# If you breed a lop and non lop, what are the babies like?



## CiaraPatricia (Feb 14, 2011)

I know that a lot of people here don't agree with cross-breeding, but out of interest, I was thinking about this. 

I kinda assumed some babies might be lopped, some would have helicopter ears, and some would have upright ears? Is that right? Or does it depend on breed? Or would none have lopped ears? 

Thanks


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## 4kr (Feb 14, 2011)

Honestly I have no idea...but I think it would probably depend on what was in the background of the non-lop rabbit and if the lop rabbit was a purebred. I'm sure some lop breeders will chime in but I remember that I had a purebred Jersey Wooley that was born with lop ears and her entire pedigree were registered woolies. She was the only one in the litter, so apparently somewhere way down in the line she got the lop gene. Anyway, sorry I'm no help just wanted to reply.


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## Hippidy (Feb 14, 2011)

It should depend on genetics. I'm not sure if any of those genes are dominant or recessive but it would probably depend on the background of both rabbits. I'm currious to see if any breeders chime in with dominant recessive gene info, genetics really interest me.


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## CiaraPatricia (Feb 14, 2011)

Thanks 

That's really interesting about the wooley!

Yeah I don't know if it's dominant or recessive or what, so will be interesting to find out.


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## Sabine (Feb 14, 2011)

If I remember correctly (from reading similar threads) that it depends a lot on the width of the crown whether the ears lop or not. Some people (usually by carefully selecting the pair) manage to get a successful litter of lionlops from a cross between a lop and a lionhead whereas others will get mixed results or straight ears only. As people said earlier it depends a lot on the genetic make up of the rabbits.


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## Jaded (Feb 14, 2011)

And it depends on what the other breed is,if it was Rex X Miniature lop I believe the rabbit will have erect ears.


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## OakRidgeRabbits (Feb 14, 2011)

Sabine wrote:


> If I remember correctly (from reading similar threads) that it depends a lot on the width of the crown whether the ears lop or not. Some people (usually by carefully selecting the pair) manage to get a successful litter of lionlops from a cross between a lop and a lionhead whereas others will get mixed results or straight ears only. As people said earlier it depends a lot on the genetic make up of the rabbits.



Yes, this.  Ear carriage is determined by the existence and width of a crown which is a piece of cartilage at the ear base. There is not a specific gene that says, "Ok, you shall be a lop!"

Because of this, ear carriage is hard to predict. You can breed two purebred lops and get a rabbit with erect ears. Or, you can breed a lop to a regular eared rabbit and get lop ears. It depends on the development of the crown area.


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## Nancy McClelland (Feb 14, 2011)

Lilli is part lop, but her ears are like Pig's from "Pearls Before Swine"--they are almost straigt out with her right being slightly higher. Stewart II was a mini lop and nethie accident. He looked like a slightly larger Nethie with full length ears and he had longer than normal fur--really glossly and fine.


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## CiaraPatricia (Feb 16, 2011)

Thanks, that's all really interesting


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