Need some insight and opinion

[Jared77]

I hope I put this in the right place.

My daughter will be coming up on next year 5 and my wife and I thought she's old enough to have a pet. That and she will be eligible able to show in 4H, so we figured that rabbits would be a good fit. She is very into rabbits and figuring their size and they are pretty laid back would work well for her. I've done quite a bit of reading up on them but one of the things I keep coming back to is breed. Most of the books I read give physical descriptions and thats about where it ends. I'm looking for something thats very laid back and a little more tolerant. I know personalities between individuals but I assume there are general tendencies with rabbits too.

Are the smaller dwarf breeds more high strung or more aggressive because they are smaller? Are the meat breeds more laid back? What about lops? Bucks or does? We may have a litter at some point but not for a while if ever. I guess I'm asking if you were going to get a rabbit for a child which breed and why? Looks are not important, ears up, ears down, smooth or rex, just no angoras, otherwise we just want to do it right.

This is not something we're doing on a whim, we're still doing our homework and when its time we'll get a proper set up. Just looking for some feedback on what breeds I should be focusing on for her.

Thank you!

 

[secuono]

Holland Lops are really chilled out, American Chinchilla usually are, too. Three of the 4 Silver Fox I have are very calm.
I've had a couple HLs and they were all calm, had Lionheads and Lionlops [lionheads X Holland Lop], also very sweet. All have their moments, over all a good fit.

 

[ruthless]

You might want to read this thread about opinions of the calmest rabbit breeds.
http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=17410

 

[terri9630]

Since you mentioned 4-H, check with you county extension agent. See what, if any, breeds are required or "allowed". Our local fair has an open class, but there are very few non meat breeds entered. We also only do single meat rabbits, no meat pens and only the grand champion meat rabbit goes to the sale. Every county fair is different so you'd get the best info calling your local office. They may also know of someone nearby that is selling whichever breed you decide on.

 

[bunnylovincowgirl]

Dutch and Himalayan are the two breeds I would first suggest for a child. They are small enough to handle and are famed for their calm, sweet temperaments. Polish, Mini Rex, Holland Lops, Mini Lops, and others all are usually very sweet, but in all those breeds there are occasional bad apples and I think a Dutch or Himalayan is a safer bet.

 

[PinkFox]

iv never met a Rex i didnt like!

 

[crazyturkeydesigns]

I think Mini Rexes are awesome for younger kids...it was what both my sister and I started out with and we fell in love with them. I think bucks in bigger breeds are more docile than the does (imo, anyway)as the does tend to be a little jumpier. It really just depends. If she's little I don't think you should be looking at a very large rabbit like a Flemish giant because it could be hard for her to handle because of it's size. Every breed has it's boogers, from the smallest to the largest breeds.

I realize I maaaaaay :be biased towards the mini rexes, but they are my absolute favorite for beginners.

I also think no matter what breed you decide to go with, you should buy it from a reputable breeder. Let your daughter hold the rabbit first, ask lots of questions! A good breeder is an invaluable tool to someone who is new to rabbits because they will help you along the way.
Let us know what you guys decide on! The first jump into rabbits is always so exciting