Judging French Lops
by Luceee Schrimer
Proper posing

BODY-35
*Since the body is worth the most points, the first three things I look at is type, bone & size. Because minimum weight for Senior Does is 11 lbs.,and minimum weight for Senior Bucks is 10 1/2, the rabbit should not go under this weight at all. Personally, I like to see the rabbit go at least a half a pound over weight, that way you will guarantee  when the rabbit is shown it will not get disqualified for going under minimum weight.

* I look for a lot of depth on my lops, watching for them to rise in a curve to the highest point at the center of the lops hips, then rounding over to the back end. In other words, it should look like half of a basketball resting lightly on a table.

* I like to see very wide, well-filled and high shoulders that carry through to a little more well-filled hindquarters. I think (next to bone and type) the thing that is most impressive on a French Lop that I look at is the hindquarters. If a French Lop is narrow and has pinched back legs, I will not even consider selling or keeping it for show or breeding, no matter how good the rest of the lop is, or how good the pedigree on the lop is.. When I am culling a litter of French Lops I set the bunny on the ground and let it hop. Are its back feet straight and far apart, or does it go into a narrow 'V' ?If it goes into a 'V', the problem will only get worse when it turns a Senior.  Try to pick a rabbit with straight, wide hindquarters that go to the table. What I mean by 'going to the table' is a wide 'skirt' that goes out on the back of the hindquarters.

BONE-10

*Heavy bone is VERY important in French Lops! If your French Lop doesnt have good bone, chances are it wont make weight, and will produce light boned offspring. Feel the front paw-does it feel like a cigar, or a pencil? The bigger it is, the more massive of a Senior it will be, and the better type it will have.
Remember: fine bone is a Disqualification on French Lops!

When you are buying a rabbit take your time looking at every available rabbit the breeder has. Any breeder should take time helping new breeders out. Just remember, everyone has to start somewhere and you should have no shame asking questions! 

* Next comes bone-feel the rabbits from legs to see what they feel like. Does it feel thin and long like a pencil, or short and fat like a cigar? A 'cigar' means that they have good, heavy bone which is so very important in French Lops! This will lead to a more massive Senior, which is more likely to show ad produce well than a rabbit with long, scraggly and thin front legs. While checking out the bone, dont forget to look for mismatched toenails, or missing toenails!

* Since head and ears are worth the same amount of point, I look at them equally. Heads on Does and Juniors are permitted to be slightly smaller, but when you are looking at a Senior Buck he should display a wide, broad head. The general rule of thumb is to have at least a 'four finger crown' and you can tell this from the time they are juniors. A 'slipped' crown will usually result in ears that lay back farther than they should.
* I then look at ears, and they should display a 'horse shoe' shape, going at least 1 1/2 inches below the jaw, and being well-rounded at the bottoms. If your lop has thick, wide, well-furred ears that is also another way of telling if it has good bone. Dont worry too much if there is a small rip in the ear; mostjudges wont even mention it.

   * Fur & condition to me is the icing on the cake. It can either make or break the rabbit, so it is important to try and keep your lop in good condition. Feel over the back of the bunny-is it rough and bony, or nice and smooth? If it is flabby and soft this also means it is out of condition-try 1/8 tbsp. of wheat germ blend every day on top of 1 tbsp. of old fashioned oats, as well as brushing out your bunny every day.
If a rabbit is in perfect condition it will have a 'prime line' to it. This is a line running down its back, and it will have perfect fur. This is not an easy thing to achieve, so dont worry if your  French Lops that dont have this! French Lops have rollback fur, so gently stroke it from the rump up to its head and it should 'rollback.' Their fur should be about 1 1/4 inches long. If you have a Black check it over for stray white hairs before you show it.

Condition-5

Run your hands down the back of your rabbit. Is it rough and bony (like a washboard?) or is it firm and smooth?  Sometimes (especially in the warm weather when they dont eat as much!) our big bunnies tend to get out of condition and there isnt a whole lot you can do to stop it, but here are some tips :

*Keep them cool! Heat can be very deadly to bunnies! Take a frozen waterbottle out to your bunnies at the hottest part of the day , and keep fans on your bunnies if they are outside.

*Get them out (in the evening when it has cooled off) and spray water on your hands and get the loose fur out of them as you brush them out.

*Make sure they ALWAYS have plenty of fresh water.