The Flemish Giant rabbit is a very large breed of domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus), normally considered to be the largest breed of the species. Flemish Giants are historically a utility breed bred for fur and meat. The breed is also known for being docile and patient in being handled, resulting in the large animals commonly being kept as pets.
The Flemish Giant originated in Flanders. It was bred as early as the 16th century near the city of Ghent, Belgium. It is believed to have descended from a number of meat and fur breeds, possibly including the Steenkonijn (Stone Rabbit—referring to the old Belgian weight size of one stone or about 3.8 kilograms (8.4 lb)) and the European "Patagonian" breed (now extinct).[1] This "Patagonian" rabbit, a large breed that was once bred in Belgium and France, was not the same as the Patagonian rabbit of Argentina (Sylvilagus brasiliensis), a wild species of a different genus weighing less than 0.9 kilograms (2.0 lb),[2] nor the Patagonian mara (Dolichotis patagonum), sometimes called the Patagonian hare, a species in the cavy family of rodents that cannot interbreed with rabbits.[3] Thomas Coatoam, in his Origins of the Flemish Giants, tells us, "The earliest authentic record of the Flemish Giant Rabbit occurred about the year 1860.
The first standards for the breed were written in 1893. The Flemish Giant is an ancestor of many rabbit breeds all over the world, one of which is the Belgian Hare,[1] imported into England in the mid 19th century. The Flemish Giant was exported from England and Belgium to America in the early 1890s to help improve the size of meat rabbits during the great "rabbit boom".[5]
It received little attention until about 1910 where it started appearing at small livestock shows throughout the country. Today, it is one of the more popular breeds at rabbit shows because of its unusually large size and its varying colors. It is promoted by the National Federation of Flemish Giant Rabbit Breeders, which was formed in 1915. The Flemish Giant has many nicknames, first and foremost the "Gentle Giant" for its uniquely docile personality and also the "universal rabbit" for its varied purposes as pet, show, breeding, meat and fur animal.
As one of the largest breeds of domestic rabbit, the Flemish Giant is a semi-arch type rabbit with its back arch starting behind the shoulders and carrying through to the base of the tail giving a "mandolin" shape. The body of a Flemish Giant Rabbit is long and powerful, with relatively broad hindquarters. The fur of the Flemish Giant is known to be glossy and dense. When stroked from the hindquarters to the head, the fur will roll back to its original position.
Bucks have a broad, massive head in comparison to does, and can take 1.5 years to reach full maturity. Does may have a large, full, evenly carried dewlap (the fold of skin under their chins), and can take 1 year to reach their full maturity.
Flemish Giant Rabbits weigh 6.8 kilograms (15 lb) on average, though the biggest ones can weigh up to 10 kilograms (22 lb), and the longest one on record (in fact, holding the record for the longest rabbit in the world of any kind), measured about 1.3 metres (4 ft 3 in) long.[6]
The American Rabbit Breed Association (ARBA) standard recognized seven different colors for this breed: black, blue, fawn, sandy, light gray, steel gray, and white.[7] The show standard minimum weight for a senior doe is 6.4 kilograms (14 lb), and the show standard minimum weight of a senior buck is 5.9 kilograms (13 lb).
Flemish Giants can be docile and tolerant of handling; frequent interaction with humans is a requirement for this to occur. Flemish Giants, like all rabbits, can become fearful, and sometimes aggressive, if handled incorrectly or irresponsibly. Their larger frame requires special attention paid to the spine alignment when handling a Flemish Giant. Consequently, potential owners should consider these factors in addition to their size, level of food consumption, and substantial waste production before buying.
Due to its large size, the Flemish Giant needs substantial living quarters that provide ample opportunity for physical movement. The House Rabbit Society recommends keeping rabbits inside the home in a very large pen or room(s) in the home. Larger dog crates are often more appropriate than traditional rabbit and small-pet cages, which tend to be smaller and shorter. In the United States Department of Agriculture's standards for animal housing, rabbits over 5.4 kilograms (12 lb) must have at least 0.46 square metres (5.0 sq ft) of floor space.[8] The size of appropriate living quarters increases with size of the rabbit.
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