to see the "cute baby bunnies" and my mom likes taking care of them when I'm gone now that we have an offical shed.