Anyone ever raise Flemish Giant Rabbits?

[RenMac Farm]

Just wanting to know if any of you have ever raised Flemish Giant Rabbits what has been your experience with them? good and bad. please?

 

[mini horse mania]

Pretty good,but not for meat,they have a lot of bone.people love them for pets,i actually have 100 rabbits for sale.nz and cali .just too much work,and the neighbors dogs are horrible,i love the flemish,they are calm rabbits

 

[laughingllama75]

I second that. Flemish are CALM rabbits. Super friendly.....

I did notice that with my heavier ones, they did not do well on wire bottom cages. I had to put a lot of straw down for them to be on, otherwise they would get sore/raw hocks.

I have also raised Mini Rex (very friendly), mini lops (ok) and Netherland Dwarfs (horrible little beasts!)for showing and breeding.

You must keep the neighborhood dogs away and raccoon proof cages. Other than that.....real easy. Good luck!

 

[Carolyn R]

I had one as a kid. Friends of the family got it for a pet, but the standard wire cage in a garage in the city didnt cut it for them. We acquired her due to their lack of space. She was huge and very mellow. Her name was Zelda, she spent her days sun bathing in the yard with our dogs who where just as mellow as she was. Many times you would find her nestled right next to them.

 

[RenMac Farm]

Thank You everyone. We have 4, a white buck, a black buck, a lt gray doe and a blue doe. They are being used for my daughters 4h project. they are really sweet and do act like a dog from what I have seen. We have them in a large dog kennels outside with chicken wire around the outside and rabbit wire around on the inside and a heavy tarp on the top of it. Then I have a couple of dog houses in there for them to get into. Needless to say they spend more time on top of the house then in it.. So in about 20 some days we will have a bunch of little flemish's running around. I plan on moving them into hutches in about 2 weeks so they will be in a nice safe enclosed place to kindle. I just wanted to know everyone else' experience with them. Thank You!

 

[Equuisize]

One of my 4-H girls had one for a pet.

I swear that bunny was as big as a Cocker Spaniel and friendly as one, too.

It lived in her bedroom, cruised their whole house, and would return to it's

litter box when it needed to potty.

The house did not smell of rabbit, either, so I assume that meant it was well

housebroken.

 

[Katiean]

I had a pair of Flemish as a kid in 4H. They take a lot of room and do need a solid floor. What my dad did for my rabbits was since my cages were outside he made a roof and frame to hold a 4 foot cage on each side of it. Then he took a 4 foot wire cage, closed the door permanently, made a bigger door on the back side (I needed to be able to get an 18 pound rabbit in and out). Then he put a solid floor with a 2x4 frame to hold it on the cage. We then bedded with shavings and cleaned the cages about 2x's a week. I love Flemish Giants. If I were to ever buy rabbits again, I would get a flemish. You just have to be prepaired for how big they get and how much they do eat.

 

[Katiean]

Thank You everyone. We have 4, a white buck, a black buck, a lt gray doe and a blue doe. They are being used for my daughters 4h project. they are really sweet and do act like a dog from what I have seen. We have them in a large dog kennels outside with chicken wire around the outside and rabbit wire around on the inside and a heavy tarp on the top of it. Then I have a couple of dog houses in there for them to get into. Needless to say they spend more time on top of the house then in it.. So in about 20 some days we will have a bunch of little flemish's running around. I plan on moving them into hutches in about 2 weeks so they will be in a nice safe enclosed place to kindle. I just wanted to know everyone else' experience with them. Thank You!

How old are your rabbits? Are they all together? The bucks will fight. Domestic Rabbits are not meant to live in a coloney. Bucks and does need to separateate. You do know that bunnies are born with no hair and blind? They start to get hair at about 3-5 days and get eyes at about 10-12 days. You will need a nest box for the babies and it needs to be put in with the doe at about 27 days from the date she was bred. The dog run is great for some down time. but bucks and does should never have run around time in the same pen at the same time. Does should always be taken to the bucks cage for breeding. I have bred and shown rabbits for about 40 years now. I have had several Champions and Best in Shows'. They can be both pet and show rabbit. But it has to be done correctly. I once rescued a doe and litter that the people thought all they needed to feed the rabbits was lettuce and carrots. I think I was only able to save 1 or 2 of the bunnies and the doe also died. At this time I am sending the very last of my show rabbits to my sis in law. One doe is 7 years old and looks like a very young doe. Good luck and if you have any questions I would love to help where I can.

 

[MindyLee]

I raise netherland dwarfs and love them. They are so sweet and are too cute! I have 2 bucks, 1 black otter and 1 siamese sable. I have 3 does, a broken white/orange, a siamese sable, and a light sable. My 4th doe is a english spot who is a broken grey/white.

 

[RenMac Farm]

The rabbits are all over a year old except the white buck and he will be a year old in April. At this time the 2 does are bred (the gray to the white and the blue to the black)and in the dog kennel together until about 2 weeks before they are duethe white buck is in a cage and the black buck is visiting my neighbors does. we have always kept groups of does together when not bred, we have found they are just like horses you have to find the ones that get along. lol. The bucks we keep by themselves. I have raised rabbits off and on for the past 30 years mostly californias, new zealands and english spots for pets. We got the flemish b/c we have always liked them since all we had at this time were some crossbreds and a harlequin for pets we went ahead and took the

expensive (hubby still doesnt know the exact amount. lol) plunge and bought the flemish giants. They are going to be used for meat pens for my daughters 4h projects and the extra's sold. I already have a waiting list for people wanting black and blue does from me. All of our rabbits get fed pellets, hay and occasionally some carrots, and lettuce hearts. and then in the summer time they get stuff out of the garden. the dog kennel is usually just used as a turn out for them in the summer so they can eat fresh grass and then we cut grass and give to the ones who;s turn it isnt in the kennel. Our cages are up off the ground with a wire run and solid bottom boxes. with lots of wooden supports under the wire. We also put hay on one end of the run for them to rest on and to munch on.

On the note of the babies.. there is nothing uglier in my opinion as a newborn baby bunny now after a few days when they get their fur and their eyes start opening up they are adorable! We should have some babies around February 17 and 23rd. we are counting down the days. The gray is a first time mom and the blue this will be her 4th litter.

 

[Katiean]

You know that Flemish Giants are not good for meat pens. They have little meat and grow slow. I have known a lot of people that have tried to breed Felmish Giants into their New Zealands to get bigger sooner and it does not work. The best meat pens that win for the kids are always New Zealand or Californians. Maybe you could sell your flemish babies and buy the meat pens. I know here the kids reserve their meat pens before they are born. Are your flemish Pedigreed? Here they would run about $75-$100 at 8 weeks old if they are pedigreed. You could get a great meat pen selling just one flemish baby.

 

[RenMac Farm]

Well actually here in WV(at least in Northern WV) the Flemish bring more then the New Zealands or Californias for meat pens. last year they went for 100-200 per pen of 3 while the flemish went for 400 per pen of 3. Now at the show the NZ and cali's won over the FG's but in the sale they didnt. Yes the flemish we have are pedigreed. here the kids have to own both the buck and doe of the meat pen and show the doe at the show and sale beside the meat pen. The babies have to be 8-10 weeks old by August something the date hasnt been set yet. That meeting is the end of this month. They are bred now b/c one of the does is a first time mom and I thought it best to get the first breeding out of the way before they had to be bred and produce so we can see what she produces and how many etc. the other doe this will be her fourth litter she has produced litters of 6,6, and 8. We plan on selling the first litter so we can buy some show cages for the show and sale and a tattoo kit etc. as long as they both produce and the babies live etc. The kids are counting down the days on a calendar till they are due. and cant wait to see what colors we get out of each cross. Then we have to decide which buck to use or both of them again for the show and sale babies.

 

[RenMac Farm]

I just posted pics of 3 of them. I still have to get pics of the black buck when he returns from his visit at the neighbors.

 

[Katiean]

I got my f;emish giants for my 4H project. To let you know how long ago that was, I paid $6 for my doe that Granded in 3 shows. She was a sandy. Then we had a white doe out of 2 steel parents. She was the most brilent white you ever wanted to see. I love Flemish.