Breed Information | frenchlops

French Lop Breed Information

French Lops are a friendly breed of rabbit. They are the largest and heaviest breed of lop rabbits and one of the larger rabbit breeds in general. French Lop rabbits weigh on average between 12-17 pounds in adulthood. They have a very calm temperament but can be very playful. Housing, feeding, and care of French Lop rabbits is very different than many other breeds of rabbits because of their larger size.

Origin:

French Lops originated from France. The only lop breed of rabbit that existed at the time were English Lops. The English Lop and the Flemish Giant were bred together to create the new breed of French Lop rabbits. The variety/kind of Flemish Giant that was used to create the French Lop breed no longer exists and the Flemish Giants that are known now are a smaller version of the original. French Lops take about 18 months to reach full maturity and full size. By the time that they are to full maturity the French Lop Rabbit can weigh on average 12 to 17 pounds.

Behavior:

French Lop rabbits have a very different temperament than most rabbits. They at timescan be very playful but most of the time they are really laid back and not as high strung as other smaller breeds of rabbits. They love to play with toys. Hard toys such as large cat balls, baby rattles, plastic key chains, and chew toys make great toys. When they are let out of their cages to run around they will run a lot and be very active for the first few minutes. Then they will calm down and most likely hop around and explore until they get tired Ultimately they will just lay down and sleep. Rabbits are mostly nocturnal. They will be more active when it is dark outside and when everything else is quiet. French Lops should not be left to roam the house unsupervised. They will chew and claw at furniture and flooring.

Handling:

Adult and young French Lop rabbits love to be petted and paid attention to. Babies love being carried and held. Adult generally do not like to be carried around as much. Most adult French Lops do not like being carried because of their size. They have trouble feeling safe and secure unless both of their back feet are securely held. If a French Lop is worked with from the time that it is born, being held and petted they will behave better when they are older. French Lops are very social animals. They need for you to pay attention to them. If you start this when they are young they will be friendlier and nicer when they are older. Sometimes certain rabbits will never really be a social as others or never like to be held as much as others. Each rabbit has its own distinct personality. It is your job to help it feel safe while being held or transported. You can transport them in blankets, baskets, cat beds, or totes. This will prevent the rabbit from starting to flail around and will keep the handler and rabbit safer. All of the above mentioned ways to carry a French Lop will work for both you and the rabbit while trying to train it to be comfortable while being held. To tame your rabbit faster work with them daily by petting, picking up and carrying them. Sitting on the floor ad holding the rabbit is a great way for the beginning owner and rabbit to get comfortable with each other.

Feeding:

Since French Lops are a bigger breed, they need a larger amount

of food every day. It is recommended that they have at least 18%

protein in the rabbit feed pellets that you are feeding. Because

they are a bigger breed they need the extra protein so that they

can reach their full weight by the time that they are of senior age.

The higher protein also helps with maintaining their size and

weight when they are older. Without the 18% protein in their feed,

they may not gain full conditioning. It is also recommended to s

upplement the rabbits with rolled oats or old fashioned oatmeal.

This helps them to gain, and maintain weight. You can give them

1 tablespoon of oats once a day as an additive to their regular

food pellets. If you are having trouble with the coat condition of

your rabbits you can supplement them with black oil sunflower seeds. They have to be unsalted, it is easiest to purchase the bird seed variety. The rabbits can have about a 1/8 of a cup a day of sunflower seeds with their regular pellets. Sunflower seeds are high in fat, protein, vitamin E, linoleic acid, and calories helping the French Lops to maintain weight in the colder months. Note that too many sunflowers seeds in a rabbits diet can cause the rabbit to be in a continuous molt. At feeding time the French Lop should only have a few pellets left in their bowl. It is important to maintain that your rabbit is getting enough food daily. They should also have free reign of hay. The hat is essential for healthy digestive functions. It is very important that your rabbits always have access to fresh clean water. French Lops love treats, and they tend to act better when they are given a treat at least every other day. They love carrots, Cherrios, raisins, apples, bananas, and carrot tops. When you are feeding them treats just make sure that they are not getting diarrhea. If they do this means that you are giving them to many treats. To get rid of it, just give them extra hay. Just note that if you are giving them very alfalfa rich hay this can also make their stomach upset.

Cage Requirements:

All rabbits should be kept in a cage with a wire bottom. The solid bottomed cages can cause the rabbits to have sores on the bottom of their feet from sitting in their feces. These are called sore hocks. To help prevent these it is recommended to keep your rabbit on a wire bottomed cage. French Lops need to have a 14 gage wire bottom on their cage. This is necessary to hold their weight. If you then put resting mats on the floor of the cages this will help to prevent the sore hocks even more. Since French Lops are so large they are prone to getting sore hocks. So it is important to keep resting mats in the cage for your rabbits all the time. Because French Lops are such a huge breed, they need larger cages than most other rabbits. The average size of a cage for French Lops is normally 30 inches by 36 inches

of floor space. You should not make their cage much smaller than this.

They need room to be able to move around and still be active within their

cages. The middle of the cage floor should be braced across to prevent

the gradual sagging of the floor wire. It is important that the floor wire is

attached to this brace to prevent the bouncing of the floor wire as the

rabbit moves around. It is also wise to have an extra large door opening in

the cage. This is important to make it safer removing and placing your

French Lop in it's cage. If the cage is outside, it need to have a solid roof/

top. It should also be placed in a shaded area. French Lops are easily s

usceptible to heat stroke. If the rabbits cage/hutch is protected from both

the winter and the summer elements your rabbit will stay healthier outside.

French Lops need extra large food and water bowls because their heads

are so big. It is recommended that the bowls have no smaller than a 5"

diameter. The bowls should be heavy and not breakable, because the French Lops will pick them up and throw them.