Some things just get in your blood and you can’t quit. That would be me with rabbits…
Hey, I’m Leah
Your rabbit raiser and herd mom.
I’ve had a few different breeds over my 18 years as a rabbit raiser but once I found the french lop. Well, I was hooked.
French lops are the only rabbit breed I raise here on our micro-farm because I am a firm believer in doing everything with intention.
I have two main goals here at the rabbitry…
#1 Conformation (body type)
Pretty colors are, well… pretty. But that doesn’t cut it on the show table. Making sure my animals are as good as they can possibly be comes before anything else.
#2 Good Temperament
French lops are a massive and strong breed. The occasional “leave me alone” bad day is ok but a consistent bad temperament is not cool and won’t stay long.
Pretty colors are great but that doesn’t cut it on the show table. Yes, my French Lops will make great pets but my goal is to never lose sight of making the breed better.
Where Are We Located
We are located 1 hr south of Columbus Ohio and 1 hr north of Cincinnati Ohio.
A Myth About Rabbits
You don’t have to keep your rabbit indoors – Gasp! Put a muzzle on me and call me a rabbit hater. Rabbits are most sensitive to the heat (especially french lops) not the cold. If you have a shaded area you can out your hutch under they will be completely fine.
If you want to learn more if my tips and tricks to keeping your rabbits cool read this post.
This breed has extremely thick fur and aren’t how shall we say…. slender. If they are lying stretched out then you know they are fine and are not quite to the point of needing help to stay warm.
If your rabbit does not look relaxed then try some of these tips below.
- Add tarps to close off the wind.
- Give your rabbits a box filled with straw to help them stay warm. If you think they need i
- Don’t bring them into a garage or shed until temperatures are in the low teens for more than 2 days and the wind chill brings it lower than that. Consistency is key to keeping them healthy and not having to adjust to new timps.
Rabbits don’t need a buddy. – I can not tell you how many times I have seen in Facebook groups people on the verge of a breakdown that their “sweet little bunnies” are fighting. Think of it this way rabbits don’t come together in the wild except to mate.
Rabbits are not the same as dogs. They don’t live in packs in the wild so we can’t expect them to here either.
While yes it is true that there are some rabbits who have bonded. Who do you want your rabbit to bond with? You or another rabbit? When you give them a reason to withdraw from you they are going to do it.
Even cute little faces like these siblings below will start to squabble with each other at 12-14 weeks old.
New To French Lops?
The breed is very laid back and always ready for head rubs. They are the Saint Bernard of the rabbit world gentle but also a giant and sometimes opinionated.
The French Lop needs a strong confidant handler who is unafraid to make rules clear and won’t put up with shenanigans.
French Lop Size
Weight…
The ARBA Standard of Perfection only gives a minimum weight for this breed. Which is why you can see varying sizes.
The minimum weight is 11lbs for bucks (male) and 11.5 lbs for a doe (female) with no max weight.
With that said you will see on average 12-13 pounds for the breed occasionally up to 15lbs. If you hear someone say their French Lop weighed more then that I would be skeptical and only believe it if you weighed them yourself.
Inches…
French lops can measure as long as 30 inches if they are kicking their feet back and chill’n.
Sitting like the lady below comes out to about 20 inches long.
French Lop Personality
They are a very lazy breed once they mature and that is about 12 – 14 months depending on the lines they come from.
They are VERY laid back and I think because of the size not much scares them so they rarely get stressed out. I have been bitten MAYBE 3 times in my whole career raising French Lops and the times I can think of I had it coming.
However they do have opinions and need to have clear boundaries.
Ready To Bring A French Lop Home?
