English Lop Rabbit – Everything You Need to Know

The English Lop may just be one of the oldest of the domesticated rabbit breeds that were bred purely for fanciers.
They are large friendly rabbits much like the ones that a depicted in rabbit cartoons. They are a breed that has the longest ears of all the other lop rabbit breeds with ears reaching up to 32 inches long.

BREED PROFILE OVERVIEW
Breed Name:	English Lop
Other Names:	None
Country of Origin:	United Kingdom
Breed Purpose:	Pet and exhibition
Breed Size:	Giant
Breed Weight:	Female/Doe: 10 to 15 lbs. Male/Buck: 9 to 12 lbs.
Breed Color(s):	There are both solid colors and broken colors. These colors can be Black, Orange/fawn, blue, agouti-opal, Red-eyed White, blue and black torts. Colors excluded from the American Rabbit Breeders Association are the Pointed whites.
Physical Appearance:	The English lop has the longest ears of all the lop breed with their floppy/droopy ears reaching up to 32 inches. They have a long slender body semi-arched body that is almost like that of the Himalayan rabbit breed. Their faces are a wedge-shape with dark eyes and their ears are far apart on their foreheads flopping down the sides of their head.
Temperament:	Friendly, curious, fun, playful and very energetic rabbits

BREED CHARACTERISTICS

They have a decent sized litter and the females make very good mothers. Most rabbits have good maternal instincts and some breeds can be a bit testy and protective when they have young. They can also be uncharacteristically moody during mating season.
Their young open their eyes around 7 to 14 days with an average of 10 days after birth. When their eyes have opened, they can start to be introduced to food such as alfa pellets and water.
Even when the young start to eat it does not mean they are quite ready to be weaned from their mothers. The mothers will know when it is time to wean her young. It is important for the baby rabbit’s health, growth, immune system and development of a proper digestive system that they do not be removed from their mother for at least 8 weeks. They usually require her milk for a minimum of 8 weeks after birth.
Their average lifespan is 5 to 7 years although there have been some breeds that have lived to 10 years with the proper care.

Good Pets?	They make good pets for families with older children, singles and they can be both an indoor or outdoor pet. But are not really for the novice breeder as breeding and raising them is quite a challenge in its self.
Child Friendly?	Children should be supervised around animals and properly taught how to look after them and handle them. Rabbits can bite and scratch
Ideal Climate:	All climates – rabbits should never be left outside without proper shelter and housing that must be raised off the ground and predator safe.
Conservation Status:	Not Listed by the *ALC Status/Rarity: They are not listed by the American Livestock Conservancy
Recognized by the ARBA?	Yes, There are a few color varieties of the breed that are recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association.
Rabbit Associations/Clubs:	Lop Rabbit Club of America
Where to buy them?	Please refer to the Lop Rabbit Club of America for more information on breeders. The USA Rabbit Breeders Directory is a useful resource to find breeders, clubs, and information about the breed.
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

GENERAL INFORMATION

For a slicker more glossy or shiny pelt, it is advisable to groom them every two to three weeks. During the molting season, it is advisable to groom rabbits every week to remove stray hairs.

Rabbits can be quite lively and energetic and need quite a bit of exercise and stimulation. It is a good idea to have a nice safe and secure run for them to play in and stretch their legs.

Toys, tubes and various obstacle courses for them is a good way to help them expend some of their energy and they are really fun to watch at play.

They are also sociable animals that do like to have a friend or two to play with.

Regular health and critter check once a week or every second week should become a habit. This will help to keep your rabbit(s) in excellent condition and health. Grooming does not require a lot if their coats are low maintenance. But it is a good idea to give them a nice gentle brushing to help remove any excess hairs regardless of the length of their coats.

It is also a good idea to check on the state of their teeth to ensure that they are not too long and causing the rabbit any discomfort.
Rabbits teeth never stop growing and getting fresh hay on a regular basis helps to control the growth of their teeth.

Rabbits need a good diet of quality pellets that are filled with their daily nutritional requirements. They do love dandelions, cabbage and various fruits as a nice tasty treat.

Rabbits that have quite a short coat are not really at risk for most of the digestive problems long fur seem to cause rabbits. They can still get other ailments such as flystrike, ear mites or overgrown teeth. These can all be controlled/maintained or avoided altogether with the proper health and grooming care of the rabbit(s).

If you have two rabbits and do not want to breed them it is possible to spay female rabbits and neuter male rabbits.
The females can be spayed as young as four months old, but vets prefer to wait until they are at least six months old before doing so.
The young males can be neutered as young as found months old.

Rabbits, just like any other pet, should be dewormed on a regular basis. Check with your local vet for proper guidance on the administering of worm medication to your animals.

HISTORY

The English Lop breed was developed in England in the 19th century and was designed specifically to meet the growing demand for domesticated pet rabbits around the time when fancy breeds were developing as pets rather than just for fur or food.

They were a popular breed and were bred with other rabbits breeds to create other Lop rabbit breeds such as the French and Holland Lop breeds.
They may have been around since pre-1700 with records indicating that the breed was shown at London shows in 1846. Not much is known of its development as that information seems to be a bit lost in time as is its exact origin.

The National Lop Club of America was founded in 1970 in order to promote and improve on the breed.