The Mini Plush Lop was created by Devie L. D'Anniballe in North Lawrence Ohio. Loving the Hollands with their charming personality but the Mini Rex's soft coat and sweet disposition. Devie decided to combine the best of the two worlds. In 1995 a handful of others started to try to create what is now the Mini Plush Lop. By adding a Rex with a Holland. The Holland was to bring the size down and get the body that was wanted. The Rex was added to the coat and the massiveness of the rabbits. Needless to say this did not work. The next step we tried was to breed a Mini Rex to a Holland. Again this did not work and we tried for 2 yrs. The bone structure became very fine, ears would not fall ect. As time went on everyone that started said it was not possible and too much work. That is when I, Devie D'Anniballe began to solo on my own. I added 3 lb. Mini Rex with good coats to a Mini Lop. This gave the needed body type and the ears did fall but the size was way to large. Only the does were kept from this breeding and I still needed to breed down with the bucks. Already having the Holland/Mini Rex crosses, the bucks were used to bring down the size. Only the does were kept from these breedings and bucks came from a Holland/Mini Rex cross.
Culling
Culling was the hardest thing. All rabbits were only allowed to breed one time. If the does had litters and raised them, two does were choosen and the rest were culled from the herd. Only one or two bucks were chosen to be breeding bucks out of several litters and the rest were culled. Soon my large barn was sectioned off and is still sectioned off today. One section is brood does. This section is just for those does to have a litter, once the doe kindles two does, they are culled from the herd. Next is juniors which will be future brood does and should be ready for breeding as soon as the other does have raised their young to six to eight weeks. Then, with all the babies being born we must have a nursery to watch the babies grow and choose the future breeding rabbits that will help develop the herd. Last but not least, we have the Honeymoon section. This section can and often is up to 15 bucks for observation and breeding.
The rabbits are culled and only the most prolific and hardy animals remain for future breeders.
New things started to appear in the herd. After a few years, different breeds started showing up in the herd. First came the Jersey Woolies, then came the Fuzzy Lops and then came Chester. Chester grew to be a whopping 9 lb. rabbit. In the next litter with the same breeding came Dillion a three and a half pound Mini Plush Lop that was to be the start of all the Mini Plush Lops. Dillion if bred to a Holland and then offspring back to him brought out Mini Plush Lops. |
