Promoting the Holland Lop Rabbit
"The Hallmark Breed"
Kaleidoscope Rabbitry - IT babies
THE HOLLAND LOP
The Holland Lop is the smallest of the Lop breeds, at less than four pounds. Traits that make Holland's instantly popular are their friendliness and gentle disposition. The Holland Lop is one of the most recent fancy breeds, accepted in 1979 by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA), yet it has enjoyed great success in a very short period of time.
The "Dwarf Lop", as it is known is Europe, was developed by Adrian DeCock of Titborg in the Netherlands. His first mating was a Netherland Dwarf buck to a French Lop doe. Offspring from this mating were later bred to English Lops, which helped bring the ear carriage down. The broken pattern was introduced by breeding English Spots and Angoras. The first American convention in which Holland Lops were shown was held in Milwaukee in 1979. There were a total of 27 rabbits shown. Today, national shows attract more than 600 Hollands.
THE STANDARDS
Holland Lops are shown in two groups, solid and broken. Accepted color groups are: Agouti, Broken, Pointed White, Self, Shaded, Steele and Wide Band (such as orange).
Holland Lops are a four-class breed, meaning they are shown as Juniors and Seniors in their color group of Solid (all colors) or Broken. Juniors must be less than six months of age and both Juniors and Seniors must weigh less than four pounds.
The general appearance of Holland Lops should be massive, with heavy bone and round features. Head and body features are given the most consideration. The outline of the ears and crown should resemble a horseshoe shape, with thick, well-rounded ears turned with the openings toward the head. The Holland body should be well-rounded with equal depth in the shoulders and hindquarters. Good Holland posture requires that most of the weight be on the hind feet with the front feet resting lightly on a surface. The fur of Holland should be very dense with a gentle roll back.
Common problem areas of Hollands are malocclusions, thin, folded ears; narrow, long heads; poorly develop or narrow crowns; weak shoulders; pinched hindquarters; and thin bone.
CARE AND BREEDING
Holland Lops can be housed comfortably in cages with dimension of 18" x 24" x 14" high. Mothers with babies need a cage size of 24" x 24" or 24" x 30".
Holland Lops mature at six months and can be bred shortly after that time. Litter size is usually three to six offspring, with some litters of up to nine. Litters should be weaned at about eight weeks. This is also a good time to rebreed the doe if you desire.
Hollands carry a "dwarf" gene which produces smaller-type show rabbits. "Peanuts" or "lethals" which die in a few days result when both parents are carrying the dwarf gene.
Buy good breeding stock from successful breeders. Try to purchase the best herd buck that you can afford. Cull severely for major faults as described in the ARBA Standards Book and you will soon be producing winners at the shows.
Clean, fresh water should be provided daily to your Hollands. They require only four to six ounces of pellets per day for health maintenance and this should be a high-fiber formula. Hay can be fed one or more times per week. Seeds, fruits, greens and other treats should be fed sparingly.
THE HOLLAND LOP RABBIT SPEICALTY CLUB
The Holland Lop Rabbit Specialty Club is chartered through the ARBA, with a significant number of state and regional clubs devoted exclusively to Hollands. Each new member of the club received an official Guide Book which includes information on the standards, as well as articles on selecting, breeding and showing Holland Lops. Members also receive a quarterly magazine, the Hollander, which lists show winners, photos and informative articles on Hollands and Holland breeders.
The clubs sponsors a national specialty show each spring and sponsors Hollands at the ARBA convention each fall. A sweepstakes and quality points competition is held each year, beginning in July. A "Top Lop of the Year" is chosen based upon the rabbit the most sweepstakes points. The "Herdsman of the Year" contest recognizes breeders with the most number of rabbits winning best and best opposite sex in breed quality points. All of these contests are available to youth breeders. Plaques are awarded at the ARBA convention for all contests and many of the winners and their rabbits are featured in the Hollander.
The Holland Lop Specialty Club maintains pins, clothing, pedigrees and other supplies which feature the Holland Lop Club logo. The clubs is very involved in promoting Holland Lops and their breeders and we invite your membership and ongoing participation. The Holland Lop's size, intelligence, gentle, inquisitive disposition and outstanding appearance will only increase its reputation as one of the most popular breeds of domestic rabbits.
For a printed copy of this flyer, contact
THLRSC Secretary,Lisa Hall at - hallshollands@cs.com
For more information about the Holland Lop Rabbit Specialty Club, contact Sue Gillispie at: hollandsec@yahoo.com
HLRSC Secretary
