Breeding my Flemish cross?

[stemnyj]

Before I got my Flemish cross BunBun, I had been throwing around the idea with my fiance of starting up a small rabbitry. I don't want to breed for show or anything, at least not at first... just some plain, but pretty-colored bunnies to sell as pets. I might at some point upgrade to a larger rabbitry with purebred fancy buns, but until I see how it all works out and become a little more educated on the breeds, I don't want anything too fancy.

Then my fiance brought home BunBun, and for now the rabbitry plans are still on hold, as I don't have any hutches or anything... but I would eventually like to breed him.

Here's my question. You guys are pretty sure he's Flem mixed with Dutch. I'm not sure how big he'll actually get. So, assuming that he doesn't become a giant and grows to only slightly larger than your average rabbit, when I decide to breed him, would it still be unsafe to breed him to anything other than a Flemish?

I guess what I want to know is, what are the chances that his kits will be giant, even if he doesn't become giant himself? Would it be safe to breed him with a large bun who doesn't get quite as big as giants?

 

[Dood]

When I cross a larger buck on a smaller doe, the kits tend to stay smaller than if a small buck is bred to a large doe, however the crossbreds rarely get bigger than the larger parent . But this just might be true with the few breeding I've done.

assuming that he doesn't become a giant and grows to only slightly larger than your average rabbit,

what size do you think is 'average'?

I have a hard time selling anything over 5 pounds or with upright ears. The pet market in my neck of the woods wants lops around 2-4 pounds.

 

[phillinley]

Checkered Giants, New Zealands, Silver Fox, Californians, Beverens, Giant Chinchilla, French Lop would all be fine to cross with just for a few examples.

 

[stemnyj]

Dood: By "slightly larger than your average rabbit", all I meant was the idea of him growing only a little larger than he is now, versus blossoming into a full-blown Flemish Giant.

As long as the kits wouldn't grow large enough to harm the doe, I'd most likely breed him to a female of similar size, assuming I couldn't get my hands on a purebred, compatible Giant doe, which would be awesome.

Lops are definitely adorable and, from the cartoons and books my daughter is into, they seem to be the "poster child" of pet bunnies. They are probably one of the breeds I'll focus on, if I decide to start a long-term rabbitry. But in my area right now, it seems like any tame bunny is selling... not for $80 a piece, obviously, but still selling. One of the local feed stores gets a stock of rabbits and chicks in the spring, and the bunnies are literally gone within a week.. and, while some of them have pretty coats, they aren't lop-eared or particularly spectacular.