How to get started breeding Holland Lops?

Question

I am interested in breeding Holland Lops at some point. I have done

some research, but know that I have a lot more to learn and I'm not

going to start until I am better informed. I was wondering if anyone

could explain some of the basics to me and give some advice. Are there any books you'd recommend??? How did you get started?

So many questions. How do you find good breeding stock and what characteristics should I look for when looking for rabbits to breed?

Thanks much.

Like I said, I realize I still have a ton to learn and won't start until I have a good understanding... which I know will take a lot more than asking questions on Yahoo! Answers, BUT I don't think it'd hurt to gather some of the info. this way. Like I said before, I'd love a book recommendation - if there is a book out there that really helped you learn about breeding Holland Lops, I want to know about it.

Answer 1

have you read http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/r... ?

Answer 2

I raise Flemish Giants, and I show at ARBA shows, which I assume is what you are planning to do. Or, if you are just planning on raising them for fun, it still would not be a bad idea to check these things out. When I got started (which was actually only a couple of years ago), I contacted a local breeder about buying one of her rabbits. At this point, I had owned many rabbits in the past, but just as pets and I had no experience breeding or raising. The lady I contacted was very helpful and she sold me one of her brood does really cheap. She also bred the doe to one of her bucks before she gave it to me. At that point, I was just showing 4H and not really doing anything with the ARBA. IF I were you, I would go to some of the ARBA shows in you area and watch what goes on and what not. The Holland Lop is a pretty popular breed, so I would watch the judging and then try to talk to some of the breeders. A show is a good place to buy your starter rabbits or to ask around and see what people have that they plan to be selling in the future.

But yeah, really, you just have to kinda learn as you go and get better each time you try something. Hope I helped a little.