Calling all Frenchie mums and dads!

Hi! We're considering adopting a Frenchie, but have just a few questions I was hoping you could help with. I've heard Frenchies only live to around 5 years on average - is this true? Also, was wondering how much food they get through a day/week. Any info. regarding Frenchies would be really appreciated and/or pics. Thanks!!

I have read they don't live as long as other buns. Was your thread on Lavender Lodge for a Frenchie? How about a 6 x 2 hutch from happy hutch, just on one level within a run? I'm planning on how I can get a pair too

Also, have you checked ross rabbits? It's a breeder site but they don't breed many and they have a huge amount of info and pics on French lops and a shop too

www.rossrabbits.co.uk

Hiya, we have had six French Lops over the years, and most ate a dog basket full of hay a day :shock: :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:
As for dried food they munched through two bowls a day :shock: :lol: :lol:
Three of our Frenchies lived beyond 10 years, and one to 12.
All have reached at least 7 years of age plus
Although larger breeds are stated as being less long lived than other breeds, with careful husbandry (and luck) they can exceed all expectations.
French Lops are full of character, we love them

I have just adopted an 18 week old frenchie. He is my first one and he's gorgeous! He eats HUGE amounts already so I can imagine they get through loads as adults. He is also very large and nowhere near fully grown so I would think they are more suited to sheds with runs or being house rabbits, as mine is
Its worth bearing in mind that along with the extra food, bedding and housing costs, the costs of anaesthetics, antibiotics and so on are increased too.

calling all frenchue mums and dads

NO it,s not true my french girl Daisy May is 10
They are very laid back bunnies like to sleep a lot and just "chill out"
They make great housebunnies too

Spacegirl said:

I have just adopted an 18 week old frenchie. He is my first one and he's gorgeous! He eats HUGE amounts already so I can imagine they get through loads as adults. He is also very large and nowhere near fully grown so I would think they are more suited to sheds with runs or being house rabbits, as mine is
Its worth bearing in mind that along with the extra food, bedding and housing costs, the costs of anaesthetics, antibiotics and so on are increased too.

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I must be lucky my vet doesn't charge any more for larger breeds Sugarplum gets through about 2 bowls a day, loads of hay and twice as much veg as the other bunnies (if she can get to it before Splodge that is :lol: )

edit: though most of my bunnies are fairly big maybe thats why I haven't noticed a difference :lol:

tis true, real gentle docile giants I have read the average is around 5 years but I know Tracys frenchie was 7 and I know a friend of Tree's at the hopper meet last year was 7 so must be 8 now so I live in hope, especially listening to what others here have said how old theirs have reached

Tis also true that they can eat for Britain, I spend £30 a week just on veg and my bales of hay only last me 2 - 3 weeks since having Marcel de Bun. I find the expense has dramatically increased since having him :lol: :lol: :lol:

I also had to change from SS to A&P as the cost was a real killer :shock: :lol: :lol:

bertie is a small end if scale frenchie..he came to me weighing 12lbs.
his diet consisted of 8oz allen and page breeders pellets..and a as much hay as hed eat..morning tiime was greens and hay..elevneses was a slice of wholemael toast..or a ryvita or a weetabix/shredded wheat.then afternoon was a broccoli floret and a carrot nub. And he was eating grass but waiting for his vhd jab and illness inbetween meant hes not been outsdie for a while now..the grass is way too wet and long!
he has NEVER ate 8oz of pelets whilst being with me..his veggies etc have stopped due to dicky tummy caused by stress with bifs vet visits.
Ive got some lovely fresh greens today so hes getting some for teat tomorrow if the vet trip isnt snowed out!
he likes a little slice of apple..hed eat the whole thing if i let him..but jo said hes actually got a quite sensitive tum.a lot of buns have i know.
hes not getting his starchy stuff either but being on ss has made him put on another 3lb! that and the fact he doesnt move!!
Am i the only one with a lazy snoozy bum of a bunny..hes 2 and jo says baby ones are manic till they get to a year then they get too laid back!
id say him n bif consume a carier bags worth of timmy hay a day between them.

Our Flopsy is a frenchie crossed with a lionhead. She is the size of a french lop, with a lionhead mane :lol: :lol: its very sweet!! She's very timid aswell.

She does eat a fair bit, but she isn't the dominant one in her pairing, Moonshine is and she butts in to get first helpings of everything. She was quite lazy, and would lay under the dining table all day, but since Smudge left the group, the dynamics have changed and Moonshine has taken to chasing Flopsy around the dining room :?

Nicola

I have a French Lop X, that was dumped with some other buns. They all died, but she now lives with my NZ white She is very friendly, but I don't think she realises how big she is & tries to get in tiny gaps :shock:

My Darcy is a Frenchie and I love him to bits :bunny: . He is a houserabbit and they are one of the best breeds to have indoors as they are so docile and love snoozing. They have "mad" half hours of running and binking and playing and then out for the count zzzzzzz!! :lol: :lol: I wouldn't be without my frenchie.

He does eat a lot - two baskets of hay a day and two bowls of dry pellets. I used to feed him veggies but recently they give him a dicky tummy so I no longer give him veggies and hes fine. I also give him some herbs for a nibble.

My best advice would be to buy a large cardboard bunny house from cardboardguy.com as that keeps darcy enterained for ages and it keeps his teeth in check as he is always knawing at it. So far in 2 years I've never had to get his teeth filed - just regular manicure and pedicures! :lol: :wink: :lol:

Dont worry about how they live for, I believe with lots of love and caring and good health, they can live for over 10 years. There was one girl on here whos frenchie x was still alive after 13 years!! :bunny:

our Lola is 4 and i do worry as i've read that frenchies only really live to 5 or 6 - but your posts have reassured me

we got Lola when she was 3 - she has recurring eye infections which ive been told are common in frenchies but other than that she has no problems and has the least troublesome stomach of all my buns

she only eats 2 tablespoons of science selective in the morning and 1 on a night as she has a tendency to be very lazy and put on weight - so i put them in one of those domes for her - she found treat balls too frustrating as she couldnt get the pellets out fast enough!

she does get through a mountain of hay and veg every day though

she also trashes cardboard houses at an alarming rate and can throw her litter tray a very impressive distance

i love all my bunnies but Lola is a very special rabbit and i'm sure its the frenchie thats part of her appeal - they are so cuddly and friendly and usually dozy (and yes, she does the usual attempting to squeeze in places the other bunnies go without realising how big her bum really is :lol: )

i'd say definitely get a frenchie if you get chance - you wont regret it

I wouldn't be without a frenchie, they are just an amazing bunny!!
I must admit i was always put off by the age thing but i know of many old frenchies!!

Thanks for the replies! Just wondering how many of your buns do have eye problems, as I've heard this can be more common in frenchies? Also, can you advise me what pellets you feed? I was thinking I would feed A&P, but for a 10 week old frenchie, would I buy Breeder/Grower pellets or the regular Natural pellets? Any frenchie advise greatly appreciated (and pics if possible). Thanks very much!!

i feed burgess excel and he loves it, never had a weight problem with it either. he eats about 2 small cup fulls a day plus loads of hay and some veggies.

I feed mine SS. No sight probs with Flopsy either.

Some pics I took today on my phone.








I love her to bits, she's very timid though.

Nicola

Thanks for the pics! Flopsy is beautiful - how old is she? I was just wondering how big you think she will grow or how much she will weigh? She's got a lovely coat, is she a blue?

french lops

I have a french lop who is about 4 months now. He doesnt eat a lot of veg because I have found that it gives him a messy bum ! Trying to wash a giant bunnie's bum is not the easiest task in the world as he weighs about 10 stone now !

He has an unlmited amount of hay and dried food and he also likes jacobs crackers.

He is mainly laid back but he does get the hump when I clean his cage out, he also chases the cat and my furry slippers.

I have started giving him the run of the garden for an hour a day now but he lives indoors the rest of the time. In the summer I will put him out all day and bring him in at night. I got a 6ft hutch from the happyhutch co which is very good and will be big enough for him as he won't be in it very much apart from to shelter in.

The vet hasn't charged me any more for jabs etc than for a normal rabbit and he is no more trouble than a normal rabbit but obviously needs more room. One thing I have found though is that just because he is big it doesn't mean he can't jump up high, I have caught him a couple of times on the computer chair which is quite a leap he has also jumped up onto the back of the sofa. I love having a cuddle with him when I come home from work and he sits in my arms and lets me get on it like a giant teddy bear !

Thanks for the pics! Flopsy is beautiful - how old is she? I was just wondering how big you think she will grow or how much she will weigh? She's got a lovely coat, is she a blue?

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Thanks.
She is 10 months, I don't know what she weighs at the moment. She wouldnt keep still on our scales :lol: :lol: I don't know what her max weight will be, she may be a tiny bit smaller than pure breed french lops because she is crossed with a lionhead. Oh and Yes she's a blue.

Nicola