An odd question - but does anyone here know anything about the different breeds of domestic rabbit? A client has a blue/grey one with upright ears, which he insists is a lop-eared (yeah, right) and I'd like to put the correct breed on the computer!

I used to show rabbits (Cashmere Lops and Polish mainly, but have also dabbled in Rex, Mini Lop, French Lop), as did Brainless. Lops should obviously have floppy ears (and there are a lot of different breeds of Lop: French, Dwarf, Mini, Cashmere, Meissner, German, English and I think by now probably even more) BUT it is possible to get one with bad ears that do stand up. It's also temperature related. If it gets hot, the ears often go up, if it's cold, they go down!

Is it fluffy JG? I had a female Lionhead rabbit who had upright ears. She was fluffy all over with an extra fluffy mane around her neck.

No, it's quite short haired, and the ears are narrow. The other one they have is an English Spot (I think, looking at pictures) and it's the same shape, but with shorter hair is blue/grey.

(Both sold as females - one isn't!)

I have a blue grey and white rabbit with stick up ears and i would say he is your common cross breed rabbit to me,he will prob kick me tomorrow now for saying that about him.  lol

> (Both sold as females - one isn't!)

:-O I had my girl speyed as I read up that the females where at high risk of developing gyny cancers if not speyed....... it was a nightmare - she was so poorly afterwards. First she undid all of her stitches and then stopped eating and developed GI stasis, it was awful and we nearly lost her. I have owned a male too and even though he was neutered, he sprayed urine everywhere (house rabbit). I hope that thier sexes have become apparent before any baby buns can be made!

>I hope that thier sexes have become apparent before any baby buns can be made!

We think it's already too late - they're nearly 4 months old.

They're probably both crossbreeds. Purebreds would most likely be rung.

I think you're certainly right that they're crossbreeds, but I don't think the computer will accept that as a breed - and it insists on a breed being stated, and won't just accept 'Rabbit'! I tried 'English' for the black and white spotted one but it refused that - grrrr! It likes Dutch, Lionhead, Dwarf, and Lop eared, but these rabbits are none of those.

http://www.thebrc.org/stds.htm

This link has pics of all breeds recognised by British Rabbit council The rhinelander and giant papillon are the other spotted breeds I know of. My German 'lop' male (whose rung by the way) had lop ears until he was 4 months when they promptly stuck up again!
Angela

prob a mongrel...but could be a belgian hare?

Errr won't be a Belgian Hare if it is blue/grey I'm afraid, probably a crossbreed. Lops ears tend to stick up when they don't have a broad enough crown, think the temperature affecting the ear carriage is a myth. There are folk who believe that ear length is affected by temperature since rabbits lose heat through their ears but genetics has a lot more to do with it. :-)

> he will prob kick me tomorrow now for saying that about him.  lol

ha ha! :-) :-) :-)

think the temperature affecting the ear carriage is a myth

Er, no -in that case you would not get rabbits with perfect ears as long as they are outside in their hutches in cold weather, but which put them up the moment they are penned inside a warmish show hall. :) Likewise have them up in the summer. They do sweat with their ears, after all! But of course, it only applies to those with pretty poor ear carriage to start with, those with too much muscle that CAN bring the ears up. Or short ears.

LOL In all the years that I have been breeding and showing rabbits I have yet to see a lop in a show hall with upright ears! It would be straight off thet table!! The ear carriage is down to the width of the crown, if the crown isn't wide enough the ears will not lop! If any of my lops had upright ears when the weather is warm they would not be bred from, never mind shown as it is the construction of the head and crown would be totally wrong.

Thanks for the link to the pics. I can't find anything on there that looks particularly like the bluey one so I'll have to try to beat the computer into submission and just get it to accept 'bog-standard rabbit'!

It could be a self coloured English if it is similar in size and shape. They are not showable but some English breeders do use them for breeding.

LOL In all the years that I have been breeding and showing rabbits I have yet to see a lop in a show hall with upright ears!

Well I certainly have -first time I can remember it was a REW in 1980. I have a pic stashed away somewhere even. :)

Well I hope it was never bred from considering what the breed standard says about ear carriage!

I also breed, judge and show rabbits and I'm secretary for a rabbit club and rjs is right, must've been a pretty bad lop! I take it the rabbit didn't win?