Last Updated on June 12, 2023 by Laura Thompson
With its long, floppy ears, the English Lop rabbit is a breed that you should have no issues picking out from the crowd. But, before you try to find an English Lop rabbit for sale, make sure to read the whole article, because this may not be the perfect pet for you.
Bear with us, at the end of this article we will provide you sources to reputable breeders where you can find English Lop rabbits for sale. First, lets take an in-depth look at this rabbit, shall we?
Contents
The Origins of the English Lop Rabbit
Up until the 19th Century, rabbits were bred for nothing more than utility. This means that there wasn’t really a drive to domesticate the rabbits.
As long as the rabbit could produce meat and fur, then everybody was happy (except the rabbit, one would assume).
However, in the 19th Century, there was a massive change. Sure, people wanted rabbits for their meat and fur still, but there was now a major drive to have the rabbits developed to be household pets.
This is when breeders started to work on the English Lop rabbit. While we cannot know 100% for sure, most people believe that this was the very first breed ever developed purely for pet and show purposes.
The English Lop rabbit is now one of the most common household pets. This breed was also used in the development of all other lop breeds. So, it really does have a place in rabbit breeding history.
The Look of the English Lop Rabbit
Of course, the most distinctive feature of the English Lop rabbit will be those large, floppy ears that it boasts.
While the other lop rabbit breeds like the Mini Lop or the Holland Lop are far larger than the English Lop, none of them even come close to the size of the ears on this breed.
In fact, this rabbit has the largest ears out of all rabbits… and it isn’t even a close competition!
The English Lop is available in a variety of different colors. This includes broken colors, where one of those colors will always be white.
The English Lop Rabbit as a Show Rabbit
Since this is a stunning breed of rabbit, it is a staple at any rabbit show. However, due to the popularity of the breed, the competition at these shows can be incredibly high.
As a result, you probably shouldn’t be entering the competition unless you have been breeding the English Lop rabbit for a while. You would stand no chance of winning.
Nowadays, the main reason as to why the English Lop rabbit is raised is as a pet. This leads us neatly onto our final section.
The English Lop Rabbit as a Pet
We have a lot to talk about here.
What you must remember is that the English Lop Rabbit was the first-ever rabbit breed to be properly domesticated.
This means that while it is a brilliant rabbit breed, it is not going to be perfect. There are a couple of health issues with the breed, but we will come to those in a short while. For now, we will want to go through the various aspects of care for your rabbit.
The English Lop Temperament
Part of the reason why this rabbit is so loved as a pet is that it has a very friendly nature.
In fact, we reckon it is one of the friendliest rabbit breeds out there. It will be exceedingly calm with everybody, and we do not think we have ever heard a story of the English Lop being overly aggressive towards humans.
Because of this, it is going to make a great family pet. However, the behavior of the rabbit does lead to our first health issue.
This is a rabbit breed that is not all that active. It just likes to lay around throughout the day.
This means that if you are not careful, there is a chance that the rabbit could gain a lot of weight, and this will be a serious health risk for them.
Feeding the Rabbit
Obviously, this is still a large rabbit. This means that they will need to be consuming a few calories. However, due to the fact that they are so lazy, you probably will want to change up their diet in comparison to other rabbit breeds.
Standard rabbit feed should be fine for them. However, you will want to ensure that you give them only standard hay. Do not give them the fancy ‘high protein’ hay, because this will lead to them gaining an astonishing amount of weight. They do not need that hay.
You can check our article about the best hays for rabbits you can give to your English Lop.
You will also want to ensure that you keep the treats to the minimum. If you do want to give your rabbit some treats, then you will want to give them vegetables.
They are low in calories, while at the same time giving your rabbit a nice dose of nutrients.
Just make sure that you do your research here. You probably do not want to be feeding your rabbit vegetables that are dangerous, right?
Housing the rabbit
The English Lop rabbit can be housed both indoors and outdoors. In both cases, they are going to need to have a huge hutch.
There should be enough space for them to walk around and stand in the hutch. The rabbit should always have access to an area that it can exercise, even if it is not going to be using it all that much.
Recently we have done a review of the best hutches on the market right now. Without a doubt these would be the best rabbit hutches for indoor and outdoor use.
The Health Issues
We have already covered one of the health issues for the English Lop Rabbit. This means that there is one more left, and it relates to the size of their ears.
These rabbits are very prone to ear infections. This means that you will want to check for any signs of infection on a weekly basis. If there is an issue, then make sure that you take them to the vet right away so that it can be treated.
Other than this, this is a rabbit breed that is prone to getting cold during the winter months.
This means that if they are an outdoor rabbit, you may want to bring them indoors. If they are an indoor rabbit, then make sure that the room doesn’t get uncomfortably cold. They should be fine like that.
English Lop Rabbit For Sale
It is not an easy task to find a good English Lop rabbit for sale, as a breed that also has a prominent role in the history of rabbit breeds, you will want to have a rabbit with a pedigree right?
You maight be tempted by the availability of this breed in your local pet store, however you do not have any background information about the rabbit.
That is why we strongly recommend finding English Lop breeders. In the links bellow you will find English Lop rabbits for sale near you:
- American Rabbit Breeders Association list of breeders in US, or
- Find an English Lop rabbit for sale on the Rabbit Breeders site.
Laura is an experienced wildlife rehabilitator and conservationist residing in Madison, Wisconsin. Her love for rabbits was sparked during her early career when she nursed an injured wild rabbit back to health. Today, she runs “Hoppy Haven”, a rehabilitation center dedicated to the care and release of injured wild rabbits.