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Another one rabbit breed with mysterious origins.
The breed comes from the Patagonian giant rabbits, which were either brought to Europe in the 17th century, or they became extinct there long ago. This is the product of crossing Patagonian rabbits with European large Flemish (where did the large Flemish ones come from?) rabbits, that is, with the European species of rabbit.
All these theories ignore the problem of interspecific crossing, in which the offspring of South American, if such a thing really existed, and European rabbits would be sterile. And, of course, no one pays attention to one small discrepancy: the separation of the continents occurred long enough for the South and North American continents to develop their own species of animals, and the Eurasian fauna, which crossed to the North American continent via the Bering Bridge, simply did not have time to penetrate the South American continent. Therefore, it is easier not to multiply entities, but to use Occam’s razor and admit that artificial selection works wonders if you clearly know what you are trying to achieve.
Everything in the picture is good. Rabbit. Giant. Already extinct.The trouble is that he lived in Menorca, and not on the American continent. Although he weighed the same 12 – 26 kg.
Presumably, the Flanders rabbit breed took shape in Flanders, which is today part of Belgium. But on the question of where the ancestors of the Belgian giant came from in Flanders, many copies have been broken. However, if we remember that the first Flanders rabbits were quite small animals, weighing less than 5 kg, there is most likely no secret.
Flanders rabbits were apparently bred by simple selection for the largest individuals in the tribe.
After the spread of the Flanders rabbit throughout Europe, local offspring of this breed appeared quite logically in different countries. In some places the Flanders were crossed with local breeds of rabbits, in others they were simply selected for desirable traits.
Almost all breeds of rabbits that have the word “giant” or “giant” in their name are descendants of the Flanders or Belgian giant rabbit. German, English, white, gray giants - all descend from the Flanders rabbit. True, if the English and German giants were simply adapted to the climate of their countries, then the gray and white giants were infused with the blood of other breeds in order to increase endurance and resistance to the Russian climate. The French descendants of the Belgian Flanders, as a result of the influx of other blood, turned out to be lop-eared, receiving the name French ram.
But usually all Flanders' offspring have erect ears, although they often look like mugs.
Belgian giant standard
Descriptions of the Flanders rabbit usually begin with a general impression. And the general impression of this rabbit is that it is a large, powerful, clumsy animal with powerful paws and a wide chest.
The minimum weight of the flander is 5 kg.Breeders strive to increase the live weight of rabbits and today the average weight of animals of the Flemish breed is 6 - 7 kg. The record weight of flanders is up to 12 kg.
Moreover, you often come across photos online that show simply giants. The network contains information about the Belgian rabbit Ralph, who is listed in the Guinness Book of Records and weighs 22 kg according to some sources, 25 according to others, and 28 according to others. However, not only the weight varies, but also the nicknames. According to other sources, the huge Belgian is called Darius.
We need to start with the fact that only one rabbit is recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. And it's fluffy. Entered the Book for its coat length of 36.5 cm.
Here is Darius. It seems to not only be large in size, but also able to levitate, since the lady’s second hand clearly does not support the rabbit. The first one is a little too big for a woman, but there are so many things that happen in the world.
But in the photo with the Chihuahua, the true size of Darius the rabbit is already visible.
The second largest Flanders rabbit in the world is Ralph.
If Flandre's photograph were genuine, the girl would have to be included in the Guinness Book of Records for her exorbitantly large hands.
So there is no need to delude yourself and hope to grow a giant weighing over 20 kg. If you are lucky, some specimens will gain 12 kg after fattening and before slaughter.
Therefore, we return to the standard weight, appearance and characteristics of the Belgian giant breed.
The normal size of the Flemish giant is "stretched" to better show the length of the body.
As a result: the Belgian Flanders does not grow larger than 10-12 kg, unless this is a rare genetic deviation.
The Belgian giant has a large, wide head with well-defined cheeks. By the way, this is often a distinctive feature of breeds descended from Flanders.Especially those who were bred by selection for the desired characteristics, without the infusion of blood from other breeds. Flanders ears are narrower at the base and widen towards the middle. As a result, the shape of the ears resembles a primitive spoon.
The flander's body must be at least 65 cm long with a chest circumference of at least 42 cm. The back is flat, equal in width from the withers to the sacrum. The legs, supporting the massive body, are powerful, widely spaced, the thighs are well muscled.
The disadvantages of this breed include incorrect paw placement, chest girth less than 35 cm, body length less than 65 cm.
The Flanders breed has 10 standard colors: silver, agouti, blue, gray, black, dark gray, white, fawn, opal, sand. Any other color is a fault.
Features of keeping and breeding the Flemish breed
Keeping Belgian Flanders rabbits has certain restrictions related to the size of the animals.
Flanders cage
Since the Flemish rabbit is a very large animal, it requires a cage measuring 1.0 x 1.1 m to live in. The height of the cage should also be 0.5 m, instead of the standard 0.4 for ordinary breeds of rabbits. The ideal option would be to keep any breed of giant on the floor in a mini-enclosure, where they will not have a height limit. But such mini-aviaries take up a lot of space. This method is suitable for professional keeping of breeding animals or for amateurs raising large breeds in the country.
The herd intended for slaughter is usually kept in sheds to save space.
When keeping them in a cage, experienced rabbit breeders take a galvanized sheet of iron, make holes in it, bend one long side at an angle of 90 degrees and place it on top of the grid. At the back of the cage, part of the mesh is usually removed so that the makeshift inner tray can be removed from the cage and cleaned of droppings without removing the rabbit. Urine will drain through the hay and holes on its own.
The bent part of the pallet, directed upward, closes the gap cut in the mesh.
Hay is used as bedding in the cages.
There is no need to make trays in enclosures, but it is more convenient to make two-component bedding, since in an enclosure, unlike a cage, urine has nowhere to drain. Therefore, sawdust is laid down in the enclosure, which will absorb moisture. A thick layer of hay is placed on top.
After each cleaning of the enclosure, it must be disinfected. For ease of cleaning and disinfection, rabbits are placed in other cages during this time.
Ideally, enclosures should first be scorched with a blowtorch, burning out the “megafauna,” and then sprayed with a disinfectant solution until the surfaces are wet in order to destroy pathogenic microorganisms.
Feeding Flemish rabbits
Although here the Flanders have no special differences from ordinary breeds, except that they need more food than usual. Professionals prefer not to overdo it with succulent and wet food, not wanting to get problems with rabbit intestines. Hobbyists often save on feed by adding kitchen waste and tops from the garden to the Flanders' diet.
When eating succulent food, Flanders will not present you with any special surprises, except for the usual diarrhea or bloating. And with skillful provision of this type of feed, perhaps there will be no usual problems either.
Specifics of breeding the Belgian breed
Breeding Flanders rabbits is also not very different from breeding ordinary rabbits. In technical terms. The female also needs a queen cell, and she builds a nest there, just like an ordinary rabbit.
Flanders are late ripening. If ordinary rabbits are allowed to mate at 5–6 months, then Flanders can be mated no earlier than 8 months. Puberty begins at 4 months. But early childbirth will lead to the birth of weak cubs that most likely will not survive. And the time for maintaining a pregnant female and feeding a non-viable litter will be lost.
If one rabbit needs 1 m², then a female rabbit with a litter needs 2 m².
The Flandre rabbit brings 6 – 10 young rabbits in the litter. Rabbits grow quickly. By 4 months they reach a slaughter weight of 3.5–4 kg.
This is precisely what explains the loss of time during early breeding.
Buying a Flemish rabbit
The purchase of a Flanders rabbit should be made no earlier than the rabbit is 3-4 months old. It is better to buy a baby rabbit from a nursery or farm.
How to choose a rabbit
Animals of any species usually have unsuccessful first litters. You can’t expect high-quality offspring from old animals either. Therefore, it is better to take young rabbits from a middle-aged female rabbit.Only a farm or nursery can provide such a selection of mother rabbits of different ages.
When choosing a baby rabbit, a buyer taking an animal for breeding will have to rack his brains on how to combine two incompatible factors.
For breeding meat animals, it is beneficial if the female rabbit brings the maximum number of rabbits in the litter. This factor is inherited on the maternal line. But with a large litter, each individual rabbit receives less milk than its counterparts from small litters. This means that the quality of the rabbit from numerous offspring will be lower.
To keep a Flanders rabbit as an ornamental animal, it is better to take a baby rabbit from a small litter.
In addition to the number of rabbits in the litter, you need to pay attention to the appearance of the animal. A healthy rabbit of any breed has shiny eyes, a clean nose, and fur that is pleasant to the eye and touch.
If there is matted fur on the paws, and the white ones are also brown in color, discard that particular bunny. This fur appears if the rabbit has discharge from the nose or eyes. Trying to clear its nose and eyes, the rabbit rubs them with its paws.
Discharge may be symptoms of rhinitis or myxomatosis.
Although the Flanders rabbit is a calm animal, it shouldn’t have a “rag” hanging in your hands either. Such lethargy indicates illness.
Conclusion
When purchasing a rabbit of the Belgian breed, keep in mind that all rabbits of giant breeds are already beginning to lose their importance as meat animals, since the slaughter yield of meat from a carcass of a Flemish rabbit is only 50%, while a rabbit of the California breed gives 80%.The advantage of giant breeds is the size of their skins. But the quality of the skins of animals of the Flemish breed is also often inferior to other breeds of rabbits.
