The Holland Lop is a small [[Rabbits|rabbit]] breed distinguished by its floppy, lopped ears and compact, cobby body. The breed is one of the most popular rabbit breeds kept as pets but is also raised on homesteads for meat, show, and as a manageable rabbit for children. The Holland Lop is the smallest of the lop-eared rabbit breeds.
The Holland Lop was developed in the Netherlands in the 1950s by Dutch breeder Adriann de Cock. The goal was to create a small, compact lop-eared rabbit. De Cock crossed the French Lop with the Netherland Dwarf, then refined the result through further crosses with the English Lop and Netherland Dwarf to achieve the desired small size and ear carriage. The breed was introduced to the United Kingdom in the 1960s and to the United States in 1976.
The Holland Lop was recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association in 1979. The breed's popularity grew rapidly due to its appealing appearance and friendly temperament. It is consistently one of the most registered breeds in ARBA competitions.
Holland Lops are small, muscular rabbits with a compact body weighing 2.5 to 4 pounds (1.1 to 1.8 kilograms). The head is broad and round with a short, thick neck. The ears lop downward on each side of the head, forming a horseshoe shape. The coat is dense, medium-length, and rollback (returning to its original position when stroked). The breed occurs in a wide variety of colors, with the most common being broken (white with patches of color) and solid varieties including black, blue, chocolate, and tortoise shell.
Holland Lops are known for their calm, friendly temperament. The breed is easy to handle and is often recommended as a starter breed for young homesteaders. Does are good mothers and produce litters of 3 to 5 kits, which is modest compared to commercial meat breeds.
On homesteads, Holland Lops are kept for small-scale meat production, as pets, and for 4-H or exhibition purposes. Their small size means they require less feed and space than larger breeds, and they are manageable for children. The meat yield per animal is smaller than for commercial meat breeds, but the breed's efficiency on feed is good.
Holland Lops are less productive as a primary meat breed than the New Zealand or Californian, and their small litter size makes them less efficient for commercial meat production. They are best suited as a multi-purpose breed on small homesteads where meat production is secondary to the value of the animals as pets or show stock.