# Is she a single or double mane lionhead?



## Baby Juliet




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## Dublinperky

I have no idea because I don't breed lionheads. But she is absoloutly ADORABLE!


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## TinysMom

Adorable lionhead - I'm not sure how old she is.

She's most definitely a single mane lionhead - any that I've ever had like that were single manes. The only way to truly tell - is the first few days after birth - but a double mane looks different usually. 

I'm guessing there is a good chance she is going to lose her mane - or at least part of it - at her first molt. She may be left with a few tufts. I say this because the mane does not look like crimped wool does - although as I look near the ears it looks like it may have a bit of crimping.

To me she looks more like a lionhead mix - or she comes from some of the older style of lionheads......the newer look that lionhead breeders are going for (to meet ARBA standards) are a rounder face, ears that are more cat-like and shorter and just a different "look" to them. 

Here is Isenstar as an example - notice how much fuller her mane is - and how her ears and face are shaped.


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## BSAR

I think she looks like a double mane. Fallingstar's little boy Sampson is supposed to be a lionhead and he only has one mane.


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## TinysMom

*BSAR wrote: *


> I think she looks like a double mane. Fallingstar's little boy Sampson is supposed to be a lionhead and he only has one mane.


After over 70 litters of single and double mane lionheads - I would be shocked if that is a double mane lionhead. If so - it is unlike any I've ever had or seen other breeders have. 

This isn't to say she couldn't be double mane. But it doesn't have the full look of a double mane lionhead. It has the look of a single mane which frequently have longer manes - but without crimped wool. This is one reason why single manes frequently lose their manes at molting - breeders will tell you now that the crimped hair/wool will come back time and time again. 

Some breeders will use single manes in their breeding program every 3rd or 4th generation - to give length back to the mane since sometimes breeding double mane to double mane gives a dense mane - but not a lot of length.

This rabbit reminds me of my Roary when he was young - here is his photo (he is a single mane).






I bought him and Harry at the same time - both are single mane. At over 3 years of age now - Roary has no mane to speak of - and hasn't had one for years.

Here is Harry on the same day:






Harry's mane keeps coming in time and time again with every molt - and each time it seems a bit thicker. He has crimped hair in his mane.

A lionhead is a lionhead as long as it has a mane. A double maned lionhead gets a mane gene from each parent - hence it has two mane genes. A single maned lionhead got the mane gene from only one parent - not both. Hence the single mane....

So while Sampson only has one mane - yes - he is indeed a lionhead.


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## TinysMom

I thought I would add this piece of information - along with a better picture of Harry..






I have had offspring from both Harry and Roary (before we discovered both of them carried maloclussion). 

Harry's offspring have all kept their manes into adulthood. Some of his offspring were single manes - some were double manes. 

I had one litter from Roary - and kept one of them until recently when he passed away. I still have a doe from him also. All of his offspring did NOT keep their mane. 

As I said - both bucks have single manes - but there seems to be something there that does the crimping and as long as the mane has the crimping to it - it will usually return..


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## BSAR

Tinysmom, I am new to lionheads, and I don't really know much. So I just wasn't sure. I think it is kinda hard to tell double and single manes apart. 

Now that I look at the pic more I think she is a single. She just has a lot of long fur on her. So itlooks double.


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## TinysMom

*BSAR wrote: *


> Tinysmom, I am new to lionheads, and I don't really know much. So I just wasn't sure. I think it is kinda hard to tell double and single manes apart.
> 
> Now that I look at the pic more I think she is a single. She just has a lot of long fur on her. So itlooks double.


It is very easy if you're not working with lionheads all the time to see the length and go "ooh...double mane".

So don't feel bad...:biggrin2:

But it isn't so much the length that gives it away as the density of the wool. 

What is really gorgeous is a double mane rabbit that has a mane that long and keeps it.....


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## LadyBug

*TinysMom wrote: *


> To me she looks more like a lionhead mix - or she comes from some of the older style of lionheads......the newer look that lionhead breeders are going for (to meet ARBA standards) are a rounder face, ears that are more cat-like and shorter and just a different "look" to them.



ok, that's what my deal is. she's beautiful, but i thought she looked 'odd' for a lion head and i couldn't place what was making me think that because she's soooo cute(that's coming from the person who has a soft spot for lops, not lion heads, BTW:tongue)

now that i have that figured out-i'm not going to add anything about her mane becausei really don't know that much about them and Peg explained everything wonderfully(

). but i just wanted to tell you how pretty she is!i love her color she's like big fuzzy butter ball:nod. very cute:blueribbon:.

*mutters to self......................now _where_ did i put that bunny nap list.......must put butter ball lion head on it........i _know _it's here some where............*

who _me_? *plot*? hehehe,_ never_:whistling!


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## Baby Juliet

This is the mother in 2/08






The mane was crimped. Is she double? She's only got a bit of mane left today and now feels smooth. She's a cull I got for $5. 











The father is a blonde probably ionhead lop mix. I don't have pics and no longer own him.


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## hopntailrabbitry

It doesn't look like a double mane.


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