Breeding

Breeding

Breeding

Varieties

Sandies - Sandies are very easy to breed and they are the most popular. They tend to be the largest of all the different colors. They are a brownish copper color with black tips on their ears and black ticking over their body. The black ticking shouldn't be very heavy. The belly & the underside of the tail should be a continuation of white. The eyes should be brown. All my does run from 18lbs to 21lbs. The bucks are about 17lbs to 18lbs.

Marge

Sandy Doe

Grand Champion

Dwight

Sandy Buck

Light Grays - Light Gray is the second most popular of the colors. They have a ring pattern in their fur. The Standard calls for a uniform light gray surface color with ticking of black tipped hairs.  The under color shall be slate blue next to the skin, with an intermediate band of white.  The Light Gray Flemish has distinct rings that should be visible when blowing into the coat. The belly color should be white with slate blue under color, and the underside of the tail should be a continuation of the belly color.  The eyes should be brown. All of my does run about 16lbs to 18lbs. Bucks should be around 16lbs to 17lbs.

Candy

Light Gray Doe

Steel Gray - Steels are the hardest of all the colors to breed. If you breed two steels you will be lucky to get 3 out of a litter of 7 or more. If you get one good steel out of the litter your doing well. The reason steel is such a hard color to breed is that it is a ticking pattern. Steel grays are to have a uniform white ticking over their whole body. They should also have a white belly that continues under the tail. Steels should not have any brown on them anywhere. Their nails should be black.  My does run about 16lbs to 18lbs, bucks run about 15lbs to 17lbs. 

If you breed a white, black or light gray to a steel you are cutting your chances of getting steels big time. It is best to breed only to other steels.

Daphne

Steel Gray Doe

Black - Blacks are pretty simple, they are just black rabbits. There are two kinds of black though. Self and Agouti Black.

Self Black is kinda hard to find. Self blacks are blacks that have only black and blue or just black in their background. They are used in Blue breeding programs. They are not to have any other color in their background .

"Agouti" Blacks have light gray, steel gray and or white in their background. They are used in breeding to whites, other agouti blacks, light grays and steel grays. "Agouti" meaning they have steel, light gray and white in their background.

Blacks tend to be smaller but bigger than blues. Does run about 15lbs to 18lbs and bucks 14lbs to 17lbs. They should have black nails only.

Rose

Self Black Doe

Buster

Agouti Black Buck

White - Whites are also very simple. They are just white rabbits. They should have white nails. They have reddish ruby color eyes. They would be more popular if it wasn't for the red eyes. There are blue eyed whites but they are not breeding standard. Shame too. Does run about 16lbs to 19lbs, bucks 15lbs to 18lbs.

Shirley

White Doe

Blue - Blues are also simple as well, they are blue. The color is kinda a slate blue and not a bright blue. They are kinda hard to find especially good ones. In the 40's they were pretty popular, these days they are not so much. They fell out of favor and it cut down the number of breeders breeding them. So the gene pool is pretty limited. Most of them do not meet standard breeding weight of 14lbs for does and 13lbs for bucks. Also most of them have white in their background because of some breeders trying to get their weight back up. Which causes white hairs and white nails which is not acceptable.

Blues are only to be breed to other blues and Self Blacks. NOTHING ELSE! My blue does run 15lbs to 16lbs, bucks 14lbs to 15lbs.

Blues tend to have a skidish personality. They are more wild acting. I don't know why this is.

Patsy Kline

Blue Doe

Sky

Blue Buck

Fawn - Fawns are kind of easy to find. They are pretty simple to breed. You can breed them to sandies and fawns only. If you breed a fawn to a sandy that doesn't have any fawn in the background you might get fawns that have ear lacing or some ticking which isn't acceptable. In other words you might get something between sandy and fawn.

Fawns are a honey goldish color. They have this color over their whole body. They have white bellies which continues under their tail. They are not to have any white hairs anywhere else. They have brown eyes and brownish nails. White nails are unacceptable.

Hazel

Fawn Doe

Chester

Fawn Buck

General Information

Flemish Giants are true giants of the rabbit world. They can grow to a immense size, reaching four or more pounds in 7 weeks, and maturing up to 18 pounds in 9 months. Although they are large, they are docile and not wild or hard to handle. That is why they are called "The Gentle Giants."

 

Flemish also have a good tolerance for the cold outdoors if you don't want them indoors. But new born's do not. If you are planning to have them outdoors, please make sure they have ample protection from the weather and kits should be given a heat lamp or be born where it is warm during the winter months.  The only thing they do not like is heat... If you're uncomfortable in the heat, then your rabbits will be as well - they have permanent fur coats.  I expect you wouldn't like being in the heat of summer wearing a fur coat.   

Breeding Flemish isn't an exact science. There are simple guide lines you can follow to help you get started. If you are thinking of breeding Flemish Giants, start with the best body type you can find. It is always easier to start with good quality rather than trying to improve poor quality. Try to look at the pedigree before you take the rabbit with you. This will tell you a great deal about the rabbit you are buying.

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Page last updated: September 29, 2011

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