Mini Lop rabbit

rabbit

Mini Lop

Also called Klein Widder

Photo: MiniLop1234, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Purpose: Show, Pet¹²³
Note
ARBA shows it in four classes. Utah State University Extension says any ARBA breed can be kept as a pet.
Adult weight: Up to 6.5 lb¹⁴
Note
ARBA's maximum weight; its public page gives no minimum. Texas A&M gives ideal weights of 5½ lb for bucks and 6 lb for does.
Beginner rating: ⁶¹⁹
Note
Our score. Small and popular: ARBA says the breed gains in popularity each year, and it has a national club. We held back a point because we found no temperament description from a source we cite, and no dated prices to show how easy it is to buy.

Body type: Compact⁵⁴
Note
Texas A&M describes a massive, thick-set body, deep and wide from shoulders to hindquarters, with the hindquarters slightly heavier.
Cold tolerance: ⁶⁷
Note
ARBA says rabbits are hardy in extreme cold once acclimated. This is guidance for rabbits in general; we found nothing specific to Mini Lops.
Heat tolerance: ⁶⁷
Note
ARBA says rabbits do poorly above 85°F and gives 55–70°F as the ideal range. This is guidance for rabbits in general.
Space needed: 4 sq ft⁸⁷
Note
A 24 × 24 in cage, 16 in high, from UMass Extension's list of cage sizes by breed size class, which names the Mini Lop as a small breed. This is general guidance by size class. The legal floor ARBA publishes for a Mini Lop is 3 sq ft.
Recognised varieties: 2²
Note
Showroom varieties in ARBA's January 2026 breed ID guide: Solid Pattern and Broken Pattern. By our count the same guide lists 55 colours for registration.
Origin: Germany; brought to the United States in the 1970s⁴¹
Note
Texas A&M says the breed originated in Germany as the Kleine Widder and that its exact origin is unknown.
Recognised by: ARBA (United States), since 1980¹
Conservation status: Not on The Livestock Conservancy's priority list¹⁰

The Mini Lop is a stocky, lop-eared show and pet rabbit with an ARBA maximum weight of 6½ lb. It fits a 24 × 24 in cage, comes in dozens of colours, solid or broken, and has its own national club and show. It is bigger than the Holland Lop, whose maximum is 4 lb.

Checked October 9, 202614 sourcesReport an error

Cold tolerance
Heat tolerance
Space needed: 4 sq ft

Is the Mini Lop right for you?

Good fit if

You want a lop-eared rabbit that fits a 24 × 24 in cage
You want a wide choice of colours: ARBA registers dozens, solid or broken
You want to show: it is an ARBA breed with its own national club and national show

Poor fit if

You want a meat rabbit: Penn State's meat breeds are medium or large, from 8 lb up, against the Mini Lop's 6½ lb maximum
You want the smallest lop. The Holland Lop's maximum is 4 lb against the Mini Lop's 6½ lb
Your rabbits would sit in a hot yard with no shade

Appearance and varieties

ARBA calls the Mini Lop stocky and compact, with a softball-sized head and lopped ears. Ohio State's breed study guide lists it as one of five lop-eared breeds, alongside the American Fuzzy Lop, English Lop, French Lop and Holland Lop.

Texas A&M describes a massive, thick-set body with good depth and width from the shoulders to the hindquarters, which are slightly heavier. ARBA's maximum weight is 6½ lb; Texas A&M gives ideal weights of 5½ lb for bucks and 6 lb for does.

It is shown in two groups, Solid Pattern and Broken Pattern, in four classes.¹⁵⁴²

Variety	Notes
Solid Pattern	One of the two groups the breed is shown in. Registration colours include chinchilla, chestnut agouti, opal, lynx, black, blue, chocolate, lilac, white, sable, tortoise, frosted pearl, silver fox and steel.²
Broken Pattern	Brokens other than tri-colours are registered as Broken plus the colour, such as Broken Black or Broken Fawn. Four tri-colours are listed: black/orange, blue/fawn, chocolate/orange and lilac/fawn.²

Breeding

What to expect from a healthy doe. If two sources disagree, you see the full range.

Measure	Typical	Notes
Gestation	28–32 days⁷	Give the doe a nest box by day 28. Figure for rabbits in general.
First breeding age	4–6 months⁷	ARBA's recommendation for small breeds
Weaning	6–8 weeks⁷	ARBA's recommendation for best growth; always before 10 weeks. Figure for rabbits in general.

Planning a litter? Use the rabbit gestation calculator.

Housing, feed and health

Housing

UMass Extension gives a 24 × 24 × 16 in cage for small breeds and names the Mini Lop among them. ARBA's published legal minimum for the breed is 3 sq ft of floor and 14 in of height.

ARBA gives 55–70°F as the ideal range. Rabbits acclimated to cold cope well with it; they do poorly above 85°F, so give shade and moving air in summer. Shelter the cage from direct sun, rain, snow and wind.⁸⁷

Feed

For a pet rabbit, Utah State University Extension recommends unlimited water, grass hay as about 80% of the diet, leafy greens as about 10%, and small amounts of pellets and treats. Its pellet guide is ¼–½ cup per 6 lb of rabbit, which is about the weight of an adult Mini Lop.

Change feeds slowly over a few days. The same guide warns that a sudden change of diet can cause fatal gut upset.¹¹

Health

Rabbit teeth grow all their lives, so give something safe to chew. Summer heat is a risk: Alabama Extension says rabbits don't cope well above 90°F and in high humidity. Penn State Extension lists cleanliness, good ventilation, close observation and protection from sun and rain as the basics of keeping rabbits healthy.

This is a starting point, not medical advice. For any health concern, ask a vet who treats rabbits, or your county extension office.¹¹¹²¹³

Where to buy

We found no US breeder page with a dated Mini Lop price, so we quote no range.

Start with a breeder you can visit. Nobody pays to be on this list.

Seller or directory	Type	Notes
ARBA Find a Breeder	Directory	Search by breed and state
American Mini Lop Rabbit Club	Breed club	Send the club your location and it will put you in touch with members near you. It also suggests meeting Mini Lop exhibitors at an ARBA show.

Budgeting for housing and feed as well? See the rabbit cost guide.

Similar breeds

Breed	Adult weight	Price
Mini Lop (this breed)	Up to 6.5 lb
Holland Lop	Up to 4 lb	$150–$375
Mini Rex	Up to 4.5 lb	$20–$90

History

Texas A&M says the Mini Lop originated in Germany as the Kleine Widder, and that its exact origin is unknown. ARBA records that it was brought to the United States in the 1970s under the name Klein Widder.

After what ARBA calls a slow start and a name change, the Mini Lop, presented by Herb Dyck, became an official ARBA breed in 1980. The American Mini Lop Rabbit Club, established in 2011, is the ARBA-chartered club for the breed.⁴¹⁹

Common questions

How big do Mini Lops get?

ARBA's maximum weight is 6½ lb. Texas A&M gives ideal weights of 5½ lb for bucks and 6 lb for does.¹⁴

What is the difference between a Mini Lop and a Holland Lop?

Size, mainly. Both are compact, lop-eared ARBA breeds, but ARBA's maximum weight is 6½ lb for the Mini Lop and 4 lb for the Holland Lop.¹⁵

What colours do Mini Lops come in?

ARBA shows them as Solid Pattern or Broken Pattern. Its January 2026 breed ID guide lists dozens of registration colours, including chinchilla, chestnut agouti, opal, lynx, black, blue, chocolate, lilac, blue-eyed and ruby-eyed white, sable, tortoise, frosted pearl, silver fox, steel and four tri-colours.²

Where do Mini Lops come from?

Germany, where the breed was called the Kleine Widder. It was brought to the United States in the 1970s and became an ARBA breed in 1980.⁴¹

What size cage does a Mini Lop need?

UMass Extension gives 24 × 24 × 16 in for small breeds and names the Mini Lop as one. ARBA's published legal minimum for the breed is 3 sq ft of floor.⁸⁷

How long do Mini Lops live?

No lifespan figure here is specific to Mini Lops. Utah State University Extension says pet rabbits in general live 8 to 14 years.¹¹

Where can I buy a Mini Lop?

The American Mini Lop Rabbit Club suggests two routes: find an ARBA-sanctioned show in your state and talk to the Mini Lop exhibitors, or send the club your location and it will pass on contacts for members near you.¹⁴

Sources

The small numbers beside each fact point to one of these.

American Rabbit Breeders Association, Recognized breeds.
American Rabbit Breeders Association, ARBA Official Breed ID Guide: Rabbit (updated January 2026).
Utah State University Extension, Understanding the Basics of Rabbit Care.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Rabbit Project Reference Manual (AS 2.010, April 2000).
Ohio State University Extension, Ashtabula County, Study Tips for Rabbit Breeds, revised 2016 (PDF).
BreedBarn, Editorial rating, method on the editorial policy page.
American Rabbit Breeders Association, hosted by University of New Hampshire Extension, ARBA Recommendations for the Care of Rabbits and Cavies.
UMass Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, Rabbit Housing.
American Mini Lop Rabbit Club, About the American Mini Lop Rabbit Club.
The Livestock Conservancy, Conservation Priority List.
Utah State University Extension, Pet Rabbit Projects: Getting Started (PDF).
Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Summer Heat and Rabbit Production, UNP-0082 (PDF).
Penn State Extension, Rabbit Production.
American Mini Lop Rabbit Club, FAQ.

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