# OT question about mini rex "VS" Holland lop



## Cece6 (Feb 21, 2009)

I need to decide which kind to get my son for 4h.He wants a breeding pair.I think the lops are freakin adorable but mini rex are more common thus more shows and clubs, etc.
I figure a personality comparison is in order...Which is the sweeter more handleable breed?
Thanks


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## Reauxman (Sep 14, 2002)

I'm a mini rex breeder, so you know my answer.

But it comes down to whether he will want to breed them. Hollands can be tough breeders, so I'd go with the MR if that was his intention.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

I have both, but haven't had them long so don't have a lot of "breeding background" to work from.

As far as personality goes, I think you have a fairly wide range in both breeds ... I've got three Hollands, two bucks and a doe ... one buck is super personable and loves to be cuddled, the doe is okay but would really prefer to be fed treats and otherwise left alone, the young buck can be a pill when he wants to be but I think he'd cuddle if he was handled a lot.

Have four MiniRex of my own plus keeping one for a friend, three bucks and two does. Two of the three bucks are really sweet, the third does not like to be handled and both of the does are pretty spooky as well but not particularly difficult.

I've had one litter of Hollands and two litters of MRs. Holland Lop doe was a first litter doe, settled first time bred, kindled 7 kits, now just a couple of days old. First MR was a first litter doe, settled first time bred, kindled 5 kits, not a great mother, insisted on staying in the nestbox all the time, two of the 5 kits have survived to three weeks. Second MR was bought bred (not a first litter doe) did not kindle. She looked fat to me, so put her on a diet for 3 weeks, bred her and she kindled just yesterday, 4 kits.

From a personal standpoint, I actually like the MRs better, suppose it is because of the coats, as I've always had Rex. But the Hollands are definitely adorable ... guess what I need is a Rex-coated lop eared mini-bunny to make me completely happy!


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## ladysown (May 3, 2008)

choice ...MR or HL.

Personalities vary in all of them.

HL's win for cuteness factor. anger/attitude (without meanness) + cuteness = laughter EVERY time.

(my mr.wiggins gets angry when I give baskin (his rival) his morning hay/grass first. He throws a temper tantrum. makes me laugh every time. I have to make a point of varying the routine once in a while. Can't be getting him angry all the time. Those flopping ears combined with that small body just makes me chortle for some reason. These are HL's.

personality wise I prefer the hamminess of the MR. I love the inquisitiveness of their personalities. i don't get peanuts with them as I have with HL's. So if your boy can't handle peanuts....get the MR's

HL's for breeding...for me have been a non-issue problem wise. The better I know them, the easier they are to breed. Could be one day a quiet girlie will chase my hand...Then she's receptive to breeding. YEAH!  MR's can be easier to breed, but they can have their moments as well.


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## Ryan NC (Jan 29, 2009)

I can't comment on the rexes as I've never raised them...

The Holland&#8217;s for the most part have VERY neat personalities and make great pets for children, I believe it's a breed trait not just a line trait. I think neat personalities are common in most Holland&#8217;s, they are quite content sitting on your lap being petted, like seeing you, and just generally seem to like people, they also tend to deal well with my sons random movements and lack of foresight. We do have one doe that breaks this rule but she is that way towards my wife and daughter. (she doesn't seem to like males for whatever reason)

My biggest complaint with Holland&#8217;s comes at breeding time, they are finicky little rabbits and breeding hasn't taken into account mothering ability from anything I've seen so far! We've have great conception rates with them but can't seem to get them to use their nest boxes for anything, we've had 4 litters born so far this year and only one momma has gotten it right with an incredible littler of 5 as a first time mom. (1 is a peanut) We are 5 live out of 13 born this year, this can be heart breaking for younger kids that don't understand that sometimes life just isn't fair! This is also the reason they tend to be on the expensive side.

As much as I love the Holland&#8217;s I'm not sure I'd recommend them for a young 4-H'er (under say 12) as breeding animals as there is just to much that goes into them. Instead I'd recommend mini-lops to get him started with lops and a possible transition to Holland&#8217;s later if all goes well... From my experience Mini lops are not near as neat personality wise but they were much easier in the breeding department!

In rereading this post it sounds almost like I'm slamming the breed, nothing is furtherer from the truth! They are great little animals just not for every breeder...


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## Keepee (May 13, 2009)

Hmm, I personally like the Hollands better- my does are great moms, but they are harder to breed! Most folks wanting a pet seem to want Hollands (here in my little area of NC, anyway). Hollands can give you the peanut babies that die off within three days, so that's kind of a downer.


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## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

The Holland Lops babies are easy to sell and there should be another word for this kinda cute !!!


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

nancy237 said:


> The Holland Lops babies are easy to sell and there should be another word for this kinda cute !!!


Actually, I think something that cute has got to be illegal!


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## miraclewelsh (Sep 29, 2007)

nancy237 said:


> The Holland Lops babies are easy to sell and there should be another word for this kinda cute !!!


Absolutely darling!! Love the pic!


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## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

CECE.....
I didn't mean to steal your thread!!
Has you son had a chance to spend any time with the two breeds??

Both my boys insists that bunnies ears should go up and Lops are not "normal" looking LOL 

Let us know what you decide.


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## Falls-Acre (May 13, 2009)

Mini-rex and Holland lops are both dwarf breeds, you will likely get peanuts regardless if your animals are the (correct) dwarf size they should be. Temperament wise (and I've raised both for around a decade at the same time), they're about the same. I've had laid-back and attitude equally from both breeds. Cuteness-wise they both go through an adorable fluffy stage. That all being said, the MR are definitely easier breeders and (overall) tend to be better mothers. If your aim is to win on the showtables, a good Holland is hard to beat. So it really is going to come down to what your goals are for the breed.


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## Reauxman (Sep 14, 2002)

True MR shouldn't throw peanuts.

People have crossed everything else into them, and some lines do I guess, but mine don't. 

I also like mine to push weight, so small doesn't cut it much around here. Generally they have to be very nice to stay around when they aren't 4 pounds.


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## Cece6 (Feb 21, 2009)

Wow I thought I had decided on MR but then that photo was posted...Thanks alot now I cant decide....He is only 8 but he likes both breeds, especially the black ones..
Maybe my son should get the minirex and I should get the hollands(LOL).
I know the rexes are easier to find here, cheaper and more clubs/shows for them.
The hollands are more expensive, less shows because they are not common here.But the cuteness factor seems to be overriding my common sense.And I found a breeder that is only about an hour away.


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## Keepee (May 13, 2009)

reauxman, Are you sure they shouldn't throw peanuts? It's my understanding from the Show breeders I work with that they do throw peanuts because they are a dwarf breed-

I do know that if you have non-dwarf animals, you don't have to worry about the peanuts. I had a 4lb holland doe that never threw me peanuts because she was a BUD . She was a very nicely put together girl- just bigger than I like in my dwarfs . Anytime I saw a baby was going to follow in her footsteps and be big, I was easily able to pet the babies out!


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## Ryan NC (Jan 29, 2009)

Mini rexes ARE a dwarf breed and you WILL get peanuts if you breed 2 carriers, max weight per ARBA standard for the mini rex is 4.5lbs. From talking to other breeders over the years they don't seem to have the same problems as most other dwarf breeds though... I have no clue why and no personal experience with them to back it up, years ago we had a Netherland dwarf line that was a the same way. 

All dwarf breeds will throw false dwarfs just as often as peanuts, it's based on a recessive gene set. This is what it seems you are breeding for Reauxman, not a bad thing if that's what you want and are not selling them as true mini rex's. If the animal does not inherit a dwarf gene from either parent they will have all the normal traits of the breed just a bit bigger and longer and they can not produce peanuts which is not entirely a bad thing... 

They also will not be showable under ARBA dwarf breed standards due to weight issues although you can most often get them registered right after they hit the 6 month mark. Many people do use false dwarfs as brood does breed to a true dwarf male which tends to produce larger litters and 50% of the offspring will be true dwarfs without producing any peanuts. I plan on growing out several false dwarf does with the Holland&#8217;s picking the very best to use as brood does hopefully resulting in better litters and higher total numbers of kits.


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