Weight: 2-4lbs

Body Type: Compact

Life Expectancy: 7-14 years

Litter Size: 1-14 kits

General Breed Availability: Common

General Pricing:$25.00-$400.00

Uses: 🏆🐾

ARBA Breed Popularity:

4H Breed Popularity:

General Breed Popularity: High

Cage Size: 24" by 36" 

Colors: Self Black, Broken Black,Self Blue, Broken Blue,Self Chocolate, Broken Chocolate,Self Lilac, Broken Lilac, Blue Eyed White,Red Eyed White,Sable Point, Broken Sable Point, Black Tort, Broken Black Tort, Blue Tort, Broken Blue Tort, Chocolate Tort, Broken Chocolate Tort, Lilac Tort, Broken Lilac Tort, Black Otter, Broken Black Otter, Blue Otter, Chocolate Otter, Broken Chocolate Otter, Orange, Red,Cream,Fawn, Frosty,Chestnut Agouti, Chinchilla Agouti,Lynx Agouti, Opal Agouti, Squirrel Agouti, Tri Colored, Harlequin, Chocolate Silver Marten,Fox, Blue Point, Lilac Point,Siamese,

Breed Health-⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Temperament- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Energy Level-⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Family Compatibility- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Showability- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Trainability- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Grooming Frequency-⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Shedding-⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Holland Lop Temperament-

The Holland lop is full of life and thrives on attention from people. They are renowned for being more calm, gentle, and docile than other popular rabbit breeds and are easy to handle. It is vital that this type of bunny has plenty of time away from their enclosures so they can hop about and exercise, preferably outside when the weather is good. However, the Holland Lop is a curious and intelligent breed that is prone to finding ways to escape, so make sure you have a secure area for them! Providing toys for your bunny keeps them both occupied and stimulated, thus preventing boredom. Bucks are generally considered cuddlier and more affectionate than does, who although equally sweet, can be feisty and prone to nipping if nervous or scared. Unless you plan to breed from your Holland Lop, it is preferable to spay does and neuter bucks. This helps reduce territorial behaviors like digging or spraying and makes litter training easier. As a result, medical treatment for a rabbit is expensive. With any pet rabbit, they should have a health check with the vet at least once a year. As the Holland Lop had certain features specifically bred into them, this has made them prone to certain health conditions.

Caring for Your Holland Lop

As well as their main diet of hay and pellets approximately 1/4 cups per every pound of weight. Your Holland Lop should have small amounts of leafy greens along with treats of fruits and vegetables. Clean, fresh water should always be available. Holland Lops only need a weekly brush, but more frequent brushing is required during molting to help stop them ingesting hairballs. Their nails require trimming once a month. As an active rabbit, a cage with plenty of room is essential for running around. It should comfortably fit food and water dishes, litter box, and a box to rest in with plenty of clean bedding. You should set aside one hour per day for your pet bunny to be let out and have a run around as well as interact with you.

Holland Lop Health

As a prey animal, it is often difficult to know when a bunny is sick, as they will hide their symptoms. Daily observation of your pet is essential so you can detect any illnesses or diseases early. Monitor their eating and drinking habits, check their droppings, and stay vigilant for any changes in their appearance or behavior, feeling for any unusual bumps.

Specific Health Issues

Their small round heads and flat faces often cause sinus issues and eye problems.
It also leads to misalignment of the teeth so they are not worn down when chewing, leading to malocclusion. This severe condition causes pain and infection, making it impossible to eat, and can lead to gastrointestinal stasis, which is extremely serious, requiring possible surgery. Feeding plenty of quality hay and grass-based pellets along with providing wood and pet-safe toys to chew helps wear down a bunny’s teeth. The lop ears of this breed can often mean poorer hearing and having an extra fold prevents air flowing freely. As a result, dirt accumulates and causes a painful condition called otitis media. Otitis media is an infection of the inner ear and, if left untreated, can spread to the upper respiratory tract. The Holland Lop is also prone to many of the diseases prevalent in other domesticated rabbits which include:

  • Snuffles
  • RHVD/RHVD2
  • Coccidia
  • Hairballs
  • Head tilt
  • Myxomatosis
  • Ear Mites
  • Sore hocks
  • Parasites

Holland Lop History-

The Holland Lop originated in the Netherlands, created by the well-known Dutch rabbit breeder Adrian de Cock, who began the breeding process in 1949. De Cock wanted to produce a miniaturized version of the French Lop, a large and heavy breed of rabbit highly favoured in northern Europe. To achieve this, he crossbred the French Lop with the Netherland Dwarf. The venture initially failed, as although small, the rabbits had upright ears. Further crossbreeding with English Lops strengthened the lop gene, finally producing a tiny rabbit with the distinctive floppy ears. By 1964, the Netherlands Governing Rabbit Council officially recognized the Holland Lop as a new breed. It became extremely popular across Europe, both as a pet and show rabbit.The tiny Holland Lop made its way to England in 1969 and was introduced to the USA in 1975. It was officially recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) in 1979.

Breed Standard and Judging-

Holland Lops are judged on eight parts of their body. Each gets a certain number of points scheduled to it.

Head...................................24
Ears.....................................10
Crown..................................8
Body....................................32
Bone, Feet, & Legs.............10
Fur.......................................7
Color....................................4
Condition.............................5


1. Head (24 points)
The head of the Holland Lop is one of the first things you'll notice when evaluating an animal, and can make or break a show Holland. The head is to be large, bold, and broad in appearance, with a round face, extremely short and well-filled muzzle, and plenty of width between the eyes. You should not be able to see the eyes when viewing the animal from the front. Bucks tend to have larger heads than does, and seniors tend to have larger heads than juniors. Some common head faults are a 'snipey' head, a head lacking boldness, a small head, a flat face lacking curvature, a muzzle or cheek lacking fullness, and a head lacking side-to-side width as viewed from the front.
Holland Lops go through lots of head changes as they mature, and at different ages the head may or may not be proportionate to their body size. Holland Lops are very slow to mature, and for some rabbits it may take them up to two years for their head to fully mature. The heads of many does worsen once they've had a few litters. You can give some allowance to juniors for having slightly immature heads compared to the seniors, but you still want to look for the skull shape, a cute muzzle and cheek, and width between the eyes.

2. Ears (10 points)
Like with the head, there's lots of stuff to look for with the ears. The first and most obvious aspect is ear control. Most rabbits have ears that prick up, but Hollands are required to have ears that lop. Therefore, any rabbit exhibiting ear control will be faulted, and any rabbit that carries the ears above horizontal will be disqualified. Sometimes, a rabbit will have one ear up and one ear down, which is called helicopter ears and is a fault. All rabbits exhibit some level of ear control, but we want as little as possible. We want the ears to hang vertically. Some Hollands when excited will clench their ears back or exhibit ear control, so oftentimes at shows, judges will assess the rabbit's true ear carriage from watching the animal in its cage when it is relaxed.
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With Hollands, we want a very short, thick, well-furred ear with rounded tips and a wide ear base. The thickness of the ear, also known as 'substance', contributes greatly to the look of a quality Holland. The wide ear base stops the ears from folding down the center, which is a fault. The ears should hang at or slightly below the jawline. In other words, the ears should be very short.

Note: It is strongly recommended that you evaluate ear when the rabbit is relaxed. An agitated animal will not exhibit its true ear shape and carriage. Observe the animal in its cage, or allow it to move freely on the table.

3. Crown (8 points)
The crown is SUPER important in Hollands. The crown is where the ears attach, and the look of the crown contributes greatly to the look of a quality rabbit. We are looking for lots of things with the crown. The easiest is substance. We want a big, bold, fluffy crown with plenty of depth. That is called crown definition. A skimpy crown lacking definition is much less impressive than a full, defined one. Another thing we look for is a crown with lots of side-to-side width, which causes the ears to hang vertically in a horseshoe shape when viewed from the front. Rabbits with ear control often lack side-to-side width. This is referred to as a 'tight crown'. Extremely tight crowns cause the ears to be carried above horizontal, which is a disqualification. Judges generally assess the ear and crown when the rabbit is in the judging cage prior to being handled. This is because rabbits that have already been poked and prodded by a judge are less likely to show their true ear carriage, and the crown may appear worse than it actually is. The crown should also have front-to-back width. This causes the ears to have a wide, open base. Crowns that lack front-to-back width generally cause folded ears.

The last thing we are looking for is crown placement. The crown should sit on top of the head. The way we evaluate crown placement is by looking at where the ears are. When the rabbit is at rest, the ears should hang directly behind the eyes with no space in between them. If there is ANY space between the ears and the eyes, this is called a slipped crown. Slipped crowns can often be seen from a young age, and rarely correct themselves. They are arguably the most common fault in the breed, but a rabbit with a well-placed crown is truly a beautiful sight to behold!

4. Body (32 points)
The body carries the most points out of any part of the Holland Lop. The ideal Holland is extremely short, wide, and thick, and carries extreme mass while still being under 4 lbs. You want lots of width between the front legs, which means a wide chest plate. You want a short, compact animal, not a long and narrow one. A Holland Lop should have zero daylight showing underneath its belly. We want a broad and well-filled hindquarter that is full to the table, a short, rounded midsection, a short and tall shoulder that results in a high head mount, and an almost nonexistent neck. The topline is hard to describe, so check out the pictures below for more on that.

The hindquarter should not be pinched, that is a major structural fault as it can cause kindling problems in does. Pinched hindquarters cause the hocks on the rear feet to turn inward and the rear toes to stick out to the side rather than being carried parallel. You also don't want an undercut hindquarter, meaning a hindquarter that tucks inward. Instead, it should be wide and full to the table, while also carrying enough depth to balance with the width. In other words, it should be as tall as it is wide.

As with the rest of the body, the shoulder should be short, deep, and wide, and any length, narrowness, or lack of depth is a major fault. A long shoulder makes the rabbit's pose lurch as if they are leaning forward. A narrow shoulder is also undesirable. It should instead be thick and massive. A low shoulder is highly undesirable as it causes a low head mount, which is one of the most major faults for our breed.

The midsection is rarely talked about, but contributes greatly to the topline and the side profile in general. A long midsection (the middle of the spine) causes the rabbit's pose to be lurched forward, again not exhibiting proper Holland Lop type. On the flip side, you also don't want too short of a midsection, or it ruins the topline and makes the rabbit slope off and lose depth over the hindquarters. If you are confused about the midsection length of a particular rabbit, let it relax and move naturally on the table. Any length to the midsection will become much more apparent.

Many people hold the head of their Holland (thus forcing them into a pose) to evaluate the body. This is NOT correct!! We want the Holland Lop to sit in its natural pose with only light guidance. By holding the head up, you are sculpting the rabbit into the mold of how you want it to look, rather than posing it in a way that exhibits both its strengths and weaknesses. 

5. Bone, Feet, & Legs (10 points)
Bone is an often ignored element of the Holland Lop. Bone refers to the front and back legs. The Holland Lop is supposed to have very short, thick, dense bone, and well-developed ankles. The front limb should be straight, with the feet directly underneath. A weak ankle causes a rather unattractive fault called 'flipper feet', which is when the feet are carried at an angle with the leg rather than pointing directly down. The rear feet should be parallel, and should be very short and wide. A good ratio to shoot for is a rear foot no less than half as wide as it is long. If the points of the hock turn inward, this is a fault and is usually connected with pinched hindquarters. Bone can be evaluated even in young kits, as bone doesn't tend to improve with age.
A Holland Lop's high head carriage should NEVER be the result of the rabbit sitting up high on long front legs. It should be the result of a deep shoulder. The legs should be very short, and look like tree stumps.

7. Color (4 points)
This is the least important aspect of the Holland Lop. Each color has its own specific variety description (look at your Standard of Perfection for more info on each specific color), so it would be impossible to cover all of them in the scope of this article. In any color, scattered white hairs along the back are a fault, unless they group together into what is called a 'foreign spot of color', in which case it would be a DQ. Excessive scattered whites (in the judge's opinion) are also a DQ.

In Broken Pattern animals, the 4 points allotted for color are divided in half - with 2 points being for color, and 2 points being for pattern. Some faults for Brokens are uneven markings, especially on the nose, scattered white hairs in the colored patches, and white-dipped ears. You want an evenly balanced nose marking, either nose spots or a 'butterfly' marking. As long as there is color on at least part of the whisker bed, the rabbit won't be DQed.

There are several general color disqualifications you should know about. General ARBA toenail DQs apply to Solid Pattern animals. Incorrectly colored eyes, as well as unrecognized colors (such as silver marten, Vienna, or torted otter aka fox), and lack of color on the nose, ears, and eye circles of a Broken. Foreign spots on any variety are a DQ, as are white spots in colored sections and colored spots on white sections (apart from in brokens). An excessive amount of scattered white hairs, in the judge's opinion, is also a DQ. Lack of shading in a shaded animal, smut on the useable portion of the pelt or Tan Pattern markings in a Pointed White, and complete lack of ring definition in an agouti. Also, any Broken Pattern rabbit with under 10% marking color (in the judge's opinion) will be disqualified. These are often called Charlies. A couple of specific colors of Hollands also have their own DQs. Opals DQ for white undercolor, Seals for being too dark to show contrast of shadings. Also, all 4 Tortoise varieties DQ for white belly or white underside of the tail. Pointed Whites also DQ for white spots and absence of any markings.

Since color is only worth 4 points in Hollands, color FAULTS are very minor and usually aren't a big deal in the show ring unless maybe the two top rabbits are identical except for markings. But I wouldn't stress about color too much, as long as it's there and there are no DQs.

8. Condition (5 points)
A Holland Lop in good condition should have a good weight for its size, be neither fat or thin, have a glossy, dense coat, be alert and curious about its surroundings, and have no diseases, infections, parasites, or injuries. The rabbit should not be in a molt (although Hollands seem to plan their molts to fall on show days).

While many people may think that condition just applies to the weight and fur of the animal, it's really so much more than that. If the animal is in bad condition, it generally affects the body. Even a molt can make the animal lose body condition. Body is 32 points on a Holland, the most out of any individual body part. If the rabbit is in poor condition, it's not just part of the 5 condition points that will be deducted, but also points off of fur and body. That is why it's super important to keep your rabbits in excellent condition through proper feeding and good genetics. And, if your rabbit is not in show condition, keep it home until it is!

Some other DQs we forgot to mention above are (this is not every DQ, just some):
Entered in the wrong class
Illegible or incorrect tattoo
Vicious animal
Split penis
Only one descended testicle
Neither testicle descended in Senior
Under 2 lbs
Over 4 lbs
Malocclusion
Disease, infection, injury, or parasites
Blindness
Faking (dying, plucking, trimming etc. of the animal in order to deceive the judge)
Unworthy of an Award (no DQs but does not look at all like a Holland Lop should look)