Holland Lops

Holland Lops are a lop-eared rabbit that range from 2-4 pounds at adulthood. They are one of the smallest rabbit breeds and the most popular breed in the United States. Holland lops were recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) in 1979. Their foundation stock is comprised of the French Lop and The Netherland Dwarf. Originating from The Netherlands (Holland), they are sweet, active, affectionate, and intelligent. They live for 10 years or more and thrive in a social but calm environment. They are equally as friendly and cuddly as Lionheads. Holland lops are very intelligent and bond quickly with their humans.

Holland Lop History credits Adrian de Cock for the creation of the Holland Lop, stating he sought to cure the “size problem” of the Netherland Dwarf by pairing it with the French Lop. He foolishly first paired a female Netherland Dwarf with a male French Lop. The kits being too large, the mother quickly died from the stress of birth. Pairing a much larger male with a female is a known no no in breeding literature. By reversing the breed of the mother and father in subsequent breeding attempts, he successfully created the first Holland Lops.

Lionheads

Lionheads are a straight-eared bunny that also range from 2-4 pounds at adulthood, which also makes them one of the smallest breeds. Lionheads originate from France and Belgium and were recognized by ARBA in 2013. They are generally classified into single and double maned varieties, with double manes having more hair and fluff to them around their entire bodies vs single manes which only have longer hair around the head. They live for 9 years or more, also thriving in a social but laid back environment. Lionheads are easily the fastest of the three breeds we have, along with being the best climbers and jumpers. They have a majestic look about them when they are running around with their manes blowing in the wind. They require a bit more grooming than Holland Lops and Flemish Giants, but fair better in the cold than Holland Lops due to their extra hair.

Flemish Giants

Flemish Giants are a straight-eared bunny that reach 20+ pounds at adulthood. They are the largest recognized rabbit breed. 20 + pounds is considered to be exceptional in quality. Flemish Giants were bred in the 16th century in Flanders. They live for 10 years or more, and get along well with other Flemish Giants. Bonding them with other buns can be trickier due to size differences. Flemish giants are easily the friendliest of the bunnies at Heavenly Meadows. At 4-5 months, it is common for them to approach us out in their yard, or to go to the edge of their yard to get a better look at what we are doing. They are very powerful bunnies, with males having larger heads, and females having large dewlaps under their chins.

All Breeds FAQs

Do Bunnies like being held?

Generally no, a bunny is never going to like being held, though they may tolerate it to some degree.

Do bunnies like being cuddled?

Bunnies do not like having their movement forcefully restricted. We recommend sitting or lying down on the ground/floor with your bun and letting them climb on you on the journey to developing a healthy cuddling relationship.

Are bunnies friendly?

Absolutely! Bunnies are naturally human-friendly, curious, explorers. They will play with hair, shoes/shoelaces, pant and shirt cuffs, and most other fabric of clothing.

Do bunnies like being pet?

They do enjoy making contact with the human hand, usually rubbing their faces and sides on it and sniffing to say hello, but will not stand around for repetitive petting naturally like a cat or dog. Each bunny will be different about petting. A little less hand movement is key here.

Do bunnies like treats?

Yes! Bunnies will eat treats right out of your hand after a little warming up to you. We recommend waiting a few months until your bunny’s digestive tract has matured before feeding anything but pellets.

Do I need to free roam my bunny?

Yes! Bunnies must be free-roamed to live happy, healthy, normal lives.

Can a bunny recognize its name?

Yes, most of our buns recognize their names before reaching a year old.

Will my bunny get along with my cat or dog?

While it is easy to get on social media and find cases of cat/bunny and dog/bunny companionship, it is an exception to the rule, as bunnies are prey animals and cats and dogs, while domesticated, are predators.

What is good weather for a bunny?

Bunnies do better in the cold than in the heat. We are in a medium-humid part of the South East, and get our buns out of the heat when temps get into the 80’s. With the cold, adult buns can do okay before freezing. I have gone out to the yards many a time when it was snowing to find the bunnies running about playing instead of being huddled under a heat lamp. Buns will also stay out in light rain, sometimes with no issue, and sometimes to their detriment, so make sure when the rain picks up to get them to shelter if they do not naturally take cover.

Should I ever bathe my bunny?

No, never bathe a bunny. Never put a bunny under running water. If you ever need to cleanse your bun, use a warm washcloth with soap and water if a fine comb will not do the job.

Will my bunny escape?

Bunnies can jump up to 4 ft, climb slanted surfaces, dig exceptionally well, and run 25mph + in the wild, with domestic buns running a little slower. It is likely your bunny will try to escape. Dig proofing can be done with large rocks and cuts of wood, dig proof fencing that penetrates the ground, and by burying regular wire horizontally in the ground and attaching in to vertical fencing.

Are Predators a danger to my bunny?

Yes, foxes, birds of prey, raccoons, groundhogs, coyotes, and any other predator local to your area are a danger to your bunny. Please use strong building materials with the mindset of keeping animals much larger than a bunny out. Even if your bun does not seem to want to dig out, a fox will happily dig in and take your bunny. If you think you do not have foxes or stray cats in the area, you will find out you do very quickly after purchasing a bunny if you keep it outside.

What building materials should I use?

The list of possible materials would be too long, but stay away from chicken wire, as it is not fox proof, as well as smaller u-nails and fence staples. A thick gauge of hardwire cloth is superior to chicken wire. 2x4 inch rabbit guard is going to be too large to keep in most bunnies, and a predator can reach in and pull a bun through the wire.