Slipped Crowns on Lop Eared Rabbits
Exhibiting Rabbits - Faults with Lop Rabbits
The position of the crown on lop eared rabbits has become quite a cause for concern to rabbit exhibitors. If the crown of the head is not positioned correctly, then the rabbit’s ears will not lie correctly and will stick out to the side - hence the term ‘slipped crown’.
A slipped crown on a lop eared rabbit is always more noticeable on a larger rabbit such as a French Lop, as obviously they have larger ears. Sometimes it almost appears as though the crown has disappeared, it is so noticeable. Some miniature lop rabbits do still have this problem, however it is not as easy to identify.
If the crown is placed incorrectly, then it will not be on top of the head, but sloping towards the back of the head, and as a result the ears will not be hanging straight down next to the eye, instead they will usually hang at an angle and stick out (like aeroplane wings).
Occasionally the ears do try to rectify themselves, causing the opposite problem - crown to the rear of the head, and ears pointing forwards. A side effect of the ears hanging incorrectly is that sometimes the ears curl up at the bottom, or sometimes they start to fold down the centre of the ear.
Regardless of which way the ears hang, they are only to be classed as perfectly aligned if they hang straight down. Plus, the rabbit will normally sit still and leave its ears alone if they are hanging correctly - if there is a problem with the crown or the ears, then the rabbit will tend to scratch at the ears and fidget more often.
It is easier to notice a slipped crown if you look at the rabbit from the side, the easiest way to spot this problem being the ear positioning.
If the crown of the rabbit is positioned correctly, then the crown will wrap itself completely around the top of the rabbit’s head. The rabbit’s ears will hang down perfectly straight behind the eye, and they will not stick out. The crown will also be wide enough so that the ears lie flat against the rabbit’s cheeks. From the front view, the rabbit’s crown and ears will form a horseshoe shape, and the rabbit will almost look as if it is peering out from behind its ears (the ears will be so close to the eyes).
How to Solve the Problem
This problem is hereditary. The only way that breeders and exhibitors can ensure that this problem does not continue, is not to ever breed two rabbits together that have a slipped crown. Even better, do not use a rabbit with a slipped crown as breeding stock.
Mini Lop Rabbit
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