# giant rabbit breeds



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

ok so as some may know we are moving soon (finally got a house!!) and my other half would love another rabbit of her own...she used to have a big french lop, and she wants another giant breed...but just wondered what all you bunny buffs would recommend....she has been looking into flemish giants and continental giants, but are there more? and also any pics and info etc is much apreciated.


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## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

anyone?


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

I have a conti who lives outdoors but comes into the house through the day when the door is open.
She's lovely and friendly and just lounges about in the living room.


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## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

saxon said:


> I have a conti who lives outdoors but comes into the house through the day when the door is open.
> She's lovely and friendly and just lounges about in the living room.


she sounds nice, do you have any pics of her? and what sort of size is she, i think the other half will probably end up with another french lop...but she also likes the idea of an even bigger rabbit, as she finds the giant breeds so much more laid back and cuddly than smaller ones....her french lop was more like a dog than a rabbit bless him lol....


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

Here's some pics from when she was 7 weeks upto a few weeks ago. She's 17 months now and still putting girth on.

Flopsybananabuttercup..the rabbit not the daughter..at 7 weeks. 


























In March









In March..Charlie the cat weigh in at over 20lbs so he's not a small cat and Flops is bigger than him.









2 weeks ago.


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## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

Thanks for that....the other half loves the look of her!....i have a feeling she may be going for a continental giant lol....would a conti giant and a french lop make suitable room mates? obviously if both female....the size difference doesnt look that much between them and french lops, and both are very laid back in general from what we have seen with her french lop and read about continental giants....do you think that could be an option?....in the new house there is like a brick shed so she was thinking of attatching a run to this and having that as their living quarters, and then have them in the house for part of the day...


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

We have two conti. giants (going to be breeding in feb. if the girl makes standards) and in all honesty? I wouldn't recommend the conti as a 'pet'. Not to put you off, they are awesome, our buck is amazing, lounges on the sofa, gives cuddles and loves to be walked on his harness but more often then not they get to about 3-5 years old and their heart gives in. The british giant would be much more suitable IMO but it's up to you obviously. Our buck is over 6kgs and still has a fair amount to grow still. Our doe (born 22/03/09) is nearly as big as the buck and obviously still has a lot to grow, her dad was massive as was her mum so she should make nice big, chunky kits should we breed her. The size differs on the breeder, but generally a reputable breeder breeds as close to the standard as possible, so no pointed faces, nice chunky rabbits and the parents will make a minimum of 64cm long (or there abouts).



Ian.g said:


> Thanks for that....the other half loves the look of her!....i have a feeling she may be going for a continental giant lol....would a conti giant and a french lop make suitable room mates? obviously if both female....the size difference doesnt look that much between them and french lops, and both are very laid back in general from what we have seen with her french lop and read about continental giants....do you think that could be an option?....in the new house there is like a brick shed so she was thinking of attatching a run to this and having that as their living quarters, and then have them in the house for part of the day...


A french lop and a giant would be fine, but I would advise against getting two females, especially if they aren't neutered. A neutered male-female pair would be much better and easier to bond.


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## Antw23uk (Jan 12, 2009)

My friend brought a flemish giant (doe) a couple of years back. She is massive and with the attitude to match. My friend loves her but if she knew just what a bitch she would be she wouldnt have bothered.

She is now outside in a wendy house with matching 8 ft run (looks amazing i must admit and i always say its wasted on them, lol) with her boyf who is a giant french lop who is soppy tame and lovely. Just a shame Bama is sooo horrible .... and so BIG. Will get her to send me some pics and upload them : victory:

She got the flemish because she wanted a friendly house rabbit and was told the flemish giants ticked all the boxes .... she is a horrible nasty thing :devil:


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

LoveForLizards said:


> We have two conti. giants (going to be breeding in feb. if the girl makes standards) and in all honesty? I wouldn't recommend the conti as a 'pet'. .


If the only reason not to have a conti as a pet is the fact they do have a lower life expectancy I can't see that as a 'good' reason not to have one.
Afterall rats, mice, hamsters etc live a much shorter life.
I don't think French Lops live too long either so if the OP is used to FL's them she will be accepting of the fact her bun won't be with her forever.

I've found British are a good bit smaller than conti's and I wouldn't actually deem them 'giants'.


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

saxon said:


> If the only reason not to have a conti as a pet is the fact they do have a lower life expectancy I can't see that as a 'good' reason not to have one.
> Afterall rats, mice, hamsters etc live a much shorter life.
> I don't think French Lops live too long either so if the OP is used to FL's them she will be accepting of the fact her bun won't be with her forever.
> 
> I've found British are a good bit smaller than conti's and I wouldn't actually deem them 'giants'.


I understand that, I didn't say not to have one as a pet, ours are primarily pets but generally pet owners prefer to have a longer lived animals, that's why I suggested a BG. 

It's not the size that makes them giant, it's the weight in which they are classified.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

This was Orwell, my British Giant. He was rehomed to me by his breeder in Wales as an adult because he didn't make the right weight to show. He weighed in at over 6 kilos and was bigger than any of my cats, but I think show weight is in the region of 8kilos. So it is more weight than size as in length, although he's changing direction in the photograph and is therefore a bit 'hunched up' rather than stretched out.










He truly was a gentle giant in every way, there was no nastiness in him at all. He lived outside, but because my back door is always open when I'm in and he was allowed the freedom of the garden, when I was in, he inevitably spent more time in the house - in fact as soon as the hutch door was opened, he was out and making a bee-line for the house!


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## TIMOTHY AND MATILDA (Oct 31, 2008)

Here is Stumpy a British Giant whos Mummy bit off his ears,his siblings had the biggest upright ears in the world,he is slightly smaller than a continental Giant which I hope to have one day.He is an indoor bun and doesnt like going outdoors,he lives in a dog crate and has the run of our utility room


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

What is it about rabbits' noses that makes me go all mushy??? :flrt:


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## TIMOTHY AND MATILDA (Oct 31, 2008)

I know I love Rabbits,Had them all my life,Hope to always have one as they are sooo lush :flrt:


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## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

Thanks all for the very useful info! she hadn`t read about the conti`s having shorter lifespans....but it wouldn`t be a major issue, she is still pretty un-decided...but i think it will most likely be a french lop and/or a conti giant....i must admit i am not really a rabbit person, but i did love the french lop...he had such a great tempremant! i have never been around the other giant breeds...but i am sure they are all just as nice on the whole....we had a look today for conti giants too, and i must admit i was shocked at how much they were lol...i thought £35 was a lot when she paid that for her old french lop years ago :lol2:


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Ian.g said:


> Thanks all for the very useful info! she hadn`t read about the conti`s having shorter lifespans....but it wouldn`t be a major issue, she is still pretty un-decided...but i think it will most likely be a french lop and/or a conti giant....i must admit i am not really a rabbit person, but i did love the french lop...he had such a great tempremant! i have never been around the other giant breeds...but i am sure they are all just as nice on the whole....we had a look today for conti giants too, and i must admit i was shocked at how much they were lol...i thought £35 was a lot when she paid that for her old french lop years ago :lol2:


Nope. Giants can go anywhere from £50-£275 : victory:


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## RasperAndy (Sep 21, 2007)

British continental giant, burdock RIP matey

and for Mrs Robinson, you know he would make an appearance on this thread :flrt:


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## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

RasperAndy said:


> British continental giant, burdock RIP matey
> 
> and for Mrs Robinson, you know he would make an appearance on this thread :flrt:
> 
> ...


he looks lovely lol....and i have just emailed a few people with baby conti giants available, looks like she may be getting a late birthday present lol....would a buck be ok on its own with plenty of human attention? or is it really best to get a pair and have them neutered when of the right age?....my other half says she would prefer just the one so she can spoil it rotten lol.


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## RasperAndy (Sep 21, 2007)

well burdock had a few hutch friends, and he was neutered, but still spoilt rotten


















but there was nothing he loved more than chilling on the couch and getting hugs of everyone (if they could lift him)


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## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

she is in love with Burdock now lol....he does look like he was a great rabbit!...how long did he live for if you dont mind me asking...and did you introduce the other rabbits at a later stage, or after you had had him for a while?


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## RasperAndy (Sep 21, 2007)

Ian.g said:


> she is in love with Burdock now lol....he does look like he was a great rabbit!...how long did he live for if you dont mind me asking...and did you introduce the other rabbits at a later stage, or after you had had him for a while?


weve always had rabbits since i can remember, our house has never been without 2 -6 bunnys hopping around, its like water ship down lol , they are my mums pride and joy, so burdock was introduced to the group as a baby, he didn't live that long to be honest as he became ill one summer and suffered from ulsers on his body and needed to be put to sleep around 3 years old i think, all i know is it destroyed my mum as she had waited for a giant for years and burdock was her all time favorite, 50 years of owning and breeding rabbits and the big fella left a massive hole when he died,


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## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

RasperAndy said:


> weve always had rabbits since i can remember, our house has never been without 2 -6 bunnys hopping around, its like water ship down lol , they are my mums pride and joy, so burdock was introduced to the group as a baby, he didn't live that long to be honest as he became ill one summer and suffered from ulsers on his body and needed to be put to sleep around 3 years old i think, all i know is it destroyed my mum as she had waited for a giant for years and burdock was her all time favorite, 50 years of owning and breeding rabbits and the big fella left a massive hole when he died,


bless....i can imagine it must have been heartbreaking, he deffinately looked a right charecter.....i think she will end up getting more to be honest, but for now i think a nice buck conti will keep her very happy! she is in love with their huge ears :lol2:...she is already harping on about bloody flashy collars etc etc :gasp:


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## RasperAndy (Sep 21, 2007)

Ian.g said:


> bless....i can imagine it must have been heartbreaking, he deffinately looked a right charecter.....i think she will end up getting more to be honest, but for now i think a nice buck conti will keep her very happy! she is in love with their huge ears :lol2:...she is already harping on about bloody flashy collars etc etc :gasp:


burdocks ears were over 11 inches long :lol2: even the dog looked small next to him, get one you won't regret it mate, trust me

burdock as a baby with mum


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## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

RasperAndy said:


> burdocks ears were over 11 inches long :lol2: even the dog looked small next to him, get one you won't regret it mate, trust me
> 
> burdock as a baby with mum
> image


foot long ears!!! (well almost) thats unbelievable :lol2:.....i am actually starting to quite like these myself the more i am reading and hearing about them....maybe i should get one too seeing as her getting one means i`m not allowed my ferret!! :devil::lol2:


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## RasperAndy (Sep 21, 2007)

Ian.g said:


> foot long ears!!! (well almost) thats unbelievable :lol2:.....i am actually starting to quite like these myself the more i am reading and hearing about them....maybe i should get one too seeing as her getting one means i`m not allowed my ferret!! :devil::lol2:


ferrets are great but nothing beats chillin out watching footy with roger rabbit and a few cans of the bad stuff on a saturday afternoon


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## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

RasperAndy said:


> ferrets are great but nothing beats chillin out watching footy with roger rabbit and a few cans of the bad stuff on a saturday afternoon


mmmm she is saying she dont need me now she is getting her rabbit!......ahhh well will give me some peace eh, me and the mutts will just bugger off up the pub :lol2:


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## RasperAndy (Sep 21, 2007)

Ian.g said:


> mmmm she is saying she dont need me now she is getting her rabbit!......ahhh well will give me some peace eh, me and the mutts will just bugger off up the pub :lol2:


yeah, when they get that rabbit its all over for us mate


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## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

RasperAndy said:


> yeah, when they get that rabbit its all over for us mate
> 
> image


i did ask if she was sure it was a continental giant she was on about or one of those! :lol2::lol2::lol2:


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## RasperAndy (Sep 21, 2007)

Ian.g said:


> i did ask if she was sure it was a continental giant she was on about or one of those! :lol2::lol2::lol2:


both will make her smile and happy and push you to one side so the pub it is then, 

if the lads ask where she is, just say at home playing with her rabbit and leave them guessing which one you actually bought


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## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

RasperAndy said:


> both will make her smile and happy and push you to one side so the pub it is then,
> 
> if the lads ask where she is, just say at home playing with her rabbit and leave them guessing which one you actually bought


:lol2::lol2:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

RasperAndy said:


> British continental giant, burdock RIP matey
> 
> and for Mrs Robinson, you know he would make an appearance on this thread :flrt:


:lol2: I sure did!! I was just sitting here waiting for you to clock the thread and I knew you'd be along with Burdock eventually!! :2thumb:


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## spankingtigger (Oct 16, 2007)

have you looked in the newzealand whites? we had one in our shop and he was ace followed me around everywhere 

we have also had french lops and flemish in the shop and out of them 2 i would personally go with a french lop but only cause i fell in love with one


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## GlitterBug (Mar 31, 2008)

I've just text a guy in sunderland about a buck he has for £30. It's a conti giant so I'm really hoping he still has him there. 

I'm waiting for my Doe to go to her new home with my sister in law, that is when she tells me she's picking her up. xD


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Ian.g said:


> he looks lovely lol....and i have just emailed a few people with baby conti giants available, looks like she may be getting a late birthday present lol....would a buck be ok on its own with plenty of human attention? or is it really best to get a pair and have them neutered when of the right age?....my other half says she would prefer just the one so she can spoil it rotten lol.


Since you would be getting a kit you would have to wait a few to intro him to another anyway but personally I think a female-male pair or trio is best, and besides, giant bunnies are like chocolates, you can never have enough. :flrt::lol2:



Ian.g said:


> bless....i can imagine it must have been heartbreaking, he deffinately looked a right charecter.....i think she will end up getting more to be honest, but for now i think a nice buck conti will keep her very happy! she is in love with their huge ears :lol2:...she is already harping on about bloody flashy collars etc etc :gasp:


I wouldn't bother buying a harness or such just yet and buy a huge litter pan, it doesn't take them long to grow, our buck is in a dog harness meant for large jack russels/staffy bitches and still has some to grow and his litter pan is the bottom of a previously bought rat cage. :lol2:


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## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

well we may have found her a blue doe...we are just waiting for them to get back to us...she is really looking forward to hopefully going to reserve her at the weekend....again thanks for all the responses. : victory:


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