Animal Description:
The
Holland Lop is a small rabbit that is both charming and
loving. Breeders and owners both enjoy Holland Lops a
lot.
Although
Holland Lops are small, they are active and quite
playful, so they should be housed in a cage that will
give them plenty of room. Three quarters of a square
foot per pound of adult weight of floor space in a cage
is pretty much the rule of thumb for rabbit cages of any
breed. Holland Lops are a good choice for a new rabbit
owner. Some does (females) tend to be skittish and/or
hyper and should be handled carefully. Holland Lops are
generally very easy to care for and are a popular breed
for pets due to their size and fun-loving nature.
Holland
Lops weigh between three and four pounds, though three
pounds is the ideal in the show ring. Holland Lops are
known for their short, cobby bodies, round heads, and
massive appearance in a small rabbit. Holland Lops have
short, dense fur that comes in a variety of colors.
Holland Lops are shown in two basic color
classifications; Solid (not spotted) and Broken
(spotted). Within these classifications there are
several groups and colors. These groups are classified
as follows.
The Agouti Group comes
from the name "agouti" which is a term that means the
hair shafts have three or more colors on them. Agouti
types include Chestnut Agouti, Chocolate Agouti,
Chinchilla, Chocolate Chinchilla, Lynx, Opal, and
Squirrel which may also be known as Blue Chinchilla.
The Broken Group. As
well as being a show classification, the Broken group
also encompasses Tricolor and Regular Broken. To be
considered Broken (White in conjunction with any
recognized color, there must be color on the nose area,
on both ears, around both eyes, and on the body. The
color should cover no less than 10% of the rabbit and no
more than 70%), Tricolor (black and orange with white,
blue and fawn with white, chocolate and orange with
white, or lilac and fawn with white; like a calico cat).
The Pointed White Group.
This group consists of those that are White with
"points" of color on the nose, both ears, all four feet
and legs, and the tail. Colors that are accepted are
white that has black, blue, chocolate, or lilac points.
Solid colored rabbits are classified in the Self Group.
The Self Group may
be Black, Blue, Chocolate, Lilac, Blue Eyed White, or
Ruby Eyed White also known as Albino.
The Shaded Group are
those rabbits that have a body color and either a darker
shade of the same color or a different color on the
head, ears, feet, legs, tail, and haunches. Rabbits
falling into this group include, Sable Point, Siamese
Sable, Seal, Smoke Pearl, Tortoise (black, blue,
chocolate, or lilac shading).
The Ticked Group.
Members of this group have a base color with either
silver or gold tipped hairs scattered evenly throughout.
An example of the Ticked Group is the Steel which have a
black, blue, chocolate, or lilac base color with gold or
silver tipping.
The Wide Band Group.
Wide Band rabbits, except the Frosty (which is white,
sometimes with a slight tinge of color) are either a
golden or reddish-orange with white or cream on the
belly, around each eye, inside each ear, on the
underside of the tail, and on the underside of the
jowls. Some color variations of the Wide Band group
include, Cream, Fawn, Frosty, Orange, Red. It should be
noted that rabbits with ears that are carried above
horizontal are disqualified in the show ring.
They have
ears that hang down about an inch below their jawbone
and sit next to their cheeks. The head on a Holland Lop
should be high on its shoulders. Holland Lops go through
a period of puberty where they can look a little
unattractive, but they generally grow out of it at about
four months. The timing of this stage can vary depending
on the bloodline. Most go through the "uglies" at
between two and four months of age. They typically do
not finish "blooming" into their full show potential
until they are between 12 and 18 months.
Adrian De
Cock, a man from the Netherlands, developed the Holland
Lop. They are a cross of a Netherland Dwarf, French Lop
and English Lop. The breed was perfected by 1955 and was
first seen in the United States in 1976. The American
Rabbit Breeder's Association recognized the Holland Lop
in 1980.
