Flemish Giant Rabbit

The Flemish Giant rabbit is a domestic rabbit breed mainly very known for it's large size. It is the largest rabbit breed in existence and originated in Flanders. The breed was bred as early as the sixteenth century near the city of Ghent, Belgium.

But the modern Flemish Giant rabbit breed was developed in the United Kingdom. The breed is believed to have descended from a number of fur and meat rabbit breeds. Probably the Stone Rabbit and the European Patagonian Rabbit was also a part of this. Those Patagonian rabbit (now extinct) was a large breed which was once bred in Belgium and France.

The first standards for the Flemish Giant rabbit breed were written in 1893. And the breed is an ancestor of many other rabbit breeds all over the world. One of them is the Belgian Hare, which was imported into England in the mid nineteenth century.

The Flemish Giant rabbit was brought to the United States in the early 1900s. And the breed is recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association.

The breed is also known by many other nicknames, such as the Gentle Giant for its uniquely docile personality and the Universal Rabbit for it's varied purposes as breeding, pet, fur, meat and show animal. Read more information about this rabbit breed below.

Flemish Giant Rabbit Characteristics

The Flemish Giant rabbit is one of the largest domestic breed of rabbit in the world. They have long bodies and a wide back with well rounded and solid fleshed hindquarters. Their legs are strong, muscular and are of average length.

They have large ears which are held in a V shape above the head. Male Flemish Giant rabbits have a broader and more imposing head than the females. The breed has smooth medium length hair with a glossy sheen and a dense undercoat. There are many color varieties of this rabbit breed.

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The American Rabbit Breeders Association recognized seven different colors for this breed. Which are Black, Blue, Light Gray, Steel Gray, Fawn, Sandy and White.

Body weight of a Flemish Giant rabbit can reach about 10 kg. But the show standard minimum weight for a senior doe is about 6.4 kg and the show standard minimum weight of a senior buck is about 5.9 kg. Photo from Wikipedia.

Uses

The Flemish Giant rabbit is very popular as pets. They are also very suitable for commercial rabbit farming business for producing meat and fur. The breed is also popular as show animal.

Special Notes

Flemish Giant rabbits are calm and make excellent pets. But they are too heavy for most children to handle. This breed can be good for you if you are looking for a gentle giant.

The size of the Flemish Giant rabbit might seem intimidating, but they are relatively very calm and are of sweet natured. Their personality has been compared to that of the most gentle of dog breeds. They are also very good for raising with other pets.

As a large breed, these rabbits require a lot of space. They can also be kept in cages. The bucks usually take about 1.5 years to reach full maturity. And the does take about 1 year for reaching their full maturity.

Average lifespan of a Flemish Giant rabbit is about 5-10 years. Review full breed profile of this breed in the chart below.

Breed Name	Flemish Giant
Other Name	Gentle Giant, Universal Rabbit
Breed Purpose	Good as pets and show animal. Very suitable for commercial meat and fur production.
Breed Size	Large
Weight	Can reach about 10 kg. But the show standard minimum weight for a senior doe is about 6.4 kg and the show standard minimum weight of a senior buck is about 5.9 kg.
Suitable for Commercial Production	Yes
Good as Pets	Yes
Climate Tolerance	All
Color Varieties	Black, Blue, Light Gray, Steel Gray, Fawn, Sandy and White.
Rarity	Common
Country of Origin	Belgium

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