OK, it is very cute... but why won't my rabbit hold his ear (s) up? After you have eliminated the possibility of ear mites or other disease , you are left with a frustrating experience and not much you can do about it. Occasionally, it will self correct, but most times not. Some people report success with taping the ears up until the rabbit has attained greater body size, but I have not had much luck with this myself.

Basically, these are bunnies whose ears grow a bit longer than the other bunnies and just exceed the rabbit's ability to hold them up. Usually it is just one ear, but can occur in both. Unless you are breeding specifically for "Fuzzy Lops", you will want to think about how you can avoid this in your rabbitry.

The argument for environment: Here in Missouri it can be terribly hot and humid. The bunnies are growing rapidly just as the summer heat is at its worst. The larger ear probably is an advantage to keeping the bunny cooler since it "vents" excess body heat via respiration and the radiator effect of the ears. Unfortunately, the ear grows faster than the supporting structures.

The argument for management:. Keeping the bunnies in climate controlled buildings (ie air conditioning) may keep the ears from growing too quickly in summer... but for most rabbit breeders, this is not a viable option. At HMFF I keep fans on the rabbits throughout the summer to help them stay cool, but still experience the occasional lop. I also have noticed ears to drop after tattooing IF I tattoo in summer. This does not occur in cold weather. Therefore, I do not tattoo until late fall.

The argument for genetic: I find that the tendancy for larger ears seems to run in certain lines. Not all bunnies in the litter will exhibit the longer ear... just some. By selecting breeding stock from the sorter eared offspring and later using a buck with a shorter ear should help reinforce the shorter ear quality

So what to do with lop eared rabbits? First you must ask yourself "is this a problem for me?". If your rabbit is just a pet rabbit or raised for wool production, then the answer is NO PROBLEM. The rabbit can be perfect in every other respect, produce lots of valuable spinning fiber, and be a great pet. I am posting a trio of lop ear woolers at a fantastic price if you are looking for some fabulous spinning fiber producers.(see below)

If you are interested in showing your rabbit, then the answer must be YES PROBLEM . A lop ear would be considered a fault. Needless to say, when selecting for breeding stock, you will want to select for slower, shorter ear growth. Here at HMFF lop ear rabbits are removed from the breeding program and relegated to wool production only. Others may put them in the stew pot, but the market for angora bunny wool is so good that it is worth keeping them for woolers if you have the space. [see ad below for a trio of lop ears for a great price!]

The World Sheep and Fiber Arts Show held at Bethel, Mo over Labor Day weekend continues to be a great show for rabbit breeders. I took 8 rabbits up to Bethel (and four guinea pigs) and sold every one!

Vendors reported the same good sales, despite lower numbers of attendees. Thanks to the many nice people who purchased HMFF rabbits and cavies this year!

Got this email from a happy HMFF customer. Her rabbit took GrandChampion at the Heart of America Show at Sedalia, MO this past summer and did it again in Nebraska!

"You are going to now be doubly proud of Snowy, she and Sarrah got a Grand
Champion rosette and an award at our county fair! The judge commented that
Snowy was really a very nice rabbit! (We knew that) She managed to hold her
fleece long enough to make it for the fair show. Here is a picture of Sarrah
holding Snowy at the fair getting her Grand Champion awards picture taken. Is
she a happy little girl here, or what?!?!? She adores her bunny. They even got
their picture posted in the local newspaper!!! ..." Many thanks...
Cheryl in Nebraska

Three males in three different colors: chocolate, black and tort. No pedigree. All born in 2006. Recommended for wool production or pets only. $30 for all three! Contact me at hmffarm@fidnet.com for more details.