Do giant bunnies exist?

[skunklionshow]

I believe that we covered this before but I think I missed it….

Do giant bunnies exist?  DH was procrastinating w/ work last night and ran across that giant rabbit website.  He now wants one…do they really exist.  I believe they called them German Giants.

[jerseygirl]

I only know of British Giants, Checkered Giants, and Flemish Giants and just read of White giant of Bouscat, plus the French Lops. That well known picture with the man holding the giant grey rabbit I think is titled Herman the Giant. I’m not sure of it’s breed though, thought it was a British that he super-sized.

I would be saying “Sure hubby, they’re Flemmies” and go out and find one quick before he changes his mind!

 

Edit: news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4670000/newsid_4676900/4676904.stm    mmm…the article does refer to breed as German Giant.

ok – snopes (investigation of urban myths and the likes states article^ as true.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/giantrabbit.asp

Also…

http://www.rabbit-breeds.net/german_giant_rabbit/german_giant_rabbit.html   Originates from Flemmies!  Wiki refers to breed as German Grey rabbit

Ok – I’m done looking!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Yup German Giants are the newest I think, and very big. I want one too!! How lucky your DH wants one. Go out and get one before he changes his mind LOL

[Beka27]

I think they’re called continental giants too? We had a discussion about this awhile back. People have tried to bring them over to the US to breed them here and I don’t think they have done very well. They’re used for meat b/c of their large size. Just speculating, but maybe some of the reason they don’t thrive over here, maybe they’re not bred for longevity, just for size, and there are some genetic problems once they reach a certain age? I don’t think you can get one here. The British Giants too (which I love), they’re only available “over there” as I understand it… well… at least there are none I’ve found on Petfinder.

[Ruffles&Daisy]

Yes, I’ve seen one. They are alarmingly huge!!! I also “sort of” know a man who has one. I don’t know if I could handle such a rabbit. The poop factor alone would freak me out!

[mrmac]

I have seen pictures and I want one too! They are huge! after mentioning the poop thing…now that I think about it it would be like the size of a dogs poop! Weird!

[kralspace]

I would love to have one (in theory) too. and picking up from another thread, if one of these guys did a shooting poop while binkying, someone could really get hurt!

[LittlePuffyTail]

I want a Flemish Giant. My bf says I’m not allowed to have more than 15lbs of bun in the house at a time, single bun or combined. Beka27 mentioned longevity and I really would like to know what the lifespan of a bun that big would be. As with most animals, the bigger the breed of bunny, the shorter the lifespan.

[mrmac]

I read and article on them once, and I think it said about 4 years is the lifespan. Afetr looking up some pics of them they are just too cute! I mean come one…who doesnt want to cuddle a 15lb bun in your lap!

[Steve Parker]

Does anyone know if these are available for sale in US?

[skunklionshow]

That’s a shame that they don’t live very long….too bad!  He said that that will be our next bunny after our current bunnies cross the rainbow bridge.  I’m thinking a bunny that big would fit in very well w/ my cats.  I hate to say it, but as our pets are getting older we have already started to identify what we will get next.  I hate to say “replacements” but in a crude way that’s what it is.  3 out of 4 cats will be turning 14 this year….one is diabetic and the other suffers from various maladies.  My bunnies are about 6- 8 y.o, that’s a major estimate since I’m not quite sure how old they were when I got them…

Too bad they don’t have these guys in the US.  Anything comprable?

[Beka27]

I think the only giants readily available would be the flemmies (and again this is based on petfinder stats). I would not go thru a breeder for a rabbit and I know you wouldn’t either. I’m not sure off the top of my head what other breeds are considered “giant”…

[Ruffles&Daisy]

Actually the flemish giant that this guy has is 8 years old. Sadly he has cancer and will most likely die soon. He’s HUGE….

[Beka27]

A quick search brought up Giant Chinchilla and the Checkered Giant. Seems like most of the others top off at a “dainty” 12 pounds or so… ;o)

[Steve Parker]

My rabbit is 9 pounds. Is that unusual? He’s the size of a good size cat.

[jerseygirl]

Part of the article in last link I pasted is :”The German Giant Rabbit typically ranges in weight around 12-15 pounds in the United States, however, there are confirmed reports of this breed reaching such weights as the 22 pound chunk.

Known primarily as a meat rabbit, this accounts for the amazing size of the German Giant rabbit. While the actual name of the breed is a Flemish Giant, for the past couple of years a rabbit owner in Germany has gained a great deal of publicity over his 22 pound rabbit dubbed the German Giant. ”

From that, I understand they are bred in US, most likely within the meat industry. I’d be looking into Flemish Giants to start off.  I don’t think  German Giant is an actual breed recognised by American Rabbit Breeders’  Assoc. but think is called new breed in Europe (???)

ETA: The first link says GG’s can live up to 12 yrs.  The truth in all this info?…..Who knows!

[Beka27]

the wikipedia breeds page lists them as two separate breeds (I know wikipedia isn’t always 100% accurate, but…)

It lists flemish giants and then German Greys… en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rabbit_breeds

The german rabbits may be a cross of a couple different breeds initially, maybe including flemish, but I think the overall body shape and style are very different between the two.

[oldhaus]

 ha haha… yes there are a couple “breeds” of Giant Rabbits.

Flemish Giants, Giant Chinchilla, and Giant Angora, Checkerd Giants,  are 4 breeds with the name “giant” in them 

 

look @ http://www.arba.net, then the national clubs for the individual breeds are: 

http://www.nffgrb.com/  for Flemish Giants

http://www.nationalangorarabbitbreeders.com/blog/  for Giant Angoras 

http://www.acgrc.com Checkerd Giants

The Giant Chinchilla folks don’t have a web site but you can find them from ARBA … 

 

I’ve seen a Flemish Doe that weighed +24 pounds… she was wonderful.

 

Folks in Europe (and USA) also have an Angora called a German Angora, like the Giant Angora, but have a standard from Europe.

 

There’s a bit more info for you all! 

 

enjoy

 

JLH 

 

 

 

[skunklionshow]

Parker:  What kind of bunny do you have that’s 9 lbs?  That’s bigger than 1 of my cats and about the weight of another one.

These links definately give me something to work with.  They just look so awesome….like a rabbit bear (if that made any sense).  Since those big buns are primarily for meat, I wonder if it w/b easier to find one in the live animal markets.  There is one of those near my job, but I would never be able to go inside, just way too sad.  I cry when I drive by in the summer and they have the doors open & you can see the animals.

[jerseygirl]

Guiness Book of World Record apparently has record of a French Doe weighing in at 26lb 7 oz.   Er-hem!…so saveabunny has this not as big french lop up for adoption…http://www.saveabunny.org/  She’s a teen so she prob has some more growing to do.

[Beka27]

I was trimming Maxie’s nails yesterday, I did his after Meadow’s. I told my husband that my arm was actually getting kinda sore holding him upright for the few minutes it took to trim him up. Plus he’s bulkier than Meadow, more round.

And he weighs 5 pounds.

:o/

[Steve Parker]

I don’t know exactly what type of rabbit he is. He was a rescue rabbit that didn’t have any history provided. (His story is on our website with his baby pictures, http://www.pooh-moose.com/. He has grown A LOT since those pictures were taken.)

He has a gray coat with a little black and brown mixed in. His is kind of like a gray tabby cat with brown mixed in. His tail is gray and black. Nose and mouth, black. Inside of his ears is kind of pinkish skin. His hair is pretty short. When he relaxes on the carpet, he is about 21 inches long. He has a very muscular body and not a lot of fat. He runs through the house all the time, so I guess his weight is a result of all his exercise.

He just had a vet visit 2 weeks ago and they had to put him on their big scale. He was 9 pounds on the nose. I asked the vet if she knew what breed he could be and she didn’t. He must be a mix of something.

[Sarita]

I have a New Zealand white who is 13 pounds.

I’ve known a few Flemish Giants too – rescued one from a shelter – I named him Mr. Magnificent – he is now in a new home in Houston.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Oh by the way We have TWO flemish giants at our shelter!! I deliver LOL

[skunklionshow]

You so tempted me w/ the flemish giant offer. Are giants not so available in rescues or shelters. I would think people couldn’t handle having a giant rabbit….but maybe when the bunny gets to BIG they just eat him!!!LOL

[MooBunnay]

K&K – I didn’t know you had two giants! I’ve heard that those ones usually get adopted pretty quickly, have you had much interest in them?… I better not tell Brian, he has told me several times that as soon as he sees a giant bunny up for adoption that he is getting it. I think we are pretty much maxed out at 8 though, even with two bunny lovers in the house

[Beka27]

You’re not maxed out Moo! That’s only 4 bunnies per rabbit lover! You do split all the work equally down the middle, right? ;o)

[skunklionshow]

DH says that when we get a house we can get a giant…..originally he said that we had to wait until Jess or Leo go over to the rainbow bridge.  However, now he has become much more open to bonding our beasts w/ a giant.  But the economy sucks & I have about 150K in the hole for my grad education…so a house is not on the horizon, unless our pop pop passes (oh that sounded really bad…I’m not really that cold).

[Author]

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