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French lop Eared rabbits are one of the most popular breeds out there, they’re known for being extremely small rabbits which are the produce of cross breeding Butterfly and English Lops. Unfortunately, the original purpose of this cross breeding was for improved meat production.
The French Lop breed was actually introduced into the United Kingdom due to a rise in popularity in the 1930’s and then into the United States at around 1970.
The French Lop is often confused with the Mini Lop and “Butterfly Rabbits”, but you will often find that French Lops are larger and heavy in body mass and size. Quite a low and pointy jaw-line and a stumpy but arched body. Whilst they may seem small in photos they can be particularly broad.
Believe it or not, your French Lop won’t require anything particularly special outside the normal rabbit care routine. They do extremely well living as indoor and outdoor rabbits assuming their living space is large enough (35″ x 25″), you should definitely avoid using wire flooring with French Lops as they are a particularly sassy breed and should only be treated with the best care ?.
Due to their size and medium length of fur, you’ll need to take particularly special care during the summer months in terms of keeping them cool as they do not tolerate heat well at all. You’ll want to brush them regularly, multiple times a week.
We utilize flat freezer packs and cover them with shirts we don’t mind being ruined, as this keeps the scent to comfort our rabbits and they will often lay on the pack. You can accompany this with a frozen 2L water bottle which has been frozen and they can opt to lay next to this.
If you’re looking for the actual size of a French Lop, they are quite the Giant breed and are often seen to resemble a Flemish Giant despite the shorter body length. Interestingly one of the worlds biggest bunnies called Humphrey was 42″ in length and weighed 2st (28lbs).
Due to their medium length fur, the French Lop appears quite stout and has a large head but has ears that can span up to 8 inches long. They’re an absolute pleasure to stroke.
Much like most Giant Rabbit breeds, an indoor French Lop will live for around 6-8 years on average. With certain levels of care and luck, you may find your furry friend sticking around even longer!
One of the great things to note is that all the knowledge we had about rabbits in the last 10-20 years is pretty much out the window, if your rabbit doesn’t get poorly or have long term illness they can survive 10+ years.
French lops have a wide variety of colors which don’t change the rabbit other than visually, you’ll see these colors as either one solid or blend between one another; White, Brown, Blue, Black, Chinchilla Grey, Steel, Cream & Brown.
As far as we know, there’s nothing particularly known for French Lops, however, as they are a giant breed you may find that they experience the same issues as other giant breeds.
For example, French Lops can easily become overweight due to their size and a misunderstanding on their diet. It’s suggested to regularly get their weight checked either at home or at a veterinarians as being overweight can cause a large array of issues.
Giant rabbits also get joint and mobility problems as they get older or if they have excessive weight gain, this is due to the excessive weight on their bone structure. This in turn can lead to overall poor health.
Despite their size, you should still feed them the same ratio of hay, pellets and fresh vegetables as other breeds; 80% Grass / Hay, 13% vegetables,5% pellets, 2% Treats. Obviously this is a rough metric and changes based on how picky your rabbit is, but definitely stick to that as much as you can.
When it comes to Fruit treats, this will be anything with natural sugars; Strawberries, Apples etc. Not sure what treats to give?
French Lops are known for being very cuddly, due to their size they’re extremely large size they’re extremely calm and docile and do fantastic with older children and adults (Anyone who doesn’t tug or pull at them). If your French Lop has been social before or has a very sociable surrounding they may be perfectly fine with lots of attention from strangers.
Despite being extremely large, French Lops love to run around, even if they are heavy footed, you should get a smaller breed if this is your first time owning a rabbit.
One of the best things about these gentle giants is their love of cuddles and constant need to be reminded they are a rabbit not a dog. You will often find that they thrive on human interaction and unlike other rabbits love to be picked up, so if you are a couple that likes to watch tv on the sofa or alone and want a cuddly companion, these are a great breed.
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