Continental giants... anyone familar with the breed?

[Millinex]

Saw this ad up today:
http://denver.craigslist.org/grd/4027893701.html

I have never seen this breed available in the states before, I'm curious if anyone more familiar with the breed could tell me if they look legit and if it's a good price...

I'm heavily heavily debating picking a buck and doe if they are actually continental giants...

 

[Nyctra]

Does 18-24lb and bucks 30lb? I thought just about all does grow bigger than bucks.
Looks fishy. If they really are Continentals, why are they advertising such a rare breed on Craigslist? Seems like they'd already have buyers lined up.
I don't care how rare or fancy it is...I can't imagine ever paying that much for a bunny! XD lol

 

[Zab]

... well the last picture with the guy holding one is taken from google. I always find it when I search Belgisk Jätte (which I've always translated to Flemish giant).
The young rabbits looks like Belgisk Jätte as well. BJ may weigh 22lbs, but usually a tad less.

I've only ever heard of three giant breeds - french lop, belgisk/flemish giant and checkered giant/european checkered giant (said to be a bit larger)

 

[Sinnfox]

look like flemish to me...but then I see people around here selling pedigreed flemish for $100 or more so doesn't seem that odd...granted I don't buy them but still I wouldn't buy those if they have no pedigree...but then i don't think I'd trust it since at least one pic is stolen off the internet. Just google german grey (their base breed is out of Flemish just bred for huge size)

two other giant breeds -giant angora..and giant chinchilla according to arba ...I'm sure there are others

 

[Millinex]

I spoke to the individual, she said that the last picture (as I suspected) was just used to show what they are- as many people have seen them in the news and such. The question is- are they actually just flemish or are they more.

The lady I talked to says her neighbor is a pilot, as he took trips to Europe, he would bring back continental giants along the way. She tells me the rabbits in the picture are 8 weeks old, the mothers lines are from Europe and the Father from the UK. They say their neighbor is willing to guarantee their pedigree/what they are/where they came from. They do not come with a pedigree- as I would assume they wouldn't if he just bought pets and brought them back. I do also know that continental giants are recognized as a breed in the UK, but are not recognized as a breed here by the ARBA at all.

I asked for pictures/weights of the mother and father, I'm curious to see what these in fact, actually are.

 

[Dood]

Story sounds legit and pictures look legit although 30 lb (13.7 kg) is in the extreme range and 8-10 kg (17-22 lb) is the norm.

Even if they're Flemmish, the price is about right. You won't know until you grow one out.

 

[Millinex]

Story sounds legit and pictures look legit although 30 lb (13.7 kg) is in the extreme range and 8-10 kg (17-22 lb) is the norm.

Even if they're Flemmish, the price is about right. You won't know until you grow one out.

Ears look right. I can get flemishes for $40-60 here but would gladly pay more for a legit continental

 

[Honorine]

Not familiar with, but have heard of them before. Their pretty much Flemish with a exxagerated head and ears, like so many of the European breeds. They do love their big blocky round heads, even some small breeds have softballs for heads. Someone- Bob Whitman I think, lemme look-

http://www.rabbitgeek.com/whitman_import.html

http://www.rabbitgeek.com/giantcont.html

http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Rabb ... pics/13466

Bob Whitman has passed, don't know of anyone working with them in the US at this point.

 

[3mina]

There's one guy in Conneticut, Sugar Rays Rabbits, that has Flemish, German & Continental Giants, and he's selling them for a lot more than that.

 

[ckcs]

I'd want to check out the parents and study the difference between Flemish Giants and Continental Giants. I can get Flemish Giants for $50 or less here. I hate sellers that use the darn google pics of the enormous rabbits in their ads. They say it is to give you an idea but to me that is bs. I think they are trying to trick people into thinking that their rabbit will really get that big. I'm also suspicious of someone selling Continental Giants on craigslist, with their rarity in the US you wouldn't need to advertise them.

 

[Millinex]

I'd want to check out the parents and study the difference between Flemish Giants and Continental Giants. I can get Flemish Giants for $50 or less here. I hate sellers that use the darn google pics of the enormous rabbits in their ads. They say it is to give you an idea but to me that is bs. I think they are trying to trick people into thinking that their rabbit will really get that big. I'm also suspicious of someone selling Continental Giants on craigslist, with their rarity in the US you wouldn't need to advertise them.

This is how I feel. I mean I wouldn't be against risking $40-50 on a male that could end up being just a flemish/something else... but $100.... she offered to let me come weigh the parents, meet them etc, said the neighbor could prove where they came from, but at the same time, maybe her neighbor (who brought them over) got tricked into getting some flemish...

seems so risky.... I dunno.

 

[Dood]

If you can see and weight the parents then go for it.

In two more generations you will have a pedigree and if you breed towards the European standard you can call them Continental Giants.

Remember - rabbit breeds are not as strict as dogs and ANY rabbit can be shown as ANY breed as long as it LOOKS like the breeds SOP - what the grandpsrents, parents or siblings looked like doesn't matter at all, only the rabbit in front of the judge at the show.

If you want to sell them as breeding stock then I would disclose that your unsure how inheritable the size genes are but they're so rare I bet people would have to cross them on Flemish anyway.

 

[phillinley]

I spoke to the individual, she said that the last picture (as I suspected) was just used to show what they are- as many people have seen them in the news and such. The question is- are they actually just flemish or are they more.

The lady I talked to says her neighbor is a pilot, as he took trips to Europe, he would bring back continental giants along the way. She tells me the rabbits in the picture are 8 weeks old, the mothers lines are from Europe and the Father from the UK. They say their neighbor is willing to guarantee their pedigree/what they are/where they came from. They do not come with a pedigree- as I would assume they wouldn't if he just bought pets and brought them back. I do also know that continental giants are recognized as a breed in the UK, but are not recognized as a breed here by the ARBA at all.

I asked for pictures/weights of the mother and father, I'm curious to see what these in fact, actually are.

That story is where you can find whether it is bs or not. You just don't bring rabbits back from europe. There is a serious paper trail through the customs office. If they can provide you customs evidence, then it's easy to verify and you don't need the pedigree because who would bother to go through all of those steps to bring back a flemish giant. If they said they didn't need any paperwork to import those rabbits, they are lying or were lied to by their neighbor who brought them in.

 

[Dood]

Actually importing pets from Europe is not a big deal.

And if the guy is a pilot then its even easier.

http://www.rabbitgeek.com/whitman_import.html

 

[Frecs]

Actually importing pets from Europe is not a big deal.

And if the guy is a pilot then its even easier.

http://www.rabbitgeek.com/whitman_import.html

ummm...I guess it depends on your definition of "big deal". Doable, yes. Easy? not for your average Joe. Costly? Yep.

True that a pilot has a better chance to do this than the rest of us because he/she can arrange matters on both sides. If they really did go through all that to import Flemish Giants...they were not very bright...or they figured there would be enough Americans gullible enough to fall for it to make it worth it.

I'd ask for the import paperwork. See if they really did import them. Then, I'd wait a year or two and see how much the cost/value of them changes. It reminds me of the llama/alpaca marketing scams where people bought breeding stock at astronomical rates believing they were going to make it rich but it was nothing more than a pyramid scam really....

I'm your basic total skeptic. :roll:

 

[phillinley]

Actually importing pets from Europe is not a big deal.

And if the guy is a pilot then its even easier.

http://www.rabbitgeek.com/whitman_import.html

I will admit that a 'big deal' is open to opinion on what is a lot paperwork and what isn't. But at the minimum, there is some paperwork involved through customs. Paperwork you need to keep available in case the USDA comes calling within a certain time frame after import. So if they don't have it, or say they never needed any, that's the only red flag you need to have waved to pass on them (if what you are looking for is continental giants).