Holland Lop Bunnies for Sale in Massachusetts

Getting a Holland Lop to Massachusetts

Massachusetts is 2,800 to 3,000 miles from us, 3 to 4 days on the road. We drive it ourselves in a climate-controlled vehicle with regular stops. No depot, no holding facility, no handover between carriers, and never flown or shipped as cargo.

What this breed's size means for the journey. At 2 to 4 lb a Holland Lop travels in a compact carrier with room to turn round and stretch out, which is what you want for a journey of any length. Small enough that the carrier sits in the cab with us rather than in the back.

Massachusetts weather, and this breed

The furthest corner of the country from us, and a nor easter will move a delivery by a day without argument. Rabbits handle the cold; stopped traffic in a storm is what we avoid.

Holland Lops carry a dense enough coat that heat matters more than cold. Above about 80F they are uncomfortable and above 85F it becomes genuinely risky, which is why the southern runs go overnight.

Holland Lops in Massachusetts, specifically

Massachusetts is one of the furthest points we drive to and a four-day run. The date is agreed well ahead and watched closely in the final week, because a nor'easter will move it without argument.

For the rabbit, a Massachusetts winter is easy. Cold suits a Holland Lop and the summers are humid for only a few weeks. On climate alone this is a comfortable state for the breed.

The Massachusetts specific is the housing stock, which is among the oldest in the country. Older buildings mean draughts through window frames, radiators that run hot and rooms that vary several degrees from one wall to another. All three matter for a small animal that cannot move itself out of the way, and none of them are difficult once you know to look for them. Site the pen on an interior wall, away from both the window and the radiator.

The compensating advantage is that greater Boston has excellent access to exotic veterinary care, better than almost anywhere else on this list. If you are in eastern Massachusetts you can find a genuinely rabbit-experienced vet without much difficulty.

Keeping a Holland Lop in New England

Cold is the least of a Holland Lop's problems and New England winters are a non-event for a rabbit indoors. What does matter is the length of the winter: five months of no outdoor time means the pen has to be big enough to be the whole world for a while, and boredom in a bored rabbit shows up as chewing.

Size. About 2 to 4 lb full grown, the smallest of the lop breeds. Care. A Holland Lop needs its coat checked rather than groomed: a weekly once-over for mats behind the ears and around the tail is the whole of it. Nails every four to six weeks. They are prone to dental trouble if the hay runs out, so unlimited timothy hay is not optional.

What it gets mistaken for. Most often confused with the Mini Lop, which is a different and noticeably heavier breed rather than a bigger Holland. If a seller uses the two names interchangeably, they are not paying attention. Everything about the Holland Lop.

Why Bakersfield rather than a breeder in Massachusetts

You may well find one closer, and if they raise the rabbits indoors and will show you the parents then distance is a poor reason to rule them out.

What you get here is a small rabbitry where every rabbit is handled daily, one price whatever the colour, and a journey we drive ourselves rather than hand to a courier.