# I want to know more about Holland Lop!



## Jordi Cohen (Jan 3, 2019)

Greetings!

All the files attached below are photos of one of my pet bunnies named Dipper. I'm not a breeder myself and I do not intend to breed rabbits or participate in any rabbit shows at all, but I'm deeply curious over the qualities of my Holland Lop since I've watched plenty of YouTube videos from rabbit breeders who commented on their litters' qualities (coloration, false dwarf, slipped crown, longer ears...etc.) and I know nothing about mine. Dipper's breeder is no help either as he is not a professional though according to him, Dipper's mother and father are both purebred.

So please guys, do help me out as I'm extremely curious to know more about my Holland Lop! Thank you!!


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## somebunnylovesme (Jan 3, 2019)

Your bunny looks like a black and white broken doe. I'm not sure if your worried that your breeder is correct on what type of breed she is. Looking at pictures she looks like a Holland Lop. 
The only way you can have her evaluated is by a show judge. 

Dipper is adorable it doesn't matter if she is or isn't a Rabbit Beauty Queen. What matters is her quality of health when you purchased her from the breeder

If Dipper's breeder was part of ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association), he would be able to tell you more about the bunny, the blood lines , the breeding of the rabbit etc.. and probably have you sign papers for the rabbit. When I was looking for my pet rabbit I went to a rabbit show. I met with the breeders and was able to know more them and their rabbits. 

What matters is, giving Dipper a happy home, keeping her in good health and lots of love. The more time you spend with her the more her cute bunny personality will develop.


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## Jordi Cohen (Jan 3, 2019)

somebunnylovesme said:


> Your bunny looks like a black and white broken doe. I'm not sure if your worried that your breeder is correct on what type of breed she is. Looking at pictures she looks like a Holland Lop.
> The only way you can have her evaluated is by a show judge.
> 
> Dipper is adorable it doesn't matter if she is or isn't a Rabbit Beauty Queen. What matters is her quality of health when you purchased her from the breeder
> ...


Oh no I'm not worried at all. In fact, the question is asked purely out of my curiosity. This is why I decided to post my threat in this section of the forum to seek enquiries from fellow experienced breeders or even rabbit shows' participants. Dipper is my neutered buck and he will only be loved and cherished dearly. Thank you for your concern.


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## SableSteel (Jan 3, 2019)

Honestly, he definitely looks like pet quality. Quite a few conformation faults. That's pretty common in holland lops, there are a lot of pet/not show breeders. 
He looks to have okay width to his head, but its rather long and flat. He looks like a false dwarf with slipped crown and poor ears. The ears should fall to be just behind his eyes - and his are considerably further back. The ears should reach the bottom jaw - his are much longer. He looks longer in body overall, and limb when the breed should be dwarfed, compact and cobby.
Good color though


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## somebunnylovesme (Jan 3, 2019)

I thought Dipper was a she.


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## Jordi Cohen (Jan 4, 2019)

SableSteel said:


> Honestly, he definitely looks like pet quality. Quite a few conformation faults. That's pretty common in holland lops, there are a lot of pet/not show breeders.
> He looks to have okay width to his head, but its rather long and flat. He looks like a false dwarf with slipped crown and poor ears. The ears should fall to be just behind his eyes - and his are considerably further back. The ears should reach the bottom jaw - his are much longer. He looks longer in body overall, and limb when the breed should be dwarfed, compact and cobby.
> Good color though


Yeah, I expected that already because the breeder whom I got Dipper from is not a professional and when I first got Dipper I knew he had some underlying health issues since his body is quite bloated for a bunny which causes his body to head ratio to be disproportionate (vet had since dewormed and prescribed him with probiotics). He has improved a lot from this congenital condition now that he is under my care and I suspect it might be something to do with his diet. 

Should I feed him a high protein diet because of his breed? He is currently being fed with an unlimited amount of Timothy Hay, two cups of veggies and a 1/4 cup of pellets containing 13% of crude protein everyday.


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## Jordi Cohen (Jan 4, 2019)

somebunnylovesme said:


> I thought Dipper was a she.


Dipper is named after the protagonist who is a male from a Disney show called "Gravity Falls", it's the best Disney show *EVER*. You should check it out.


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## somebunnylovesme (Jan 4, 2019)

You can try these pellets https://store.sherwoodpethealth.com/adult-rabbit-food-professional/ since your rabbit is a big hay eater.


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## Jordi Cohen (Jan 4, 2019)

somebunnylovesme said:


> You can try these pellets https://store.sherwoodpethealth.com/adult-rabbit-food-professional/ since your rabbit is a big hay eater.


Thank you for your suggestion but unfortunately, Sherwood pellets are unavailable in the country that I'm currently residing in and shipping is *crazy* expensive. I prefer for a reply of an estimation of suggested crude protein to be consumed rather than a recommendation of pellet choice since I'm living outside of the States and I can hardly find any suitable high quality rabbit pellets around here that are both nutritious and affordable. This is the best brand that I can find: https://www.cunipic.com/en/producto/naturaliss-adult-rabbit/


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## Charlotteandbetty (Jan 4, 2019)

I have no idea but he’s SO CUTE


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## somebunnylovesme (Jan 4, 2019)

An option is eliminate the pellets and feed your bunny lots of hay and leafy greens. With your rabbit eating more veggies he'll drink less water. He'll be getting water from his veggies.


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## SableSteel (Jan 4, 2019)

I'm usually supportive of a higher protein diet, but with him I might not. Because he's already neutered he doesn't use as much energy as an intact rabbit might, and with a history of bloat sticking to a higher fiber feed might be better.
But it really depends on the individual rabbit. If he seems tired, has dull fur or is softer in flesh or is underweight he might need more protein. If he is overweight, flighty, or always seems to be molting or having GI problems he might need less protein.
But then again, that is a LOT of veggies so changes to the pellets probably aren't as effective. When I had hollands I fed them 1/4 cup-1/3 of pellets, and that was it (no vegetables, and only hay for certain rabbits that needed more fiber).


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## Blue eyes (Jan 4, 2019)

For neutered rabbits, the house rabbit society recommends protein levels around 12-14%. Your pellets are right in there so should be just fine.


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## Laur (Jan 8, 2019)

I think two cups of veggies a day is really high for a Holland. Mine get unlimited pellets and Timothy hay. In the summer when Reva was grazing in a large outdoor pen as well as a large cage and playing out of cage indoors she went from a budget doe (despite top lines and good,to very good everything else) because she was too small for her age at four months, to sizing out of show weight at a year.

Keep in mind that "false dwarf" is not necessarily a bad thing. If they are pedigreed they are still Holland Dwarfs and eligible to show, though they are likely to go slightly over weight. True dwarves must have one dwarf gene and one non dwarf gene. So there are ALOT of pedigreed Holland that do not have a dwarf gene. These make wonderful pets and their babies are pedigreed Holland Dwarfs. If they come from winning lines they are good budget breeding stock for beginners. If you compare my pair you will see Bambi (thetsolid) has long ears and his face is not as flat as Reva's. He was only faulted on coat as a junior, and I think his coat would "stand" now that it is his adult, but my experience is still limited. We chose him on his best and worst traits being opposite his wife's.

Many things are hard to tell from a picture unless one is experienced at "posing" the breed. Any good judge will pose the rabbits themselves and will be in a better position to check conformation. Even then I have had judges love Reva and other not like her at all.

If you are trying to learn more about your rabbit you could take her to a show and ask a judge for comments at his or her convenience. As politely when the best time would be. You could also watch the breed be judged. In a double of triple show Hollands will be shown that many times by different judges, so you can compare how the judges commented on and ranked the rabbits.


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## Blue eyes (Jan 9, 2019)

Since Dipper is neutered, limiting pellets is recommended. They don't need that extra protein. The 13% pellets are the right choice for a fixed rabbit. The 2 cups of greens is fine too and is actually recommended by the House Rabbit Society. (The recommendation is actually 2-4 cups per day, so 2 cups is fine for a smaller rabbit. )


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## somebunnylovesme (Apr 25, 2019)

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