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Calling People With Giant Rabbits,

Newzealandwhites

Alpha Buck
Please could you tell me your experience for owning a giant bun, what you have found different from a "normal sized" bun ? any health problems you have had ?
 
These are my first buns but I have one giant and one 'normal' sized bun. Rosie my big bun is much friendlier and more affectionate than him but I have no idea if that's just their individual personalities.

I do think that giants are generally friendly though, the ones I've met at the rescue have all been anyway. Rosie can be quite demanding for attention though, and obviously needs more space/food etc!
She's not had any health problems but they don't live as long unfortunately.
 
I've only ever had one big bun and only had her a few months but so far I'd say that she is more laid back in that she isn't easily spooked, she is very friendly and confident (all the giants I have met have been like this and I have worked with a few of them).

She is greedy and has no problems with stealing food from he husbun since she has a much bigger mouth she eats twice as fast as him so if I feed treats then he gets his first and I cuddle her for a bit to give him a head start! She is clumsy and doesn't always know where her feet are! :lol:

She is VERY strong willed and if I don't understand what she wants she will (very rarely) nip, and conti's have big teeth :shock: I find bigger rabbits easier to hold to medicate and health check ect because they are bigger but they are also stronger so if they scrabble or kick you tend to know about it! :lol:

She has arthritis and she is still only young :( it's easily controlled with daily metacam but obviously she must still be stiff and uncomfortable :( I think giants are prone to it. They are also prone to heart problems as they are just too big really, they also have a much shorter life expectancy :(

Giant rabbits are fantastic, I feel very lucky to own one but would never buy one from a breeder as I'm not comfortable with animals so prone to breed related illness being bred. There are plenty in rescues though if you are willing to look around and wait!
 
I have had two contis, Bigwig and Dillon - both were very laid back buns and easy to bond with their respective girls. Sadly I lost them both at around 4 years of age from heart related problems.

They were lovely boys and amazing to watch :love:
 
I've had a French lop and I have a conti. Prior to that I had a nethie and a Dutch-x - the two little ones were outdoor buns initially then came in. The two giants - house buns.

The giants - more confident; chilled and craving of human attention. They are like cats/dogs. They eat huge amounts and need vast amounts of space when they do move but, on the whole, are less active. They are, however, more difficult to care for. Getting the balance d their food right isn't easy; they do have health issues (although I've been fortunate there) but make fantastic pets.

I wouldn't be without my Hector now. He is about as cuddly as it is possible to be. :)


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I have a British Giant, he's coming up to 2 now. I think the major issue is the shorter lifespan :cry:

He is lovely, but stubborn :shock: when he was ill, giving him meds was a nightmare and he would get very grumpy and lunge :roll: the rest of the time he is amazing though, more like a dog than a bunny. He greets you and gets all excited when he hears you coming to his run :love:
 
Moley is exactly as everyone has described. When I first got him and even now it frustrated me that I couldn't him any toys/beds/tunnels etc. the market is slightly better now but I am lucky that my Boyf is very handy and can build him stuff :).

Moley has the biggest personality of a bun I have ever had...he is stubborn, bossy,
destructive, eats like a horse, and suffers from gut stasis and had sore hocks, last year but I sorted that one out! On the other side he is chilled loves to have his cheeks rubbed :love:, loving and enjoys a cuddle (at ground level). He is playful and inquisitive and will tell you when he wants to play or cuddle. I loves him very muchly :)
 
I've had six in total. All have died young from Giant bun related problems ( abscesses, heart problems, and got arthritis) but they are the gentlest, friendliest, biggest characters you will ever meet. All mine have been friends with my dog. I absolutely adore them, my favourite breed. :love:
 
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I've had lots of French Lop, British Giant and Continental Giant over the decades. They all came from lines free of genetic defects and never experienced any 'breed-related' problems other than occasional sore hocks which heavier rabbits are prone to.

They're wonderful rabbits rather like big cuddly toys and I coudn't see myself ever choosing small breeds again. The biggies have totally won my heart.

The only downside is their lifespan can be shorter but some of my Frenchies have lived happily and healthily beyond their 8th birthdays.
 
Giant rabbits are more prone to heart problems, my British Giant Benji passed away after he was only a year old, and there was nothing we could have done. :(

That being said, they make fantastic pets. The bigger they are, the softer in personality they are, in my experience. :)
 
I don't do little buns....they worry me with their teeniness :oops:

Bigguns are great, the only one of mine with an ongoing condition is Maurice....and that isn't breed related.
 
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