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giant rabbits

coco1200

Warren Veteran
hi im new to this forum and ive just got my first continental giant.
ive had many rabbits in the past, but theyre usually so small when theyre fully grown.

shes 8 weeks old, steel grey and called hermione.
2em1lx2.jpg

shes the size of the last english rabbit i had!!!

ive also bought another giant continental X giant papillion whos 6 months old, who im collecting soon,

i have the space for these, so thats not an issue, but i was wondering when it would be ok for these to go together?

im not thinking to neuter the male, so breeding is a possibilty.
thanks
 
Hello :)

Your Conti is beautiful. I have an 18 month old Conti Doe and she weighs in at almost 7kg :shock:

Personally I dont agree with the deliberate breeding of Rabbits due to the thousands that are already homeless in Rescues throughout the UK :cry:

If you do go ahead with breeding have you considered how you will accomodate/rehome the babies. Maybe a litter of 8+ ?
Also, you need to make sure you research the genetic background of the Rabbits you breed from to minimise the risk of congenital problems such a malocclusion and in giants hip/spine problems. I have just nursed a Conti with congenital hip problems. She was PTS yesterday at the age of just 18 months :cry: Her problems were entirely due to poor breeding.

Anyway, I wish you well with your two new Rabbits. If you intend to introduce them and for the Buck to remain entire I dont think it will be possible to keep them together, just to mate them. An entire Buck will constantly want to hump the Doe. Once she is pregnant ( not advisable til Doe is at least a year old as the Giants continue growing for longer than smaller Rabbits) she will attack the Buck.

Obviously I personally hope you will decide against breeding and just enjoy caring for two wonderful (neutered;) ) pets. But if you do decide to breed please do your research first.

Good luck

Janex:)
 
Great post Jane. :) I think if you are interested in breeding contacting the BRC might be a good start. Personally I couldn't imagine keeping an intact male. It's so lovely to see a pair bonded and snuggling together.
 
Yes, unfortunately giants can have a lot of genetic problems so it would not be advisable to breed your two together, particularly with one being a cross breed. If you want to get into breeding you really need to plan before you get the rabbits and talk to the breeders to make sure both are compatible.

If you neutered the male then you could certainly keep them together. When rabbits are neutered male-females pairing tend to work well.

Tamsin
 
I have to agree with Jane as I have 3 continentals as well as other giant breeds (all neutered;)). You won't be able to keep them together if the male is entire as your doe will always be pregnant and as Jane as said the doe will attack him.
If you are going to breed from them are you going to become registered with the BRC? Also if you are getting a cross continental what is the point in breeding anyway as the kitts will also be crosses:D
Good luck with what you decide:D
 
Leaving my general views about breeding aside,.... why would you want to deliberatly mate a 'pedigree' rabbit with a cross-bred??? There are plenty of beautiful crossbreed rabbits already waiting for homes.

Hermione is lovely.
 
I would just like to add papillions are a very slow maturing breed and if bred from too young they can have countless problems or worse die (Ruby's mum did shortly after giving birth). Are you prepared to house 2 giants seperately for another 9 or ten months or so? Seems a bit silly to me, especially as you are just breeding mongrels. :?
 
Hermione is gorgeous :love: look forward to seeing loads of pics as she grows! :D
I mirror the others regarding breeding, I think you should get your boy neutered and see how great it is to have the two snuggled up together as life-long pals rather than just popping them together for a quickie! :oops::lol:
 
Hermione is gorgeous :love: look forward to seeing loads of pics as she grows! :D
I mirror the others regarding breeding, I think you should get your boy neutered and see how great it is to have the two snuggled up together as life-long pals rather than just popping them together for a quickie! :oops::lol:

Totally agree, she is lovely, happy buns rather than baby buns me thinks :D
 
I agree with what's been posted. The joys of neutered, loved up rabbits together is reward enough for us...

bonding2feb08065.jpg


Sallander, Con Giant, Dutch and Con Giant who all live together.

Neil
 
hi guys.

ive thought long and hard about this
and i guess you lot are right.

hes going to be neuterd as soon as possible when we get him.

i would rather have two rabbits hopping together in the garden, rather than one at a time while the other ones in a hutch!

when is it possible, (when he is neuterd) to put them together?
i think the bonding should start soon!

and as Lea-Anne said, papillions are slow growing breeds, so couting hes a corss, would you be able to give me an estimate when he stops growing? i know a bit of a stupid question :lol: but im just curious!

and ill like to thank everyone who has been so kind and help me out!!

thanks,
coco
 
I love giants!! ...... One day!! please post loads of photos for us :D

Neutered males can still get un-neutered females pregnant for up to six weeks after their op so unless you plan on getting your girlie done as well, in which case 10days is long enought for her to heal, you'll need to wait to avoid an unwanted litter :D
 
we are getting the rabbit tomorrow!
hes gong to be called oscar. (hopefully if he has not been named)

will take lots of pictures!
and of hermione of course when she gets older.
hopefuly ill take a picture everyweek and show how much she grows!
 
So glad you have thought long and hard about your decision:D good luck with your new bun oscar and don't forget loads of pics:D
 
I agree with what's been posted. The joys of neutered, loved up rabbits together is reward enough for us...

bonding2feb08065.jpg


Sallander, Con Giant, Dutch and Con Giant who all live together.

Neil

Sorry but Neil Colleen looks so sweet squeezed in there, she looks like she wants to grow :lol: bless her!!
 
Hello :wave:

Great news that you will have Oscar neutered so that he and Hermione can have a long, loved up life together :D

Can't wait for lots of piccies of them both :)
 
Thanks both, that picture took forever then I realised the camera lens was causing a shadow :roll:. I'll be working on another. This one's my favourite of Colleen with the big girls...

dinner3193.jpg


And Coco, we got Florence (the agouti) at 9 weeks and posted pictures of her weekly development from 9 to 26ish weeks. I'll find the thread and re-connect the links and bump them up.

Neil
 
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