Here are a few tips, care info, and bunny info. I hope this helpful! About Holland lops (And bunnies in general) Holland lops are one of the best, sweetest, and most outgoing breed of bunny is my opinion. Before you purchase one though I thought I should tell you a bit about them. Once a Holland lop is full grown it will weigh 2-4 lbs. Healthy Holland lops will usually live to be between 7-12 years old. Holland lops tend to "lop" their ears between 4-12 weeks old. It really depends on the rabbit. Many people have said that lop eared rabbits have trouble cleaning their ears. This isn't true. They actually keep their ears very clean! Holland lops can be indoor or outdoor rabbits. But if you choose outdoor you HAVE to put their hutch in the shade. Otherwise they could die of heat stroke. They keep quite warm during the winter months so don't feel like you need to bring them inside. They don't shed very often and when they do it isn't terrible. If you don't plan on breeding your rabbit I would strongly suggest getting him/her spayed/neutered. Even if you only have one or even just a couple of the same gender. Because when your rabbit can't breed instead of thinking of breeding it is focuses on domination. This could easily end in a split ear or a bloody mess. Also when you "fix" your bunny their temperament will change. They will calm WAY down. (Mainly if you have a bunny who's aggressive, dominant, or scared all the time. This applies to all breeds of bunny.) If you can not afford to fix them then that's ok but if you have more than one you'll need to separate them when they're unsupervised. I would definitely suggest getting at least two bunnies though. Bunnies are very social and need playmates. If you are unable to fix your bunny you'll need to keep a close eye on them when they're together. If you only have one bunny this will require that you play with your bunny much more often. The more time you spend with your rabbit, the more people friendly he/she will be! When buying a bunny in general you will need a playpen. This could be a puppy enclosure as well. They need to be given exercise preferably every other day. (Every day doesn't hurt though!) You can also walk your bunny on a leash using a bunny harness. Bunnies can be litter box trained as well. Feeding your bunny Knowing what to feed your bunny and what not feed your bunny is very important. We want to make sure your bunny gets the care it needs. So, here is a list of things I feed my bunnies on a daily basis: -kibble -veggies (occasionally fruit) -GRASS hay -WATER For kibble I use Mazuri timothy based rabbit food. Kibble is actually not as important to feed rabbits as other things. They need primarily hay. Rabbits only need 1/2 cup a day.Which keeps them in a healthy weight range! *MAKE SURE that you feed them kibble, not pellets!*
Veggies are a bit tricky... there are some veggies that are very healthy for a rabbit. But there are others that are NOT. There are some that could potentially get your bunny sick. Here is a list of good and bad veggies (Fruit is included)
VEGGIES to feed bunnies: Basil, blackberry leaves, bock choy, carrot tops (carrots are high in calcium and should be given very sparingly), celery leaves, cilantro, clover, collard greens, dandelion leaves, dill, kale, romaine lettuce, mint, mustard greens, parsley, spinach, strawberry leaves, turnip greens and water cress.
Washed FRUITS can be given in small amounts (about 1 Tablespoon a day) as an occasional treat: Apples (no seeds), bananas (no peel), strawberries, raspberries and pineapple
DO NOT FEED: apple seeds, pear seeds, dried fruit corn (fresh or dried) baby carrots (may have preservatives) banana peel broccoli cherries citrus peels iceberg lettuce cabbage nuts, seeds commercial bunny treats (high in sugar and fat) crackers, cereals, pretzels, chips, cookies or any other starchy foods (My mom found this for me! Thanks mom!) Also when buying veggies or fruit for your bunny it does not have to be organic.
For hay I use timothy hay 2nd cut. I buy my hay from Dayville hay & grain in Snohomish. MAKE SURE IT IS GRASS HAY. DO NOT GIVE YOUR RABBIT ALFALFA HAY!! I would strongly suggest buying a water bottle for your bunny. Not a bowl. The water bottle will be MUCH easier for your bunny to drink out of and less likely to spill or get dirty. I use great choice small animal water bottles. My bunnies have separate hutches so I use the 16oz bottle. But if your bunnies share a hutch I would definitely do the 32oz.
Bunny hutches & how to clean them When you consider a bunny the hutch is one of the most important factors. Because well, it's where they live! My main concern would be that they NEED space. A single story hutch should be at least 24x24". They need room to flourish. I recommend using Woody's Wabbits for a hutch. they are inexpensive, high quality, and easy to clean. They do have wire floors and that is actually fine for Hollands. They have VERY fluffy feet. Now I should get to how to clean them. Most people dread cleaning their bunny's hutch. Usually what people expect is; smelly, messy, and hard work. That is actually not the case. Cleaning a bunny hutch is fairly easy and quick! If you clean it regularly that is. :) I would recommend cleaning your bunny hutch once a week. That way the mess is more manageable. Supplies: -News paper -bleach -paper towels -Spray bottle with bleach or water and vinegar blend -Rubber gloves All it takes is, pulling out the tray then dump the poop in a bag or bin. (I do a "full scrub" once every two to three weeks.) To do a "full scrub" once the tray is empty lightly spray the wire and bottom of the tray with bleach or vinegar water. This will kill bacteria. Then, wash the tray and wire with warm water. You can also use a hose which is what I use! (Dry with paper towels or a towel.) Then put newspaper in the bottom of the tray. Newspaper will absorb bunny pee. It sounds complicated but once you do the work it's actually very easy! I hope this helps!
For more bunny information check out my friend Holly Wisnew's youtube channel. She was a HUGE help to me and has taught me almost everything I know! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPO6Aq5yuw4uACwhfCmNXSg If you have further questions, hop on over to the Contact Me page! Or check out MY youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCNMiPugkJCRt7Upo7KwX-A?view_as=subscriber