Fawkes, Our Flemish, Settling In

[ZRabbits]

Garden lady, Thank you so much for sharing those pics. What beautiful babies they are. My Fawkes' Mom was more Red. Beautiful Fawn coloring. Fawkes' ole man (breeder's terms for him) was more Sandy. Fawkes is leaning more toward his Mom's coloring every day. just love the way his coloring is changing.

My husband fell in love with a Gray one when we went to pick out our Fawkes. But this sweet baby was only 3 weeks old. What a beautiful baby it was.

Karen

 

[garden lady]

Garden lady, Thank you so much for sharing those pics. What beautiful babies they are. My Fawkes' Mom was more Red. Beautiful Fawn coloring. Fawkes' ole man (breeder's terms for him) was more Sandy. Fawkes is leaning more toward his Mom's coloring every day. just love the way his coloring is changing.

My husband fell in love with a Gray one when we went to pick out our Fawkes. But this sweet baby was only 3 weeks old. What a beautiful baby it was.

Karen

You have a beautiful and intelligent boy that is for sure. If I had the choice to go pick, I might pick a gray, but I have Sandies and they would be my second pick. It will be fun to raise the 5 little ones to see what they will look like with care and good food, and have a lot of handling from the beginning. I was petting them and talking to them when I took their pictures today. They will have a lot of attention. I can take care of this many, but I just hope that Zoup the older female does not have a litter. I will have to find homes for rabbits then.

 

[ZRabbits]

Garden lady, Thank you so much for sharing those pics. What beautiful babies they are. My Fawkes' Mom was more Red. Beautiful Fawn coloring. Fawkes' ole man (breeder's terms for him) was more Sandy. Fawkes is leaning more toward his Mom's coloring every day. just love the way his coloring is changing.

My husband fell in love with a Gray one when we went to pick out our Fawkes. But this sweet baby was only 3 weeks old. What a beautiful baby it was.

Karen

You have a beautiful and intelligent boy that is for sure. If I had the choice to go pick, I might pick a gray, but I have Sandies and they would be my second pick. It will be fun to raise the 5 little ones to see what they will look like with care and good food, and have a lot of handling from the beginning. I was petting them and talking to them when I took their pictures today. They will have a lot of attention. I can take care of this many, but I just hope that Zoup the older female does not have a litter. I will have to find homes for rabbits then.

Great start for the little ones. Lots of attention, learning your voice, daily handling helps a kit so much. Other than their instinctive guardian Mom, they more is out there. It's a great start.

Hoping Zoup isn't pregnant, but if she is, raising the little ones to be sweet future Gentle Giants for another to experience and enjoy will be worth it. Sad to see them go, but heartwarming to know someone else will get to experience this Big Rabbit. Plus agree, you need to know your limits on how many you can take care of, which you do. Too many, and it gets overwhelming, you and the rabbits lose out. I commend you knowing your limit.

Hope you keep posting the babies progress. At 3 weeks old, Flemish babies are just absolute adorable.

Karen

__________ Sun Sep 30, 2012 10:00 am __________

My baby is growing up! Like a weed! When I first got rabbits, I was absolutely enamored by how tiny they were and how small they stayed when they hit maturity. Now I'm feeling the same way with my first Big Bunny.

Isn't he getting big!

Love this shot! Looks like how his Ole Man lays. True Flemish style. Love the "No neck" appearance.

With the little ones, they are friendly and will come up for quick pets and off they go. Fawkes seeks us out. Here he is watching my Husband in the Garden.

He's also learning the word "No". I think he listens better to my husband, which Fawkes adores" better than me. This shot is right after my husband said "No, don't you jump." (Fawkes is learning about the power of his back legs.)

But he does complain, by doing this when my husband says "No." He looks at me afterwards, lol.

This is the first time I have had to tell a rabbit to leave the Dog alone. Constantly trying to groom him, loves to pull on Jake's collar. But have to say the last few times, has laid right by Jake. Jake is handling it well. Did growl a bit at first, when Fawkes was grooming. (Fawkes just doesn't lick. He grooms you like he grooms himself.) So Jake now gets up and moves away. Also very proud of Jake who is watching where he steps too. With the little ones, they are in an x-pen. So not underfoot. Fawkes is out and about so we all watch where we step.

He has the oddest binkies, just so funny. I know my little ones do it, but seeing a big bunny do it, I've never laugh til I cried so much in my life. We think there's something wrong with his head, lol. He is learning to launch higher into the air. After the "trying to jump OVER the x-pen" experience, because he finally noticed the other Z-Tribe members, we are keeping him away from the x-pen. (That's where the word "NO" lessons started) He running around more showing his speed, which for a big bunny is fast.

Fawkes has found places in the room he likes to take his "recharge" nap. (Runs around like crazy, takes a nap, etc.) One is beside my husband's recliner, where he knows if he nudges my husband's leg, he'll get "scratches". One beside my chair where he knows there is an AC vent is.

Fawkes has learned that he can move everything around his crate. Fishdip, regarding my comment on the 3 am feedings, I had a 1 AM feeding this morning because of the racket caused by my big bunny.

But hey, when you see this, just can't help not being mad about it. Just look at that face.

He's a piece of work. Best medicine for a heartache I can think of right now. And Truly Thrilled that I'm getting to know the Rabbit World, one bunny at a time.

Can't help saying, Rabbits are Awesome!

Karen

 

[garden lady]

He has a beautiful back, long. I am not sure if mine do. Their hair is long from all they have been through, so hard to tell. Fawkes you can see excellent breeding, where mine time will tell. There is something different about the Flemish Giant. The ones I have beg for attention. They hit your hand to pet them. They were not babied when little and it just really surprises me how they act with people. I know Zoup has learned her name. When she was running loose, she came to be near the house. We are always home, so noise and my cat lays in the yard and she laid next to him. Once I found her next to the porch. I told the kids I think she would come up the steps and in the house. Actually, when the neighbors moved in and the rabbits were running loose, they had their patio door open late at night and were in the kitchen cooking. The dogs were in the house asleep and Snickers went in their kitchen. :shock: They caught him and held him and they said he did not try to get away or anything. I will have my husband put up a pen to use for now so they can get out and get on the ground with us watching, BUT a little worried because I saw Zoup clear 3 feet in a dead run. The dog was chasing her and she made a turn and I saw her looking at the fence and she knew where to jump and went up 3 feet and sailed through the wire. I was so proud of her. :mrgreen:

 

[ZRabbits]

He has a beautiful back, long. I am not sure if mine do. Their hair is long from all they have been through, so hard to tell. Fawkes you can see excellent breeding, where mine time will tell. There is something different about the Flemish Giant. The ones I have beg for attention. They hit your hand to pet them. They were not babied when little and it just really surprises me how they act with people. I know Zoup has learned her name. When she was running loose, she came to be near the house. We are always home, so noise and my cat lays in the yard and she laid next to him. Once I found her next to the porch. I told the kids I think she would come up the steps and in the house. Actually, when the neighbors moved in and the rabbits were running loose, they had their patio door open late at night and were in the kitchen cooking. The dogs were in the house asleep and Snickers went in their kitchen. :shock: They caught him and held him and they said he did not try to get away or anything. I will have my husband put up a pen to use for now so they can get out and get on the ground with us watching, BUT a little worried because I saw Zoup clear 3 feet in a dead run. The dog was chasing her and she made a turn and I saw her looking at the fence and she knew where to jump and went up 3 feet and sailed through the wire. I was so proud of her. :mrgreen:

There is something seriously different about the Flemish Giant. I'm finding this breed lets down its guard faster than my smaller ones did. The smaller ones still are a bit "on guard" as adults, but it's only at first and then I see them relax. They greet me at the door of their crates, and when out (I sit in the x-pen with them) they will come to me. Enjoy a pet or just lay by my side. But this Flemish breed seeks me out and demands attention, from the very beginning. It just amazes me. Maybe just the size that helps with the ability to deal with the 'Prey" instinct. Reading about Zoup and her escaping leap, and how she had it mapped, shows Flemish do have that "prey" instinct too. I see Fawkes squat and do the bunny crawl when he hears something that alerts him outside. Don't know. Just my thoughts. Still learning about the breed. But the experience so far has just been a hoot!

Karen

 

[garden lady]

There is something seriously different about the Flemish Giant. I'm finding this breed lets down its guard faster than my smaller ones did. The smaller ones still are a bit "on guard" as adults, but it's only at first and then I see them relax. They greet me at the door of their crates, and when out (I sit in the x-pen with them) they will come to me. Enjoy a pet or just lay by my side. But this Flemish breed seeks me out and demands attention, from the very beginning. It just amazes me. Maybe just the size that helps with the ability to deal with the 'Prey" instinct. Reading about Zoup and her escaping leap, and how she had it mapped, shows Flemish do have that "prey" instinct too. I see Fawkes squat and do the bunny crawl when he hears something that alerts him outside. Don't know. Just my thoughts. Still learning about the breed. But the experience so far has just been a hoot!

Karen

To me they seem more like dogs that a rabbit in the way they "treat" me. I have read others on here had a rabbit get loose and cannot find them, but Zoup and her littermates got out I think when the people were gone. They came to my house and my kids play the piano and are always practicing. Lots of noise here and people coming in and out. When Zoup was the only one left she started following our cat and sleeping next to him on the ground under the tree. I noticed when the rabbits were living in the pen (I even wonder if the man was going to have a colony) they would be down in the holes and when they would hear us talking they would come out. Almost the louder we talked the more relaxed they were.

 

[ZRabbits]

I'm finding out little by little, as time goes on, that my Flemish gets very active at the sound of our voices. He's seeking attention. I truly believe these big bunnies need human attention. Just to survive. They are amazing personality in an amazing bunny body. I feel too, that they are almost like a dog. Domesticated that is. They need that touch. It's bred into that breed. See, Europe is not dark and dreary, because look what they gave us. This Big Gentle Giant.

Karen

 

[garden lady]

I'm finding out little by little, as time goes on, that my Flemish gets very active at the sound of our voices. He's seeking attention. I truly believe these big bunnies need human attention. Just to survive. They are amazing personality in an amazing bunny body. I feel too, that they are almost like a dog. Domesticated that is. They need that touch. It's bred into that breed. See, Europe is not dark and dreary, because look what they gave us. This Big Gentle Giant.

Karen

When they were loose together they came to see what we were doing and went on their way or came to the fence for food and never really cared that much about me. lol Only time I saw the attention seeking outside a hutch was Zoup and that was because the man had given all her littermates away and she was the only rabbit left. She started following my cat and laying by the porch. Domesticated animals do not like to be alone. Horses and goats like company too, but if no other horse or goat they want human attention. It might not be domesticated, but herd animals that do this?

 

[ZRabbits]

I'm finding out little by little, as time goes on, that my Flemish gets very active at the sound of our voices. He's seeking attention. I truly believe these big bunnies need human attention. Just to survive. They are amazing personality in an amazing bunny body. I feel too, that they are almost like a dog. Domesticated that is. They need that touch. It's bred into that breed. See, Europe is not dark and dreary, because look what they gave us. This Big Gentle Giant.

Karen

When they were loose together they came to see what we were doing and went on their way or came to the fence for food and never really cared that much about me. lol Only time I saw the attention seeking outside a hutch was Zoup and that was because the man had given all her littermates away and she was the only rabbit left. She started following my cat and laying by the porch. Domesticated animals do not like to be alone. Horses and goats like company too, but if no other horse or goat they want human attention. It might not be domesticated, but herd animals that do this?

I wouldn't call rabbits herd animals. They are pack animals. But I do believe they are livestock. And can do well in colony settings, as long as there is enough territory. Like horses and goats, rabbits need to eat constantly to keep their digestive system going.

What I mean by domesticated with Flemishes is that they are very people oriented. Very fond of human touch. It was bred into them. Still have all the instinct of a rabbit, still eat like a rabbit, but their instinct is to enjoy human contact. Fawkes thrives on it. That's what amazes me after experience my little ones. It took at least 2 to 3 months for them to feel secure with human contact. And they all came from breeders who handled their kits from birth. With Fawkes, it was instant.

Karen

 

[garden lady]

I'm finding out little by little, as time goes on, that my Flemish gets very active at the sound of our voices. He's seeking attention. I truly believe these big bunnies need human attention. Just to survive. They are amazing personality in an amazing bunny body. I feel too, that they are almost like a dog. Domesticated that is. They need that touch. It's bred into that breed. See, Europe is not dark and dreary, because look what they gave us. This Big Gentle Giant.

Karen

When they were loose together they came to see what we were doing and went on their way or came to the fence for food and never really cared that much about me. lol Only time I saw the attention seeking outside a hutch was Zoup and that was because the man had given all her littermates away and she was the only rabbit left. She started following my cat and laying by the porch. Domesticated animals do not like to be alone. Horses and goats like company too, but if no other horse or goat they want human attention. It might not be domesticated, but herd animals that do this?

I wouldn't call rabbits herd animals. They are pack animals. But I do believe they are livestock. And can do well in colony settings, as long as there is enough territory. Like horses and goats, rabbits need to eat constantly to keep their digestive system going.

What I mean by domesticated with Flemishes is that they are very people oriented. Very fond of human touch. It was bred into them. Still have all the instinct of a rabbit, still eat like a rabbit, but their instinct is to enjoy human contact. Fawkes thrives on it. That's what amazes me after experience my little ones. It took at least 2 to 3 months for them to feel secure with human contact. And they all came from breeders who handled their kits from birth. With Fawkes, it was instant.

Karen

I agree. Mine want attention too and good thing they do, because that is what they are going to get with 4 people living here. :lol:

 

[ZRabbits]

I agree. Mine want attention too and good thing they do, because that is what they are going to get with 4 people living here. :lol:

All of you are going to enjoy the experience of your Big Gentle Giants! Especially watching the babies grow and seeing their personalities start to shine through. That's what amazes me the most.

Karen

 

[garden lady]

I agree. Mine want attention too and good thing they do, because that is what they are going to get with 4 people living here. :lol:

All of you are going to enjoy the experience of your Big Gentle Giants! Especially watching the babies grow and seeing their personalities start to shine through. That's what amazes me the most.

Karen

I posted what they did last night. I went out to give the rabbits some alfalfa and I had a flashlight and I saw all they babies in the doorway looking at me. I said what are you little tater heads doing and they jumped up, fell over, ran into each other and ran to the door where I was at. :lol: I just hate to open the door though when they all come to the edge.