It is possible that you will sometimes see flopping -- either total or partial -- in the ears of your meat rabbits. This can happen at any age, but is most commonly seen in young grow outs, typically around 6 to 10 weeks of age.
Though there are some causes that might indicate illness or another problem, most of the time, this is mostly aesthetic.
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Not an Uncommon Condition
Flopping, dropping, tipped, or weak ears in meat rabbits is not an uncommon condition. You may or may not have seen or experienced it. It might even depend on where you live and the climate in your location. It is a condition that most rabbit breeders will experience if they breed meat rabbits long enough.
If you do notice falling ears in your meat rabbits, you’ll want to first check for the presence of parasites or illness. Absent of that, the issue is likely not one that is a risk to the animal.
Of course, there are breeds of rabbits for which flopping ears are expected and are part of the breed standard. Namely, these would be the lops, and although some people use them for meat or meat crosses, they aren’t generally considered a meat rabbit breed (with perhaps the exception of the French lop and some others, but these aren’t the most popular meat breeds).
Flopping, tipping, or “airplane ears” are most common in the summer months, but it can happen at any time of year, depending on the cause.
A simple but not well-addressed topic in the meat rabbit world
Interestingly, for as common as this condition is, it’s one that you don’t see addressed outright by the more credible resources (namely, universities and leading authors of the more reputable meat rabbit raising guides).
Some veterinary sites address it, and some of the more popular rabbit sites do, but many of those don’t always seem to have the causes quite right, or they focus on scaring rabbit growers into infectious causes, when that’s often not the case.
If you try an internet search for the topic, something like “causes of flopping ears in meat rabbits”, you often won’t get very good or very straightforward results. You are more likely to find information about ears as rabbit body language than an answer to why this is happening to your kits or grow outs!
The simplest explanations and the best answers to this question tend to come from other breeders and rabbit growers (at least in my opinion). Online rabbit forums and social media groups offer the best insight.
Most Common Causes of Flopping or Tipping Ears in Meat Rabbits
As they say, the simplest explanation is usually the right one. So start there. But also, be aware that there are a couple of illness and infection-related causes of flopping ears in meat rabbit breeds.
Heat
Heat is, in my experience, the most common cause of tipping or flopping over ears in meat rabbits. It seems to be the most prevalent explanation amongst rabbit breeders, too. So this is a common issue for summer litters, or for litters that are coming of age in that six to eight+ week age range during the hotter parts of the year.
So much of the blood flow and energy in the ears is being prioritized to cooling that the cartilage formation can be affected, and the connections can be weakened.
This simply results in [rather cute but not exactly breed standard] rabbits that have curling tips at the end of their ears, ears at a half-mast or downward position, airplane ears that stick straight out from the head, or uneven ears with one down and one either partially down or up. There are different ways this can present.
The first time I ever saw this was in a summer when the temperature was high. I’d had several litters before that, and it was clear after a very minimal search in a meat rabbit group that the hot weather was the cause.
There’s even a name for it. People on the forums sometimes call this “summer ears” or “bell ears”.
You will probably have more rabbits that display flipping and tipping in warm months than at other times of year.
These grow outs may only have tipped ears when it’s hot, or they might stay that way for a little while. Flopping may come and go in the summer, too. They may stand up after the highest heat subsides and then come back to flopping in the next wave of high heat.
In some rabbits, the flopped or half-flopped or tipped ear may be permanent, and the rabbit may never outgrow it. A lot has to do with how hot and how long the temperatures were high, and/or if there is another cause (like a genetic or structural predisposition).
Adult rabbits can show some tipping or flopping due to hot weather, too. In adults, it’s usually just a slight tip at the top of the ear, or an ear hanging down when it’s hottest. They usually perk back up as soon as the heat cools, unless they were one of those rabbits that never outgrew it.
Fast Growth
Sometimes, grow outs or lines with fast growth rates just outpace their ability to grow cartilage that is strong enough to keep the ears up. Simply put, they flop because the cartilage isn’t keeping up with the speed of growth and the weight of the fast-growing ears.
In this case, the rabbit will often outgrow the floppiness. As the cartilage strengthens and catches up, the ears will stand upright again. This or weak cartilage is probably the second most common explanation after high heat, at least if all else is well.
As an adult, most of the time, the ears will remain upright as expected. Some rabbits do not outgrow the condition, and they might always have a droopy ear or two.
Sometimes, the rabbit will mostly outgrow it, but not quite. For example, the adult rabbit might have upright ears, but the tips of the ears tip from time to time, especially in periods of heat stress.
Or, the ears might stand erect most of the time but flop in very hot weather.
If you’re selecting rabbits with an eye to avoiding this, you can often see the rabbits with stronger cartilage as it appears thicker or sturdier at the ends of the ears.
Weak Cartilage or a Cartilage Gap Between the Ears
Some meat rabbits just have weaker cartilage in their ears, for whatever reason, or there is a gap between the cartilage at the base of the ears. When this happens, the ears don’t have as strong a foundation and have a tendency for one or both of the ears to drop. The flopping is not always symmetrical (in fact, it’s often asymmetrical). It can also be symmetrical, but airplane-shaped.
This might be the case if you are seeing flopping at times of the year when the hot weather doesn’t account for it. It’s more of a structural issue that tends to come from the breeding line. You may have only one or two kits that present as floppy, or you may have most or all of a litter that looks this way.
If this is something you are seeing in the cooler and cold months, you can consider whether you need to start selecting away from this trait in your breedings.
Video: Why Do Meat Rabbit’s Ears Sometimes Flop?
Genetics
Your rabbit or line of rabbits might simply have a genetic predisposition to ear flopping or weak ears. Perhaps the tendency towards weak cartilage carried through. This could be because you or a previous breeder didn’t select out for a propensity for flopping ears, or it could be because a flop-eared breed like a lop is somewhere in the genetic line. Lop crosses, for example, would be expected to have at least some flopping in the grow outs.
It might be that the trait is rather hidden in a rabbit that was chosen more expressly for conformation or meatiness. It might be that the body selection of the parents was made at a time when the ears weren’t flopping, and so it only presents at certain times or only occasionally. Or it might be that it was such a minor or fleeting presentation in the parents that it was never really noticed. Or, that it never even presented in the parents, but the combination of the two brought it out.
It is possible that a rabbit with flopping ears could have some mixed genetics. For example, it might have some lop-eared genes in its history. Even if these don’t present in all the rabbits, it can pop out from time to time, similar to how a single infusion of a breed that was bred in briefly for a certain color gene can present far down the line, or even in late litters of previously bred does and bucks.
Injury
Rabbit ears and their attachments are vulnerable to injury. If a rabbit’s ears are pulled too hard, or if they’ve been picked up by the ears, the cartilage and attachment can be injured, and that can cause the ears to flop.
The most common cause of this is likely people who pick up and carry rabbits by their ears. This is the way some people learned to grab and hold rabbits, but it’s not a good idea for exactly this reason. It causes injury, damage (often permanent), and is painful to the rabbit.
The best way to handle a rabbit is to firmly but gently grab it by its scruff at the back of the neck (just enough to stop it running) and then scoop under the legs and support the rabbit from the underside. Carrying rabbits by either the ears or the scruff alone is not a good way to hold and carry rabbits -- especially heavy adult meat rabbits!
Injury can also occur from other rabbits. This can happen at any age.
Grow outs that are housed together may fight, especially as they get older, and that can cause detachment at the base, resulting in flopping.
Older breeders may fight when placed together for breeding, and this can damage an ear permanently and cause it to fall or droop. This is why we always watch our breeders when they’re visiting each other!
Mites
Meat rabbit’s ears might also droop if the rabbit is suffering from ear mites. Usually, the mites will have to be pretty bad for this to happen, but even a minor or early case can cause the ears to drop.
Sometimes, this is because the rabbit is scratching a lot. There’s a chance that it experienced some damage from excessive scratching.
Sometimes, this is more from the discomfort of the rabbit and how it is holding its ears. If you see rabbits with airplane ears or a dropping ear, check for mite canker and if present, treat immediately. If you’re not sure, treat anyway. Treating for mites is simple and easy, and there’s no harm in treating for them either preventively or if you’re in doubt.
Illness or Infection
Similar to mite infestation, illness or infection can be a reason your meat rabbit’s ears are dropping or airplaning. This is, of course, the most serious cause, but also probably the least likely in well-cared-for and managed rabbitries (which is not to say infections can’t crop up in the best rabbit barns).
When ears are hanging oddly because of infection or illness, there are usually other signs. The rabbit will probably be quiet, withdrawn, and lethargic. It may have balance issues or be rubbing or moving with its head down. It may fall a lot, falling over on its side when it tries to walk.
There’s typically a notable difference between an animal with balance and/or infection issues. It’s bound to be more than just a floppy ear or an ear with a curl at its tip. It is wise to assess the animals, though, and rule out infection and/or mites first. That way, you can hopefully catch and treat what ails them. And you’ll know not to worry if it doesn’t seem that the infection is likely.
How Much Does it Matter If Your Meat Rabbits’ Ears Flop?
At the end of the day, assuming that you checked and you do not have animals that are suffering from illness or infestation, then it doesn’t matter that much at all if your rabbit’s ears flop.
Flopping ears from heat, genetics, or weakness are purely aesthetic. There is no impact on the rabbit’s growth or health. There is absolutely no reason to cull or not raise and eat the rabbit’s meat.
If you are purely breeding for meat and the look of the flopping doesn’t bother you, there is no action that you have to take. Most of the time, the condition is temporary, or it will be one they grow out of. Most of the time, you won’t have floppy ears for long, and it’s not even an issue in selection for breeding stock.
If you are breeding to breed standard, you might need to consider that a little more. If the condition subsides, there’s really nothing to consider, but if it lasts into junior or senior adulthood, that would be a disqualification for a show rabbit or a rabbit that is expected to be bred to the standard of perfection (SOP).
Even if you aren’t breeding for show, if you plan to sell some breeding stock, you will probably want to select away from permanent ear flopping because buyers will recognize it as not standard for the breed, and many will consider it a fault or weakness. It will simply make selling your stock harder.
If you are selecting for straight ears and selecting away from ear flopping or tipping, it’s smart to consider juveniles that never had the issue, but it’s mostly something to consider in the older juniors and mature breeders. In the young, the issue is probably quite temporary, but it may have the potential to pop back out occasionally in stressful conditions. But primarily, it’s only considered a fault in the older rabbits.
Either way, this is information worth having if for no other reason than knowing you don’t need to worry about it. When weird things present in our rabbit rooms, it’s always comforting to know why!
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