Lionheads
Due to the love of Lion Lops it seemed a natural progression to want to have Lionheads!
We found that there were not many breeders of show quality Lionheads and even less that were willing/able to help.
We are currently in 2020 on our 4/5th generation of this lovely breed. Focusing mainly on quality of type, coat, mane etc..
Our aim is to work on anything colour wise that is excellent quality, with a desire to work towards orange, chocolate and chocolate torte if possible. Other associated colours are not out of the question as we breed to improve. We have several sooty fawns (black tort) agouti's and a lesser amount of beige (blue tort), lynx (lilac agouti) and black to name a few
(including harli bred/broken/butterflies for fun)
In breeding these we are learning about what we are producing and which way we want to take our rabbits in this breed. Consequently we are running on youngsters for longer than normal until we understand what we are producing. As a result we often have several older babies and young adults available on the sales page.
At the bottom of this page is the BRC breed description
We found that there were not many breeders of show quality Lionheads and even less that were willing/able to help.
We are currently in 2020 on our 4/5th generation of this lovely breed. Focusing mainly on quality of type, coat, mane etc..
Our aim is to work on anything colour wise that is excellent quality, with a desire to work towards orange, chocolate and chocolate torte if possible. Other associated colours are not out of the question as we breed to improve. We have several sooty fawns (black tort) agouti's and a lesser amount of beige (blue tort), lynx (lilac agouti) and black to name a few
(including harli bred/broken/butterflies for fun)
In breeding these we are learning about what we are producing and which way we want to take our rabbits in this breed. Consequently we are running on youngsters for longer than normal until we understand what we are producing. As a result we often have several older babies and young adults available on the sales page.
At the bottom of this page is the BRC breed description
Barrowbunnies Baldrick
|
|
Baldrick a cinnamon (chocolate agouti) Son of BB’s Blodwin (RIP) best agouti girl x BB’s Gwildor I choc tort.
The whole litter were stunning. Coats cleared very early. Super coat on this one and good mane/bib. Born 22.06.19 *Vaccinated 14.06.20 |
Barrowbunnies Sassenach
|
|
Barrow Bunnies Sassenach is a lovely little agouti doe with a lovely coat that cleared very nicely. Kept a lovely mane and bib. Her only fault is being a little shy she tends to hold her ears back.
Bred from a BB's Agata an agouti (sister to Tiana the cinnamon) and a BB's cinnamon buck. *Vaccinated 14.06.20 Our first show Lionhead rabbit - she earned her first 2*CC and received a good placing of 2nd in the Fancy Challenge U/5. Well done baby girl. Enjoying some nice little results with this wee girl. Another 2nd in the U5 Fancy Challenge as Swindon R.C. Sassenach has 6 CC's (12 stars) & 1 BoBD Nicholson: (U5) Very promising, good type, excels front and bib, coat fair at present. G. Richardson; (U5) Rounded type, short, little on shoulder, good head, ear, lovely balanced bib, c/c to develop. W. Brake: Showing good type with correct coat over back. Well formed mane. D. Medlock: Very promising. Good front, mane. BoB. |
Barrowbunnies Little Dove
|
|
Barrow Bunnies Little Dove is a beige doe. She is litter sister to BB's chocolate Lily and is the smaller of the two. She has a super coat and body.
This girl was very much admired at shows, people saying she reminded them of the palomino horse (we have to agree!) Dove is now being prepared for mating come Spring 2020. Bred from a chocolate doe x BB's Guildor 1 (choc tort) Born 24.05.19 *Vaccinated 14.06.20 Little Dove has 2 CC's (4 stars) & 1 BoBW. Brake: Wins on development. Nice front. D. Medlock: Similar to the agouti, just a little more forward. |
Barrowbunnies Concord
|
|
Barrowbunnies Concord is a Chocolate Tort buck. Bred out of a Cinnamon Tiana x an Orange Guildor both BB rabbits.
Pictured here as an Under 5 Coat clearing very nicely and keeping a good mane and bib. Born 25.12.19 *Vaccinated 14.06.20 |
Barrowbunnies Dolly
|
|
Barrowbunnies Dolly is a cinnamon doe bred out of a BB Agouti doe Agata - Tiana's sister, who has a super coat but less mane/bib and our lovely little out cross boy called Little Jason bred by the lovely Jason at Utopia Stud.
Dolly is pictured here as an Under 5 month with a super coat clearing really well. She also has a super bum!! Born *Vaccinated 14.06.20 |
Barrowbunnies Annika
|
|
This doe is from a nest that contained Olive (Under marked Agouti doe) x a petite Harli buck offspring, but also a foster bred from a BB Black doe and Little Jason. I think we know who her daddy was!
Her coat cleared early but the colour has ++ rufus modifiers making her coat redder (as does Little Jason) Was not planning on keeping this girl but resistance was futile. Name idea! Annika (7 of 9 Borg/ TNG Star Trek) Born 23.12.19 *Vaccinated 14.06.20 |
Barrowbunnies Flora (McFluffly)
|
|
Flora is a lovely doe, super type, coat and mane. Sadly she developed some white hairs as an adult but we will carefully chose her husbun and keeps good records to see if this is an issue.
Bred from Chocolate doe x Little Jason a high rufus sooty. Born 21.02.19 *Vaccinated 14.06.20 |
Barrowbunnies Olive
|
|
Olive is an agouti broken lionhead doe, bred from an Oliver Kelly broken choc and BB’s agouti doe. She has a lovely short cobby body with good front elevation and good/ fair coat.
Needs mating, but to who....? Olive was mated to our little Harlequin buck and is currently on a litter including a foster. Clever girl, first time mated and a perfect mother. Her next husbun will be Baldrick. Born 22.3.19 *Vaccinated 14.06.20 |
Barrowbunnies Tiana
|
|
BB's Tiana (named by Denise) is a cinnamon. We sold her as a youngster but were offered her back when Denise was cutting back. Tiana was the sister with all the mane/bib but a slightly soft coat. Her sister Agata we kept, an agouti , had the coat but less mane.
(Her sire a BB's cinnamon has produced some lovely offspring and is now enjoying his retirement in a pet home) Thanks Denise for offering her back to us and mated! Born lost date Aug 18? *Vaccinated 14.06.20 |
|
|
Photo and video of the three Lionhead babies and the foster mini lop at 12 days old. We have decided to run on the chocolate doe from this litter.
|
Barrowbunnies Agata
|
|
BB Agata is litter sister to BB Tiana above. Agata has a super body, fantastic coat but lacks a little on mane/bib.
Agata has produced some lovely babies and we are looking forward to see what she produces this year. Born *Vaccinated 14.06.20 What I particularly like is her clear face which I think is closer to the standard than many!?
From the breed standard |
Barrowbunnies Brianna
|
|
BB Brianna is a lovely girl is one of the babies from the video above of Tiana's litter. She is a lovely compact doe. Her sire was a REW.
Born 31.08.19 *Vaccinated 14.06.20 |
Barrow Bunnies Lily
|
|
Barrow Bunnies Lily is a chocolate self doe. She is sister to BB's Little Dove and is the slightly bigger of the two.
They were bred from a chocolate doe x BB's Guildor (choc tort) Born 24.05.19 *Vaccinated 14.06.20 Her first litter produced a cracking orange boy went off to a pet home and a REW girl we are running on for now. |
Barrowbunnies REW doe
|
|
This lovely girl was a surprise colour but in hindsight should have guessed it might of happened.
She was bred from Lily (choc self) and Guildor 2 (orange) She has a nice coat/mane. Is a very clean girl. A little long in the body but we can live with that as it makes for an easier pregnancy and birth come the time. Bless her she is really ready to mate, but we will ask her to wait a little longer! She is most likely an orange under the white coat, we are thinking her first husbun will be Baldrick. Born 12.12.19 *Vaccinated 14.06.20 |
Introducing...some fresh blood/our crosses
|
|
Jason kindly offered us his last couple of Lionheads as he makes way for he revisited passion of guinea pigs.
Chewie, sooty buck a compact buck, excellent type but a coat more suited to an Angora! However he has produced offspring with good back coats for Jason. Bred form Jason's white line, his mother was best adult at the London 2018 and won many great awards. His sister was BIS Lionhead at The London 2019. He has a sweet nature and loves his Weetabix! Born 04.01.18 *Vaccinated 14.06.20 |
Kylie bred by Oliver Kelly
|
|
Kylie is a lynx broken/under marked butterfly from Oliver Kelly Parents were a Harlequin and Agouti mantle. A bit moulty in her adult photos but overall a nice doe. Born 27 June 19 *Vaccinated 14.06.20 |
Below is a slideshow of some of our rabbits we have bred. We have sold a few as pets and even some have gone to other exhibitors to be used in their breeding programme or shown. Many of these photos are are of our first and second generations, we are now nearer to our 3rd or 4th generation and are gradually reproducing and amalgamating the qualities we desire..... although there's still work to be done.
BRITISH RABBIT COUNCIL BREED DESCRIPTION
Lionhead Ring Size C
Points 1 Type 25 2 Mane/Bib 30 3 Coat 25 4 Colour 10 5 Condition 10 Total 100
1. Type - The body is to be short, cobby and well rounded; the shoulders and chest broad and well filled, with shoulders matching hindquarters . The depth at the shoulders should be deep enough to allow the animal to show full chest and bib; rounding back to hind quarters that are broad and deep. The whole body should be firm to the touch. NOTE – Lionheads should be posed with front legs resting lightly on the table. When viewed from the front the stance is high enough to show the full chest, mane and bib, the head should not pushed or forced down. Legs of medium length, not too fine in bone, relative to the size of the animal.
Weight - 1.36kg (3lb) - 1.7kg (3lb 12oz) Head - To be broad, with good width between the eyes. The muzzle should be well developed. The head should be attached to the body with no visible neck.. Ears - Not to exceed 3.5 ins (8.89cm) in length. To be erect and well set, but not necessarily touching, well covered of good substance slightly rounded at the tips, but not furnished as an Angora. When relaxed, ears will be carried in a slight ‘V’.Ears should balance with the head and body. Eyes - Bold and bright, eyes of whites to be red or blue; in all other colours as per Colour Standard.
2. Mane/Bib – Are comprised of extended fur which is strong and full of life with a medium soft texture. Guard hairs may be present, but should not create a course texture. The mane will form a full circle of fur between 5.to 7cm (2 to 3ins) in length extending to a ‘V’ at the back of the neck, falling into a fringe around the head, with extended fur on the chest to form a bib. The greatest density possible is desired. The mane may form a cap across the brow, which should enhance the prominence of the mane. The extended fur on the cheeks should extend into the whisker bed but the centre of the forefaced below the eye line should be clear of extended fur.
3. Coat - The coat to be dense, of medium length, roll back and even all over, the saddle should be free of extended fur, there maybe a flank line of extended fur known as a skirt running down the length of the rabbit, starting at the shoulder running down to the tail and extending in a line into the groin, when the skirt is lifted, a normal short coat should be visible, the skirt should not cover the entire sides, and should not touch the saddle. On the under 5 month the skirt around the flanks may be thicker than on an adult, but there must be signs of this clearing on the saddle, showing a clear distinction between the developing back top coat and skirt. The rabbit must not resemble an angora or cashmere in coat quality.
4. Colour - All colours as long as they conform to a recognised colour and pattern. It is important to remember when judging colour, that the fur of the mane, bib and skirt will be the undercolour in that area of the coat. The skirt on a banded colour like an agouti- all the bands may be visible.
5. Condition - The exhibit should be in perfect health and bodily condition, free from all soiling, particularly on the feet, ears, and genital parts. Free from knots and matting around the mane, bib and skirt. The coat should reflect the overall good health of the exhibit, which should appear alert and vigorous.
FAULTS - Narrow or long in body, chopped off or undercut hindquarters, any specimen that shows raciness. A long narrow head; pointed or narrow muzzle; low head set; ears too long, ears that exceed 3.5ins (8.9cms)in length or do not balance with the head or body ( an unbalanced rabbit would be penalized even if its ears are not over 3.5ins) . Ears that are pointed, lack furring, or do not balance with the head or body, or that are heavily furred more than half way up the upper ear. A mane that lacks density or balance. Extended fur on the face below the eye line. In an under five month exhibit where there is no disctinction / definiation of the back coat, (no signs of the baby coat starting to clear).
DISQUALIFICATION – Malocclusion Wall Eye, putty nose, incorrect coloured toe nails. Furnishing on top of the ears like an Angora. Lack of mane or bib. Extended fur in the saddle area of an Adult. In an under 5 months any exhibit that resembles an Angora or Cashmere in coat type and quality. Heavy soiling. Knots and matting. Adults over 1.7kg (3lbs 12oz) or under 3.36 kg (3lbs) in weight.