Holly's Hollands Rabbitry
Raising Holland Lops exclusively with the mindset of quality over quantity.
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What Can We Expect for Sir Lancelot and Cinnamon's Babies?

1/29/2014

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Colors that could be produced: Blue and black torts, in solid and broken. Possibly sable point.


I'm hoping to breed these two in the next two-three weeks! 

Cinnamon's Strengths

~Width between the eyes and throughout the body
~Nice bone
~Stays within the weight limit (last time I weighed her, she was 3.6lbs)
~Small, open, and teaspoon-shaped ears
~Decent crown
~Big head! 

Lance's Strengths

~FULL Hindquarter with width and depth
~Nice bone
~Nice crown
~Open, teaspoon-shaped ears
~Width between the eyes!
~Still young so can't say on head, but it should be pretty big once it really pops :)

Cinnamon's Weaknesses

~Sloped in the HQ
~Slightly slipped crown

Lance's Weaknesses

~Longer ears
~BIG body (will be over 4lbs at maturity)
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Rabbits Make Poor Pets?

1/29/2014

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I found an article online that was a person's view on having rabbits as pets. They said that rabbits make BAD pets. Here's the article, and I'm going to tackle it piece by piece, showing you how WRONG this person was, and how unfortunate they were to not enjoy the rabbit breed. 
My experience with rabbits revealed to me several reasons why they make poor pets.

First, they're destructive. If you keep them indoors, they pull up carpet, gnaw on baseboards, chew on power cords, rip up books and nibble on clothing. They also urinate and leave droppings everywhere, even if you give them their own litter box to use. If you let them go outdoors, they dig holes and lay waste to your vegetable or flower garden. Even when I gave my rabbits pieces of cardboard to chew on, old newspapers to rip up or even entire bales of hay to dig through, they would still go after carpet, furniture, books and anything else they could sink their teeth into if given the opportunity. One time they even gnawed all the buttons off the remote control for our VCR!

The above is true. Rabbits can be extremely destructive. Just like a dog or cat. It's not unusual to hear of a cat clawing up the furniture or throwing up on the couch. Dogs, if they get bored and lonely, can destroy your house and tear out the walls. That's why, if you're going to have a house rabbit, never leave it alone, especially at first. And if you do, make sure the room is "bunny proofed". And why would anyone give their rabbit access to the remote control? Clearly they weren't paying attention to the rabbit! 
Second, rabbits show no affection. One of the most important aspects of keeping a pet is the fondness it shows for you. Why, after all, keep an animal in your home if it doesn't offer you its love and companionship? A dog will run to greet you, tail wagging, when you come home. A cat will rub your leg and sit in your lap. A rabbit will do none of these things; in fact, it will probably run away from you when you approach it and if you do manage to catch it it is liable to bite or scratch you. They tolerate being pet for only short periods of time and do not like being picked up. 
Okay, the second stuff is just BLAH! Who raised those rabbits these people adopted? Clearly know one that knew how to handle them properly or domesticate them fully. Who says rabbits (especially Holland Lops), don't have personality? Doesn't get excited to see you? The picture below is of my babies, after a long night of sleeping, waking up to me coming to visit them. They jump for joy and try to be the first to the cage when I come to see them. My current litter will jump in my lap and lie down, quickly falling asleep. 
My babies love to be picked up, held and cradled and cuddled. I held them the hour they were born and loved them until they were sold. I love them still afterwards and forever! 
Third, rabbits are rather uninteresting creatures. They don't like to play. They don't like to be handled. They don't make any noise. They don't make any expressions. They don't attack balls of yarn or chase after Frisbees. They do little more than sit and stare. In fact, the only time I found I really enjoyed watching them is when were eating or when they were chasing our cats.
Why buy a rabbit if you found them uninteresting? Truly, rabbits don't make much noise, they don't play as ferociously as a dog or cat, but they do play. My rabbits throw pinecones, toilet paper tubes and cardboard around the cage and nibble on it, throw it and roll around on it. 
Fourth, rabbits require a lot of maintenance. Consider everything that had to be ready for Nibbles and Spaz when I brought them home: cage with removable bottom, water bottle, food bowl, hay bin, salt wheel, absorbent wood chips, and even a litter box outside of their cage that they could use when I let them out to run around. I also provided them with mats to lay on and toys to play with and chew on. I kept their food bowl stocked with pellets and their hay bin stocked with hay.
ANY PET requires a lot of maintenance. Sure, the hamster only needs to be fed once a day and hardly needs to be handled, but rabbits are NOT similar to rodents in any way. In fact, they are much closer to dogs and cats then any other pet. 
Finally, rabbits live short lives and die sudden deaths. Nibbles was only about seven months old when she passed away. Nibblet only lived two and a half years before I found her dead body sprawled in the hutch in my parents' backyard. I don't know why she died, but I've since discovered that something like 85% of female rabbits die of some sort of uterine cancer at about two years of age, and that all female rabbits should be spayed. And I thought I was doing Nibblet a favor when I spared her the knife and had Spaz neutered instead. (Also, some rabbit lovers claim that rabbits become less agressive or destructive when they're spayed or neutered. This was definitely not the case with Spaz.)
MOST rabbits do not live short lives, though some can. MOST pet rabbits live to be 10 years old, even older! If you spay/neuter your rabbit it should live longer. It's true, 85% of unspayed female rabbits will develop uterine cancer by 2 years old. However, if you spay your rabbit, it completely eliminates any possibility of her getting this cancer. Some breeders have also never had a case of this kind of cancer in their herd, and their does are always unspayed. 

By the end of the article, the author takes some of what he said back after getting many angry emails from rabbit lovers telling him how wrong he was. He also said that he got a few emails from people that agreed with him. But I just wanted to write this post because I think that these are some popular beliefs of rabbits. That they are a boring, short-living, unaffectionate, destructive pest. 
Some breeds will be more boring then others. One of the things I love about Holland Lops so much is how dog-like they are. Affectionate, crazy, sweet and loving, a Holland Lop will steal your heart. Don't you want one?!? :)
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5 Common Misconceptions of Rabbits

1/28/2014

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  1. "Rabbits live a short amount of time, only 2-3 years." WRONG! Rabbits can live for 10+ years if properly cared for. The norm is 7-10, if the rabbit is spayed or neutered. 
  2. "Rabbits need baths." WRONG! You actually don't want to bathe your rabbit. It can cause them to go into shock and die from a heart attack. They clean themselves very well. 
  3. "Rabbits don't have personality and the most interesting thing they do is eat." Wow. This one couldn't be more WRONG! Holland Lops, especially, each have their own personality. My house rabbit is just like a little puppy. She follows me around, responds to her name (most of the time), and circles my legs when I stand up from petting her. Cinnamon loves to play "tag" when I take her outside. "Oh you think you get can get me? Well vrooom - try again." ;)
  4. "Rabbits don't play. They sit in their cages and do nothing all day long." WRONG too! Rabbits love to throw pinecones, play "tag", like I mentioned above, beg for attention, play with cardboard, ect! You can even teach a rabbit how to play fetch, I'm sure. And a bunch of other kinds of tricks. 
  5. "Rabbits, well, breed like rabbits!" This is mostly true. But sometimes it's not all that easy to get a doe bred and pregnant. Some does are stubborn, some does are incredibly picky about their bucks, and some bucks just don't do the job right. 
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"Tag! You're it!"
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GI Stasis: The Silent Killer

1/22/2014

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Click HERE to read a very informative and helpful article on this subject. 

If your rabbit stops eating for even a day (24 hours) that is a bad sign. If a rabbit's digestive system comes to a standstill they can die very quickly. 
When I mean the rabbit isn't eating, I mean that it won't eat anything. Not hay, no pellets, not it's favorite treat or green vegetable. Nothing. If you can get it to eat something, like hay, pineapple, or celery, but it doesn't want its pellets, keep feeding it that and other things like it so the digestive system doesn't completely stop. 

Read the article above, that is what this blog is mainly about. Just shared my thoughts on the "not eating" concept. 
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Rabbit Hormones

1/19/2014

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Just like us, once a rabbit reaches maturity and enters adulthood, they get sexual hormones. 
In the wild, a female rabbit is always pregnant or a mother. When she isn't bred, she can get grumpy, mean and antisocial. If she isn't spayed or bred, she will generally live her life somewhat depressed. Of course, there are the exceptions. Some does would rather die then become a mother. Some does aren't good at motherhood at all, and they know it. 
When you spay your female, she lives a life more of happiness and relief then having these I-need-to-be-a-mommy hormones always aching her. It would make you grumpy, too, wouldn't it?
In the wild, a buck is always breeding. I'm sure not a day goes by in the rabbit world that a buck doesn't breed a doe. 
Most people will tell you that a buck makes a better pet because his hormones don't change his attitude. So instead of becoming antisocial, mean and grumpy, he'll stay sweet, adorable and lovable. 
But bucks have hormones too. And maybe they don't show their unhappiness in the way that does do, but it's still there. Sometimes, once a buck reaches adulthood, he will spray his urine to mark his territory and let the does know that he's around and ready to mate. Sometimes he'll preform the "mating motions" on anything he can get his paws on, including your foot or a stuffed animal. 
Does and bucks each have their own drawbacks. But when either is spayed or neutered, they generally live a healthier, happier, care-free life where they can be the pet rabbit you've always wanted. 
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Rabbit Clubs/Organizations

1/19/2014

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If you are considering becoming a rabbit breeder, or are a rabbit breeder, or are just a budding rabbit lover/owner, becoming a member of one or all of these popular clubs is a good idea and a thing that should be looked into. 
The ARBA - American Rabbit Breeders Association
site is here
This club is for all breeds. The ARBA is the main club/organization. All the other clubs usually follow their rules, and endorse their breeds. The ARBA has many recognized breeds. A breed can only be shown at ARBA shows if it is recognized. The ARBA also has having a book that is published every three years and stating what the perfect rabbit of each breed (that the ARBA recognizes), is supposed to look like. When you join, you get 6 issues per year of Domestic Rabbits magazine, as well as a guidebook written by the ARBA. 

The WSHLRC -Washington State Holland Lop Rabbit Club
site is here
This club is really only useful if you live in WA state or attend many WA shows. Membership fee is very cheap (only $5 for youth, $7 for an adult), and when you join, you get a discount off the fee that is charged per rabbit when you enter in a show. 

The HLRSC - Holland Lop Rabbit Specialty Club
site is here
This club is very helpful. When you join you get an official guidebook, 4 issues of The Hollander, a magazine exploring several different aspects of raising rabbits with articles by various authors. 

There are many other rabbit clubs for many other breeds. These are only a few. 
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Is It Really Necessary to Feed Twice Daily?

1/18/2014

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Baby Holland Lop eating some pellets while mom looks on :)
Many older rabbit-related books will say that feeding your rabbit twice a day is a must. 1/4 cup in the evening and 1/4 cup in the morning. That works for some people, but not all. 
Most of the time the books are saying that because when you feed, you should also be checking up on the rabbit. Seeing it move and get excited for food. If a normally excited rabbit is at the back of the cage hunched over, there could be a problem. 
A lot can happen to a rabbit in the 24hr period between meals. But if you check up on your rabbits several times per day like I do, feeding twice a day is not necessary. If you only look, pet and play with the rabbit once a day at mealtime, and that's all you have time for, then maybe increase the feedings to two meals. 
I feed my rabbits half a cup of feed and a large handful of hay per day. For most of the rabbits, this will last all day, especially the hay. For some, they'll have it finished by bedtime, but they got their portion and need to wait until breakfast. 
A good way to judge if your rabbit is getting enough to eat is if they look hungry in the morning. If they're practically breaking down the door and scarfing their food, they probably need more or to be fed twice a day so they don't eat it all in one sitting. If they are excited for their food but pause between bites and take their face out of their food dish, they're getting enough. If they are never excited for their food and lazy, you could probably cut back on how much you're feeding them. 
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The History of the Holland Lop

1/15/2014

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These adorable little bunnies called Holland Lops started in the Netherlands in the early 1950s. A well know Dutch breeder wanted to combine qualities of two breeds; the Netherland Dwarf and the French Lop. These are two very different breeds. The French Lop has no maximum weight and the Netherland Dwarf has a maximum weight of 2 ½ lbs.

Well known breeder Adriann de Cock thought if he bred the doe of the smaller two to the buck, which was bigger he would get the result he wanted. This first breeding did not did not work as planned. All babies died while being delivered. They were so big and the mother was so small. She died also. He then bred a Netherland Dwarf Buck to a French Lop doe. This breeding resulted in six babies but still not the ear carriage he was seeking, all of them had normal erect ear carriage. He then took a doe from the second litter and bred to an English Lop buck. This litter produced mixed ear carriage. There was one doe that was fully lopped but he did not like her temperament so he would not breed her. A half lopped doe was chosen to breed with a buck from the first litter; the does from the first litter were bred with the bucks from the second litter. He continued this practice until he reached the desired traits he was seeking. By 1964 he was ready to present to the Netherlands Governing Rabbit Council and the Holland Lop became recognized as a new breed.

In 1976 Aleck Brooks brought the Hollands to the United States; and that year they were recognized by the ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association). 

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Cream baby Holland Lop
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Rabbits are a Long-Term Commitment

1/11/2014

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Before you get a rabbit, one very important thing to consider is how long do you think you'll be able to take care of this rabbit? If your answer is 3-4 years, it's best to look for a different pet and just stop here. If your answer is it's entire lifetime, no matter the cost, and everyone in your family is on board with this, then continue on.
The smaller breeds of rabbit, like the Holland Lop, live on average 7-10 years with proper care. However, it is not unheard of to see rabbits living into their teens. Rabbits usually live longer if they are spayed or neutered, which is always recommended. 
Think about where you think you'll be in the next 10 years. If the answer is singing and dancing on Broadway, do you think your rabbit get in the way of that? Or if you want to get a rabbit for your child, but he/she will be going off to college in 7 years, do you want to be stuck at home looking after the rabbit? 
If you're going downhill financially, and you know you won't have enough money for a rabbit 10 years from now, don't buy one. 
If you are newly married and want to start a family, don't buy a rabbit if you think it might get in the way of you raising your first child or bringing home the baby. Children and rabbits can grow up together, and become fast friends, but ask yourself if you're prepared to work towards that. It won't happen overnight. The rabbit may become jealous of the newcomer at first. 

If you are prepared to power through everything life has to offer with your rabbit, then welcome to the world of rabbits! 
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How to Correct Bad Behavior in Your Bunny

1/10/2014

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Rabbits are like dogs and cats. They are cute and cuddly, but they can also be naughty and cause trouble. 
Most behavior problems occur because the rabbit thinks its in charge. As the owner, we need to assert our dominance and let the bunny know that WE are "top rabbit". Once the rabbit knows that, it will think again about acting out or being bad. My pet rabbit, Elsie, used to be a nipper. She would nip (sometimes really hard), when she wanted attention or if she felt I was ignoring her. Needless to say, she's very spoiled:). But that doesn't mean that I can't train her AND keep her spoiled! 
The next time she nipped me, I gently but firmly held her head down on the floor. She really didn't like it, but only five - seven seconds later she was back playing happily. Make sure you don't let the rabbit go when it struggles. That doesn't do anything. The rabbit just realizes - again - that it gets what it wants. 
It only took a couple more times of her nipping me and me holding down her head for her to realize that, oh - when I nip Mommy something I don't like happens. 
Every now and then she'll nip me again but I reinforce the same punishment. She hasn't done it in quite a while now. But, since I've said that, I'm sure that when I let her out to play later tonight she'll nip me. Oh well. As long as she knows I'M in charge . . . .

Not every "bad behavior" can be treated this way. This method can only really be used when the rabbit is causing you pain. But if the rabbit is peeing everywhere or chewing everything up, you'll have to use a different method. 
For chewing, or anything similar, the best way is to remove and distract. If the thing the rabbit is chewing can't be removed from the play area (like carpet), remove the bunny from that area. Then, distract it with something else that the rabbit can nibble (such as a toilet paper tube or pine cone). 
With rabbits who are peeing everywhere or "marking" their territory (or anything similar), just put an end to playtime. Shut the bunny up for a few minutes as a "time out", and soon enough it'll realize that when it doesn't pee in its litter box, it gets a consequence. Remember, though, that for bucks who are obsessive about "marking" their territory with urine, usually having them neutered completely eliminates this behavior. 
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    My name is Holly.

    I'm glad you're here! Don't be a ghost; leave a comment every once and a while! Let's talk ;) 
    A little about me - I love breeding and raising Holland Lop rabbits! I have been blessed the with the opportunity to raise rabbits in the city, and I am so grateful!
    Besides rabbit breeding, I have a babysitting business, and I am an author. I hope to have a novel published in the next couple years or so!
    In this blog I hope to post daily articles and updates on the rabbitry. Thank you for following and I hope you enjoy! Don't be shy; feel free to leave a comment once and a while! I would love to get to know you.

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