French Lop

The French Lop has a broad, rounded head that resembles a ram (hence “baran”, ram) and ears that hang down at the sides. The body is short, powerful and wide. Adults weigh 5–7 kg, and colours vary widely. Does usually have 5–8 kits. The breed matures late and grows slowly for meat.

Kits are not born with lopped ears: the ears usually drop fully by 1.5–3 months, and some rabbits keep one ear upright. Lop-eared rabbits suffer ear canal inflammation and dental problems more often than upright-eared ones, so check ears and teeth regularly. The temperament is very calm.

Uzbekistan climate. Its heavy body and hanging ears (rabbits shed heat mainly through their ears) make it struggle in hot weather: at 35–40 °C it needs a cool place, shade and ventilation. It handles cold well. Because of its weight, keep it on a solid floor rather than wire.

Buying locally. Ads say “baran”, “F. baran”, “fransuzskiy baran”, or “vesavoy baran” for the heavy type. “Karlik baran” is a different, much smaller breed, and the two should not be confused. A one-month-old kit gives no clue to its adult size, so see and weigh the adult parents. For a meat farm, this breed is not a good choice.