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Conti Giants...average life span ???

M

mich8

Alpha Buck
I have a conti giant, Max. He is 3 and a half years old . He came to me with ongoing health problems.
He has really slowed down now and is starting to look like he is an older bun.

I have read so many different things about their life span and they usually differ......

So was wondering if anyone on here could help out with their own experience of owning conti giants

Thanks
 
Awwh bless him :love: The age span varies, i think some people on here have contis that have lived until 6/7, although not sure if they are pure Contis :)

My Ronnie is 2 and still acts like a spring chicken :) x
 
HI.. yes i agree the life span differs for each individual rabbit. I suppose i have read so many different things on the giants.
I know some members of the forum own them and was just wodering in general really...
 
mich8 said:
HI.. yes i agree the life span differs for each individual rabbit. I suppose i have read so many different things on the giants.
I know some members of the forum own them and was just wodering in general really...
Click to expand...

Kayj would be the best for this question :D

xXx
 
having 2 friends that are breeders of (pure bred) Contis both have 60+ rabbits and they have said to me that does average on 4-5 and bucks 3-4 if you get them higher than this they are extremerly lucky :(
sorry but if you wanted a bunny that lived long youve gone to the wrong size
the smaller the animal generaly the longer it lives.:(
 
My conti is nearly five. I think five is about average so I'm forever tiptoeing around him trying not to do anything to give him a fright. Apparently giant buns are prone to just dropping dead from heart attacks. :shock: Bearing this in mind, I should think a giant bunny could be hopping round happy as larry one minute, and gone the next. The size of their bodies puts strain on their hearts and internal organs as these are still the same size as a little bunnies organs.

I'm hoping the key to longer lived giants is to give them a good diet and be careful not to give them any frights. That's about all I can do for Thistle. :( It really upsets me thinking he's probably due to snuff it soon. :oops:
 
mich8 said:
I have a conti giant, Max. He is 3 and a half years old . He came to me with ongoing health problems.
He has really slowed down now and is starting to look like he is an older bun.

I have read so many different things about their life span and they usually differ......

So was wondering if anyone on here could help out with their own experience of owning conti giants

Thanks
Click to expand...

in reality contis on a whole as a breed live 3-4 years this is due to their hearts been the same size as a adverage sized rabbit and as the rabbit gets bigger it gets put under alot of strain and eventually gives up
however somehow through good breeding i have somehow extended the life span of them the last one i lost was 7 and i do have a 6 year old in the rabbitry ;) however mine are not as big as some you see and i think this is a big factor to why mine have out lived the adverage age span
ann x
 
Raven Rexs said:
having 2 friends that are breeders of (pure bred) Contis both have 60+ rabbits and they have said to me that does average on 4-5 and bucks 3-4 if you get them higher than this they are extremerly lucky :(
sorry but if you wanted a bunny that lived long youve gone to the wrong size
the smaller the animal generaly the longer it lives.:(
Click to expand...

I did not choose to have Max.... he came to me because the person that owned him had him tethered to a 5ft hutch on a piece of rope. he had an eye infection at the time and has since had ongoing eye and ear infetionns. X rays also showed he had suffred a break in one of his legs that had obviously been left untreated. He also has low calcium levels.
We have done everthing we can for him....
Just like the rest of my animals.. he is a rescue case.....

I was only asking if any members of this forum who had experience of this breed.....
 
Thank you Jazzywoo
Despite everything i have read i tought the lifespan was about that.
Poor max has been through a lot in his short life.
 
Captain Carrot is 2 and still as lively as ever. He's about 5kg - is that small for a conti perhaps? I'm hoping the fact that he is free range in the garden during all daylight hours will mean he's fit and his heart a bit stronger. :?

Kay is your woman, though...
 
Thank you for your replies..

Yep.. Max was still bounding around a couple of moths ago, but has really slowed up now. It probably does not help that he has had lots of health problems.
 
I don't think the heat is helping anybun at the moment either..he may become livelier again when it cools down? :wave:
 
Raven Rexs said:
having 2 friends that are breeders of (pure bred) Contis both have 60+ rabbits and they have said to me that does average on 4-5 and bucks 3-4 if you get them higher than this they are extremerly lucky :(
sorry but if you wanted a bunny that lived long youve gone to the wrong size
the smaller the animal generaly the longer it lives.:(
Click to expand...

A bit harsh! :?

I know people with (purebred) conti's living until they're 6/7. I think that much of it is how they're kept. If they're kept in stupid breeder hutches their whole lives, and never get to run about then of course the lifespan will be shorter, as they never get to use their muscles and so it puts a lot more strain on their bodies. Buns with space to run, hop and binky will use all their muscles on a regular basis, and this keeps them healthier generally....afterall...it's not just humans that need to exercise to keep their hearts healthy.(I'm not saying that your breeder friends are like this, but with 60+ rabbits, you'd have to have a hell of a lot of space to have 60 large hutches/sheds to give Conti's what they need.)

Hope it's just the heat!
 
mich8 said:
Thank you Jazzywoo
Despite everything i have read i tought the lifespan was about that.
Poor max has been through a lot in his short life.
Click to expand...
your very welcome they are a wonderful breed infact one of my favourites i love them but it is sad they grow for 2 and halfyears and then usually die by age 4 :cry: ive had these rabbits for 7 years now and own 6 at the moment and i will always have them well at least till my back compleatly gives up and i can lift them any more
Teddy's_mummy said:
A bit harsh! :?

I know people with (purebred) conti's living until they're 6/7. I think that much of it is how they're kept. If they're kept in stupid breeder hutches their whole lives, and never get to run about then of course the lifespan will be shorter, as they never get to use their muscles and so it puts a lot more strain on their bodies. Buns with space to run, hop and binky will use all their muscles on a regular basis, and this keeps them healthier generally....afterall...it's not just humans that need to exercise to keep their hearts healthy.(I'm not saying that your breeder friends are like this, but with 60+ rabbits, you'd have to have a hell of a lot of space to have 60 large hutches/sheds to give Conti's what they need.)

Hope it's just the heat!
Click to expand...
how they are kept has nothing to do with it :roll:
thats like saying if you walk you great dane more it will live longer !
contis are like dogs the giant dogs never live as long as the smaller breeds ;)
a breeder friend who was one of the first people who brought these to the country used to keep them in dog kennels and runs in huge barns and his have the same life span as most contis, contis that are kept as house rabbits and have free roam have the same life span so out goes your theory
i have mine in hutches but they get out every day free run of the garden and as i have said mine are not as big as some you come across yes they are purebred but i think size has alot to do with it due to the size of their hearts bigger they are the more strain on the heart thats why other giant breeds live longer because they are smaller, as i also said i have a 6 year old conti and i lost my boy obi at the age of 7 he was nearly 8 :)
i have over 50 rabbits at the moment including babies and yes they all get out everyday as long as its not too hot its not a matter of how many rabbits you own its a matter of how you organise your time and make the most of that time
what you must also remember is contis were never designed to have have along life span they were purely bred for size due to them been bred for meat originally so life span wasnt a issue since they were going to be eaten back then its only now they are been kept as pets people want them to live longer
this is something im hoping through selective breeding will change, after all im on my 4th generation of contis in my line and each generation seems to live slighty longer than the last
ann x
 
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jazzywoo said:
how they are kept has nothing to do with it :roll:
thats like saying if you walk you great dane more it will live longer !
Click to expand...

You're kidding right?! You really think that the way a rabbit is kept has nothing to do with how long it lives? And of course a well exercised great dane would live longer than one that was shut in a small room for most of the day.

Even regular sized bunnies will perish quicker in unsuitable housing.

I would never even dream of putting Thistle in a hutch.
 
georgie_f said:
You're kidding right?! You really think that the way a rabbit is kept has nothing to do with how long it lives? And of course a well exercised great dane would live longer than one that was shut in a small room for most of the day.

Even regular sized bunnies will perish quicker in unsuitable housing.

I would never even dream of putting Thistle in a hutch.
Click to expand...

the life span of a conti giant is 3-4 years fact
the life span of a great dane is 6-7 years fact
mini lops can live up to 10 years
jack russels can live up to 14 years
its all in the breed its genetic yes some breeders are trying to like my self concentrate on extending the life span of them rather than trying to make them bigger so we are losing on size but gaining more life
but at the end of the day with anything you do get ones that break the rules and do live in longer i have living proof in my rabbitry with apple with her been 6 and obi was nearly 8 when we lost him
yes a rabbit that is not looked after propperly wont have a good life and could shorten its life but that doesnt mean a hutched rabbit cant have a good life doesnt mean show rabbits cant have as good a life as a house rabbit it just means its not running about the house all day eating the carpet and wires and making a mess in the house
but they do still get the attention , love and care they need well they do with the breeders i know
just like some house rabbits could be having a horried negelted life they could be stuck in the house all day never seeing anything but their cage never going outside in the fresh air never getting to eat the grass get to dig a hole in the garden getting feet dirty etc hey people do tend to shout about people who breed show rabbits how were all so bad when in reality you dont know us you have never taken the time to get to know us know what goes on how we work us people show rabbits just get painted with the same brush hey you show rabbits you must be horried and never care about the rabbits all you care about is winning and having the best show rabbit, if that was the case hey i would have given up years ago lol mine are never going to be the best well aslong as a good friend of mine is still showing im always going to be 2nd and 3rd best in fact the kids do better at shows than me and there are good people out there who show and breed who love their rabbits live for them in fact, we still cry when we lose one we still worry when they are ill we cant wait to get home for bunny play and snuggles its just like many people on here only difference is its on a bigger scale thats all ;)
ann x
 
jazzywoo said:
the life span of a conti giant is 3-4 years fact
the life span of a great dane is 6-7 years fact
mini lops can live up to 10 years
jack russels can live up to 14 years
its all in the breed its genetic yes some breeders are trying to like my self concentrate on extending the life span of them rather than trying to make them bigger so we are losing on size but gaining more life
but at the end of the day with anything you do get ones that break the rules and do live in longer i have living proof in my rabbitry with apple with her been 6 and obi was nearly 8 when we lost him
yes a rabbit that is not looked after propperly wont have a good life and could shorten its life but that doesnt mean a hutched rabbit cant have a good life doesnt mean show rabbits cant have as good a life as a house rabbit it just means its not running about the house all day eating the carpet and wires and making a mess in the house
but they do still get the attention , love and care they need well they do with the breeders i know
just like some house rabbits could be having a horried negelted life they could be stuck in the house all day never seeing anything but their cage never going outside in the fresh air never getting to eat the grass get to dig a hole in the garden getting feet dirty etc hey people do tend to shout about people who breed show rabbits how were all so bad when in reality you dont know us you have never taken the time to get to know us know what goes on how we work us people show rabbits just get painted with the same brush hey you show rabbits you must be horried and never care about the rabbits all you care about is winning and having the best show rabbit, if that was the case hey i would have given up years ago lol mine are never going to be the best well aslong as a good friend of mine is still showing im always going to be 2nd and 3rd best in fact the kids do better at shows than me and there are good people out there who show and breed who love their rabbits live for them in fact, we still cry when we lose one we still worry when they are ill we cant wait to get home for bunny play and snuggles its just like many people on here only difference is its on a bigger scale thats all ;)
ann x
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But keeping any sized conti in a 4ft breeding hutch is not on! With all the love in the world, it doesn't change anything
(again....not pointing fingers.)

I went to the Royal Norfolk show last week, and was appaled by what I saw. It was a BOILING, stuffy tent and they (even the conti's...one what was nearly the size of a Labrador) were in 2ft cages, with the kids screaming around them and poking fingers into them. Many of the buns were panting, and some only had mouse sized water bottles. There was one fan in the tent and that was blowing the judges. :evil: I hope proper shows are better. The poor Conti's couldn't lie down properly, even diagonally, so couldn't stretch, or flop properly.
.......in the cow shed (which was pretty cool to start with) there was a fan for every two cows.:roll: Show's peoples priorities.

How much space does 60 6ft hutches take up? ...I highly doubt that your conti breeding friends have them in adequate housing.
(Just realised it's RR friends, not yours JazzyWoo)
 
Teddy's_mummy said:
But keeping any sized conti in a 4ft breeding hutch is not on! With all the love in the world, it doesn't change anything
(again....not pointing fingers.)

I went to the Royal Norfolk show last week, and was appaled by what I saw. It was a BOILING, stuffy tent and they (even the conti's...one what was nearly the size of a Labrador) were in 2ft cages, with the kids screaming around them and poking fingers into them. Many of the buns were panting, and some only had mouse sized water bottles. There was one fan in the tent and that was blowing the judges. :evil: I hope proper shows are better. The poor Conti's couldn't lie down properly, even diagonally, so couldn't stretch, or flop properly.
.......in the cow shed (which was pretty cool to start with) there was a fan for every two cows.:roll: Show's peoples priorities.

How much space does 60 6ft hutches take up? ...I highly doubt that your conti breeding friends have them in adequate housing.
(Just realised it's RR friends, not yours JazzyWoo)
Click to expand...
well if my rabbits were booked in that show i would not have penned them put it that way contis are supposed to have bigger pens if the owners have any sence they would have played hell i would have done ive only had to play hell about pen size twice and it was sorted straight away
acutually i do have a conti breeder friend who has over 60 contis and he has his in a barn which is bigger than my house !! i could never take on contis big style i just dont have the room you do need a big place to keep them another conti breeder friend of mine she has it on a smaller scale but has room to put a small shed up for each rabbit basically to have contis you need land lots of it to do it on a big scale
i have mine in 8ft and 6ft hutches and they go out everyday in the garden which is free range they dont go in the runs they are for our smaller breeds well contis do go in the runs when we cant watch them stops them running off :roll: we can have anything up to 20 rabbits out in the garden at any one time its great fun watching them play and of course with us having kids they are out most of the time we have rotation system here so everyone gets out i have 17 out at the moment and due to change round in half an hour they get a good hour out of not more :)
and of course they love to have snuggle time my daughter is best for that one her and her friends are always sat in the garden snuggling bunnies the other day they had all the babies out it was so funny we decided to let them out the run and they were into everything and i mean everything !
oh must share babies and bunnies playing in garden pics
babies022-1.jpg

jazzy snuggling charlie when she should be in bed lol
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thats it im off
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you can let me out now your back :)
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where did that apple go :?
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and a magic pic of leela feeding babies shes such a good mummy :love:
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Jazzywoo, I'm in no doubt that you love your rabbits very much but I feel you're not getting the point me and Ali are trying to get across.

Any animal, of any breed, even people, will live a longer life if given healthy foods, correct living space and a good amount of exercise. Of course it's genetic that their lifespans are short but it is possible to prolong it with the right methods.

You say you're conti's have lived a good lifespan for the breed, but you also say that's down to your careful breeding.

My conti was not carefully bred. He came from an appaling pet shop and had syphillis when I bought him. He's five (so 'technically' he's two years over his life expectancy already) and he's huge!

He's still here now because I've done everything I possibly could of to give him a good life - I've given him as much space as I could afford, he gets to free-range for several hours every day (often all day if I'm not working), he gets a good diet and I do my best to tip-toe about and not give him a heart attack. He still runs around the garden like a young bunny and is healthy in every possible respect.

I strongly believe that if I'd put him in a hutch and only allowed him an hours exercise a day, he would have passed years ago.

ETA - the baby bunnies are very cute :love:
 
georgie_f said:
Jazzywoo, I'm in no doubt that you love your rabbits very much but I feel you're not getting the point me and Ali are trying to get across.

Any animal, of any breed, even people, will live a longer life if given healthy foods, correct living space and a good amount of exercise. Of course it's genetic that their lifespans are short but it is possible to prolong it with the right methods.

You say you're conti's have lived a good lifespan for the breed, but you also say that's down to your careful breeding.

My conti was not carefully bred. He came from an appaling pet shop and had syphillis when I bought him. He's five (so 'technically' he's two years over his life expectancy already) and he's huge!

He's still here now because I've done everything I possibly could of to give him a good life - I've given him as much space as I could afford, he gets to free-range for several hours every day (often all day if I'm not working), he gets a good diet and I do my best to tip-toe about and not give him a heart attack. He still runs around the garden like a young bunny and is healthy in every possible respect.

I strongly believe that if I'd put him in a hutch and only allowed him an hours exercise a day, he would have passed years ago.

ETA - the baby bunnies are very cute :love:
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i do get the point hun but i do think its down to breeding too in many ways not only diet etc which of course is very very important
and yes i do love my bunnies to bits like many breeders do that i know but yes i agree there are bad breeders out there breeders i will say stay away from ;)
i have to say your boy is so georgeous what a sexy boy :love:
what age is he in the pic he looks quite young looking at him there bet hes grown alot since :D
thanks yes baby bunnies are very cute and full of mischief and such a joy to watch grow up they change so quickly from tiny babies to balls of fluff and mischief we have alot this year somthing in the water i guess since ive had 3 friends give birth and my other friend is due any day now lol last year we had 5 litters all year we dont breed too often as i like to let the does recover so they only have 1 or 2 litters a year but we have had 8 litter this year so far and have one on the way most have gone to their new homes now some we have kept and it will be few weeks before interviews will start for the remaining babies :love:
ann xxx
 
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