French Lop Babies Available
Page updated on: Wednesday July 02, 2008 10:11
All of the babies are thoroughbred French Lops and all will be large adults. A French Lop has a minimum adult weight of 4.5kg but we estimate our babies should reach about 5.5-6.5kg weight as fully grown adults aged about 15 months.
The Breed: French Lops are noted for their large size, stocky build, broad faces, long ears and docile, great character, affectionate nature – and are often referred to a the ‘gentle giants’ of the rabbit kingdom. They are big, cuddly characters with a placid, easy-going, (sometimes rather lazy!) temperament and make wonderful companion pets, particularly when handled and cuddled regularly - as ours always are!
Housing: French Lops make superb house-rabbits and ours enjoy going for walks /runs on a lead and harness with their ears bobbing or swinging as they trot along the footpath or local fields. In many ways, owning a French Lop is like having a small puppy (or a living cuddly toy!)!
But, be warned - you'll soon be hooked on them and once you've enjoyed the love and companionship a French Lop can offer, you'll probably never look twice at any other breed!!
In view of their space requirement, they are much better-suited to becoming litter-trained house-bunnies - and most of ours will be partly litter-trained (if not fully litter-trained) by adoption time.
Indoor Cages and Play Pens can be extremely useful for confining a youngster while undergoing litter-training or while s/he settles into your home (we recommend the 'Comfort Cage' which has a double-width door making it accessible to larger breeds - unlike similar indoor cage designs) and/or play-pen when unsupervised or they could live outdoors in a conventional hutch - but we always prefer to encourage the former. Cages can be ordered for collection or ordered online for home delivery. However, we stress that these cages are not suitable accommodation for confining adult French Lops and should only be considered as your bunny's 'base' - ie a convenient and practical storage area for food bowls, water bottles, hay rack and toys or an alternative to a litter-tray. They are far too small to confine any French Lop or large breed bunny. However, using one of these with a large play pen in front will provide additional space if you need to confine your bunny whilst unsupervised, eg while you're out at work or overnight.
If French Lops live outdoors in a conventional hutch, this will need to be a minimum of 6' long, 3' deep (ideally 8' x 4' which are convenient dimensions as this is the size sheet timber is supplied!) and 2' tall to allow them to stretch out and move around comfortably - sheds can make good accommodation when fitted with a cosy bed, litter tray and lots of toys to play with. Of course, the windows will be too high for them to see out of so please ensure they have lots of human contact rather than being forced to stare at the walls all day! A children's 'Wendy House' could be an alternative to a shed.
A large run will also be required since Frenchies are not a breed to be 'cooped up' for long periods.
They require a lot of fuss, cuddles, attention and interaction and, for this reason, living as house-rabbits is generally, by far, the best arrangement and we prefer our French Lops to become house-bunnies whenever possible.
Providing companionship and Stimulation: Where possible, we always prefer babies to be adopted in pairs to provide companionship for each other. This is essential for bunnies living outdoors where they are very likely to suffer from boredom if housed in a hutch and run with inevitably less stimulation and contact than indoor house-bunnies. Bunnies are social animals and not really suited to a solitary lifestyle. Please note that rabbits must never be housed with guinea-pigs.
Best Suited To: Most adopters are adults, usually childless couples or families with older children (aged 12+) with a mature, calm and quiet, gentle and responsible attitude towards these wonderful beasts! Our Frenchies have been adopted by young couples and active-retired pensioners, sometimes as an alternative to a puppy, and all are thoroughly loved and pampered.
PLEASE NOTE: French Lops are not suitable pets for young children. They are a large and heavy breed and children will be unable to lift them correctly - and this can risk injury. We have taken in 2 re-homing French Lops previously owned by children and each had suffered broken forepaws amongst other injuries caused by mis-handling. Therefore we prefer our bunnies to be adopted by adults.
Bonding with Owners: Male bunnies tend to bond very strongly with adult female owners - and this usually includes following their 'mum' everywhere, walking to heel and, if you leave doors open around your home, you'll probably find your faithful friend rarely leaves your side.
Girl-bunnies generally bond better with adult male owners. Having said this, however, we had a female house-bunny, Rosie, who bonded very closely with her female owner and walked to heel around the house before flopping down to beg for a nose-rub (which she always got!).
Frenchies will love to lie on the floor with their owners and enjoy gentle fuss or a doze - and will even leap into your bed to join you! Another French Lop we know, enjoys a walk-in shower with his 'mum' every morning. He then has to be towel-dried followed by a blast with her hair-dryer (on a low heat setting!) before he retreats back to his bed and toy-box while his 'mum' goes to work.
Frenchies have great character and their attention-seeking antics can be quite amusing company. As you snooze on the sofa - be prepared for your big furry friend to take a flying leap and land on your stomach or to nibble your shoe-laces if you don't bend over to pick him up for his cuddle!
They can be a very popular alternative to a pet dog - ie they will give and receive bounds of affection but don't require so many daily walks!
Once you've experienced the love and affection of a French Lop you'll probably be 'hooked' instantly and never look twice at another breed - and nothing can beat a bunny-hug from a big, cuddly Frenchy!
View photos of our French Lops at:
Our mums are large, placid, easy-going Frenchies who love affection. Bentley is an 'outside' boy whom we haven't bred ourselves. He is a super boy with long body, chunky head-shape and with the most loving nature you could imagine. As a ladies' man, he loves his girls and devoted human-mum. We have retained five daughters to continue his line next year.
The twins with proud dad, Bentley
Snugglebuns - our boy with his sister.
The tunnel - a favourite toy
The twins together (boy on left, girl on right) - only the boy is available.
Black boy - ready NOW!
Target adult weight: est 4.5-5kg.
black boy - ready NOW! £45
Our babies are reared and socialised as companion pets available for adoption as pampered pets to live either indoors as house-bunnies (always preferable) or outdoors in a spacious hutch with daily exercise. Although they are bred for their type and quality, they are NOT bred as show-bunnies to 'look pretty' - our babies want to be picked up, fussed, cuddled, snuggled and loved, and become a full member of your household.
Any bunnies living outdoors must have a spacious hutch of at least 6' x 3', a safe, secure run and a compatible partner.
Ideally we would like our babies to be adopted as house-bunnies preferably as boy-girl pairs whenever possible (but a partner is not essential for full-time indoor house-bunnies).
All outdoor bunnies must have a compatible friend or partner - rabbits are social animals so should NEVER be housed outdoors alone and provision of companionship is now one of the stipulations of the new Animal Welfare legislation which came into force in Wales on 27th March and England on 6th April 2007. Failure to comply with meeting all of any pet's needs can now result in prosecution.
Adoption fee: Our babies are priced individually at £45 - £65 according to their size and quality + Myxomatosis vaccination @ £13.50
The Adoption fee includes weekly photo updates, birth to weaning CD/DVD and (too much!) care information.
Target collection date: As listed above, subject to weaning.
Other babies available soon: We are not planning any further litters until October/November 2008
Future litters planned: We won't be producing any further litters until the autumn, around late-October - November. After this our next litter is planned for Spring 2009.
Please email frenchlops@rossrabbits.co.uk if you are interested in adopting any of our babies.
Watch them binky, hop and play in our garden:
The twins love to play together and explore their surroundings which could be indoors or out but, as you'll see from this video, they haven't yet mastered the skill of going down steps!
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Rabbits Need SECS! All rabbits need SECS - Space, Exercise, Companionship and Stimulation and, for this reason, we urge all adopters of outdoor hutched bunnies to adopt bunnies in pairs, either boy-girl or girl-girl (never boy-boy). Outdoor bunnies living in a hutch are extremely prone to boredom - bunnies are social animals and not suited to living in isolation. Indoor house-bunnies naturally receive more stimulation so a partner is not essential although is still desirable and your bunny will be much happier with bunny-company.
Adopting a Boy or Girl: If you are planning to adopt a boy-girl pair then it is ESSENTIAL that the boy is castrated immediately his testicles descend. When castrated promptly, usually at 12-14 weeks of age, there is no need to separate him from his girlfriend/wife but a mature adult must remain separate from any unspayed females for 4-5 weeks.
It can sometimes be quite fraught to introduce a new bunny of either sex to a mature female bunny, particularly if she hasn't been spayed. Therefore, if you are planning to keep a pair of bunnies, we always recommend adopting your boy first and then a girl can be introduced at any time thereafter (subject to castration, of course!).
Castrating Boys: If a boy is castrated as an adult then you will need to wait 4 weeks before introducing a girl whereas, if he's castrated immediately his testicles appear (usually about 12-14 weeks for a French Lop; 12-16 weeks for a mini lop), then the happy couple can be reunited the same day. Castration will prevent boys from spraying and make them less amorous towards human females or inanimate objects!
Spaying Girls: We recommend that girls are spayed at about 6 months of age, by which time their internal organs will be larger making surgery easier. If you keep 2 littermate girls together then it's best to have both spayed together on the same day then returned to each other within 24 hours to ensure their bond isn't broken. Spaying will prevent stroppy hormonal behaviour (bunny 'PMT'!), false pregnancies and, most importantly, uterine cancer which is relatively common in unspayed females from about 4 years of age. The surgery must be performed by a bunny-savvy vet.
Care Information: Following reserving, a receipt will be sent along with a link to download Care Sheets giving bunny-care information.
Photo Updates: Weekly photo updates will then follow to show how your new furry family members are progressing. A full set of photos along with video clips will be available at adoption time on the litter's Birth to Weaning CD - or earlier if you can't wait!
Collecting your Bunny: About a week prior to collection we'll send along further information including feeding instructions, vaccination information and full, very detailed, directions to our home, together with a list of food, hay, toys and provisions available.
Your New Furry Friend:
Having seen their photos and read more about our bunnies, if you are interested in welcoming one or two of our furry bundles into your home, then please EMAIL us and we will forward reservation details to you.
or telephone 07769 630079 between 1pm-6pm daily for further information
Email address: frenchlops@rossrabbits.co.uk
Reserving from Litters Due Soon: If you are interested in adopting a baby bunny from the surplus of any of our future litters, please contact us to register your interest. We keep a list of general enquirers and another list of people who have reserved a bunny from a future litter and already paid a deposit in advance..
We breed to maintain and continue our lines and normally retain a few girls from each litter, depending on their colours. We rarely retain boys from litters as we adopt very carefully selected stud boys from known lines to ensure there is no in-breeding and to introduce new bloodlines and colours into our furry family. For this reason, we tend to have more boys than girls available for adoption.
Please let us know which bunny/ies you are interested in. We will send you a reservation form and ask the following questions:-
Who the bunny/ies will be for, ie an adult or a child? If the bunny is to be a child's pet, how old is the child and is an adult prepared to take full responsibility for the bunny?
What size of bunny are you looking for?
What is the size of the hutch/cage your bunny/ies will occupy?
Will your bunny/ies will live indoors as a full-time house-bunny or outdoors in a hutch and run?
Do you have any other pets?
Do you have any other bunnies? If so, how many and which breeds are they?
Is the bunny to be bonded with another bunny you already have? If so, what is the age and sex of your present bunny, and is she/he neutered?
Have you previously owned any pet rabbits?
Do you have any plans to breed, either now or in the future? If so, do you already have a licence or have you applied for a licence?
Are you a member of any rabbit clubs?
These responses can help us ensure that you adopt a breed which matches your preferences in terms of size and temperament and will settle comfortably into your household so that your bunny-ownership will be a mutually-rewarding experience.
Please also supply your home address, mobile phone and a home landline telephone number. We will then email our home address to send the deposit cheque (payments can also be made direct in the bunnies' own online bank account!) together with further information about adopting and caring for our bunnies.
Please also visit the Rabbit Sales page of our main website for further information about adopting our bunnies.
We are members of the Rabbit Welfare Association.
The new Animal Welfare Act is the most innovative piece of animal legislation for almost 100 years. In real terms it means that the law now has the teeth to intervene before cruelty has been inflicted upon an animal, by placing a 'duty of care' on the owner / guardian of bunnies.
When does the new law come into effect?
From 6 April 2007 in England, and in Wales from 27 March, animal welfare law is being improved.
It is still against the law to be cruel to an animal. But now you must also ensure that all the welfare needs of your animals are met.
What does the new law do?
It makes owners and keepers responsible for ensuring that the welfare needs of their animals are met.
These include the need:
- For a suitable environment (place to live)
- For a suitable diet
- To exhibit normal behaviour patterns
- To be housed with, or apart from, other animals (if applicable)
- To be protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease
- The new law also increases to 16 the minimum age at which a person can buy an animal and prohibits giving animals as prizes to unaccompanied children under this age.
Anyone who is cruel to an animal, or does not provide for its welfare needs, may be banned from owning animals, fined up to £20,000 and/or sent to prison.
What does it mean to me and my rabbit?
It is not acceptable to keep a solitary rabbit in a small hutch, without the opportunity to exercise. Sadly we know that this is still the case for thousands of pet rabbits in the UK, as they are the most neglected domestic pet. Make sure that you are providing your rabbits with everything they need to live a long and happy life.
The Rabbit Welfare Association suggests the following to properly care for your pet rabbits:
Environment
Hutches should be a minimum of 6ft x 2ft x 2ft, and preferably with an attached run to allow the rabbits to exercise at will. The run should be 6ft x 4ft x 4ft as a minimum. Hutch size and runs can never be too big, so don't skimp.
Diet
Fresh food and water should be available at all times. A diet that mimics a natural diet, that is one which is mainly hay or grass, with a smaller proportion of greens and rabbit pellets is ideal. Any changes to the diet should be made gradually watching out for upset tummies and closely checking at least once if not twice a day for fly strike.
Behaviour
Rabbits like to dig, run and hide. They should be provided with the opportunity to exercise everyday. Ideally a run attached to their hutch, or even better a garden shed with attached enclosure. Don't forget to include toys that allow them to display their natural behaviour such as hay/willow toys for chewing, a planter filled with earth for digging and a place to hide if they want to.
Companionship
Rabbits are sociable animals and should be kept in pairs or groups, unless a house-rabbit with lots of human contact. The companionship and social interaction provided by another rabbit is ideal and much more suitable than housing with another species such as a guinea pig which we would not as a rule advocate.
Health Care
Annual or twice yearly trips to the vets are a must for their vaccinations (both for myxomatosis and VHD). Rabbits are prey animals and they hide pain well, so be aware of any subtle changes in behaviour or diet and take them to the vet immediately if you are worried. Regular mini MOT's at home can provide invaluable ensuring teeth and nails are not overly long, your rabbit isn't gaining or losing weight, and very importantly that once if not twice a day you check your rabbits behind for signs of soiling to ensure that flystrike can not become an issue.
