Flemish Giant Rabbit Breeding Information

An Introduction to the Largest Rabbits on Earth

No rabbit breed is more awe inspiring than the Flemish Giant. These rabbits have been known to grow bigger than a dog. The average Flemish Giant weighs a massive fifteen pounds.
Flemish Giants became popular at the turn of the last century, when European exhibitors brought them to America to show them at county fairs around the nation. They have always been highly prized for their luxurious, soft fur, but their friendly, docile temperament makes them a popular choice of pet too.

Handle with Care

Just as with any rabbit, if you choose a Flemish Giant as a pet it will take him a little time to get used to being handled. Because they are so large their bites and scratches can be far worse than those inflicted by a smaller rabbit. They do not make good pets for small children for this reason. But if treated with care by older children and adults they do fine in a domestic setting.

A Flemish Giant can also be a good match for those looking for a calmer rabbit, one who is not dashing around all the time. Giants are usually quite happy to spend most of their time eating and lazing around. Of course, as they are so very big by nature they will consume far more food than the average rabbit breed.

If you do decide to get a Flemish Giant you will need to ensure that you buy a cage or enclosure big enough to meet his needs adequately. Although they are not great runners, the Giant does need a decent amount of space to move around in. A rabbit hutch that is 30 by 48 inches is usually considered the smallest cage that they can be housed in.

What to Look for When Choosing a Flemish Giant

Flemish Giants come in a wide variety of colors, grays both light and dark, fawn or sandy tones, black, blue and white are the most commonly seen.

As previously mentioned the average Flemish Giant generally weighs around 14 – 15.5 pounds. A few other things to look for, especially if you intend to breed or show your rabbit include:

Head: Look for a well shaped, large head. The ears should be erect, not floppy and the eyes should be bright and clear.

Body: The body should be long and powerful looking, but not fat. Healthy hindquarters will be thick and well muscled. The fur, while fairly short, should be shiny and thick.

Faults: Fat is considered a fault in show rabbits in this breed. Although they are usually a huge animal they should be well proportioned. For a show rabbit a patchy colored coat is undesirable, and floppy ears are a definite no-no.

Related posts:

1. Mini Lop Rabbit Mini Lop Rabbits – Adorable Imports with a Mysterious Past...
2. New Zealand Rabbits New Zealand Rabbits come in a virtual rainbow of colors,...
3. French Lop Rabbit French Lop Rabbits – The Other European Big Boys The...
4. Lionhead Lop Rabbit The Lionhead Lop- Cute and Cuddly Newcomer The Lionhead Lop,...
5. Dutch Rabbit Dutch Rabbits – One of the Rabbit Fancier’s Greatest Challenges...

This entry was posted on Friday, January 30th, 2009 at 6:07 pm and is filed under Giant Rabbit Breeds, Rabbit Breeds. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.