HUGE does

[ladysown]

I'll have to take pics so you can see their size...but I had two large does given to me today... I put one in with old Jack as she was simply immense. He's in a 4 x 4 on the ground and that's the only solid footing cage I have and I think the wire bottomed cages won't be big enough for her. I expect I'll get kits in a month. The other went into a solid metal meant for housing short stay pet rabbits. it won't be a good long term place for her to be in.

anyways,... how big is too big for a wire bottomed cage?

These does are part flemmy/part nz/part something else. The one is definitively bigger than the biggest NZ I've ever seen, the second is as long but as wide as an elephant and apparently can have a temper though I haven't seen any sign of it yet. Told the gal who gave them to me...if she has a temper she's dog food and she was fine with that. Though if that occurs I think I may need to find someone with a gun...

Both are about 1-1.5 years old. The one has had a litter the other has not due to the gal's space constraints and wisely thinking the breeding more BIG rabbits might not be a good idea.

Any hints or thoughts to give me an idea if keeping these two does is even doable? I have mostly 24 x 24 inch cages. Two 36 inchers for my meat does (rotated between the three of them). and 6-30 inch cages for hollands/meat bucks/etc. If needed I'll sell them to someone more able to keep BIG rabbits.

you know...as I write all this I'm thinking I'm nuts to even think about keeping them. They are HUGE. one...I can probably keep the one and just let her run with Jack. He might die at any time due to old age and I can build a nest box for them. She'll be fine in that huge cage as long as she doesn't dig out the side wire. but the other will have to go I think.

 

[akane]

The guy I got my champagnes from had pure flemish and his smallest cage was probably 2x4'. Most looked to be 3x4 or 4x4. All of them had steel floors with maybe a 3" lip to hold straw and set on a steel frame surrounded by wire. I set my cages up in 2x4' blocks with removable dividers so I could make 2x2's or 2x4's depending whether I leaned toward the mini rex or the meat rabbits.

 

[eco2pia]

I built my doe hutches 3x4...I reinforced the wire floor with "found" stainless steel commercial oven racks, and then put cage floor wire over them. Droppings fall thru and bunny doesn't fall out. Cinnabun was 12+ lbs, plus a litter of kits...I didn't trust the wire by itself.

I want to see what others think the maximum size is too...I have more cage building ahead.

Upon re-reading the OP, I realized that you might mean "how big of a rabbit is too big for a wire bottomed cage?" NOT "how big can a wire bottomed cage be before it collapses?"...oh, well....I don't know either of those things. I kept a stompy 12 lb NZ in a wire cage and she did fine...If you had resting boards?

 

[dark.lapin]

please post some pictures saw some funking looking flemish today on craigslist. I would build a solid wooden cage to be 48x42x24 . I know that people say to make the cage 6ft by 42 or 30 but this cage is perfect size for a doe and litter if its a small one. I know a breder that uses this size for his does. I would use a water seal on floor so cleaning will be easier. beeding should be pine and straw or hay .I would use a solid floor . huge rabbits on solid floors are more docile and ar not prone to getting sore hock. But you will need to clean it on 3rd day. Also I would pet the doe with temper daily. Harvey used to bite me when I handled him or let him stick his head out. He has stoped because I pet him daily....If she still has a temper give it a couple weeks...also nest box should be 2 feet wide maybe a foot long idk. I would just use an old wine box or something..If you still want to use wire flooring at least half the cage should be wire. I would not recomend that . flemish giant that are raised on solid floors tend to be more docile and bigger. My flemish giant doe is 19 pound witch is big for a steel gray

 

[mountainrabbits]

My flemish giant doe is 19 pound witch is big for a steel gray

Oh Lordy that's a big rabbit!

 

[curlysue]

We had a teen at the fair raising Flemish on wire floors,i saw no sore hocks either.

 

[dark.lapin]

We had a teen at the fair raising Flemish on wire floors,i saw no sore hocks either.

his orignal owner kept him at ag barn on something simlar but worser to wire. He does not have sore hocks but he did not grow to his full size. I recomend wooden floors because the rabbit raised on that type of floor seem to be bigger and mutch more docile. If you plan on raising flemish or mixed giant i would at least have the cage to be half wood...wire works fine but I pefer wooden floors.

My flemish giant doe is 19 pound witch is big for a steel gray

Oh Lordy that's a big rabbit!

Imgane how big the sandys and fawn can get. steel gray isn't a popular color....conteintal giant are huge

 

[mountainrabbits]

I've seriously thought about getting some flemish giants-there are some good breeders in my area that that's their passion and even more breeders that mix them with nz/cali anything else they come across...which I suppose isn't too bad since I'm wanting rabbits for meat but the fryer growth rate concerns me a little...and how big the adults are! My family thinks my Cali/NZ buck is big but it seems to me that's like comparing a beagle to a rottweiler size wise! How gentle they are reputed to be would really be great though...has anyone had one that wasn't super gentle?

 

[ladysown]

doe 1 - she's in with Jack - came in at 11.5 lbs. Compared to my 7 lb Harle's...she's a big doe.

Doe 2 - she's by herself and has a wee bit of an attitude problem - did NOT like me stuffing her in a bag to try to weigh her. I THINK...she's a 9 lb rabbit.

 

[eco2pia]

Aw shucks, they are the same size as my NZ, they should do fine on wire...I like to give them as much floor space as possible, but I have a 9 lb buck in a 24x24 temporarily. I take him out and let him stretch his legs in the house...This summer he gets new digs!

 

[ladysown]

okay...to me they are huge...but I guess not that huge. So they should do just fine in a 30 inch cage?

 

[eco2pia]

sure...the youngsters want more space, but lazy adults are fine. I plan about a 30x36 for the buck, but it will be more than he NEEDS. I just like lots of elbow room, in case I, er, neeeed it, for, um, overflow space! :roll:

 

[dark.lapin]

I've seriously thought about getting some flemish giants-there are some good breeders in my area that that's their passion and even more breeders that mix them with nz/cali anything else they come across...which I suppose isn't too bad since I'm wanting rabbits for meat but the fryer growth rate concerns me a little...and how big the adults are! My family thinks my Cali/NZ buck is big but it seems to me that's like comparing a beagle to a rottweiler size wise! How gentle they are reputed to be would really be great though...has anyone had one that wasn't super gentle?

Harvey wasn't very gentle when i first was trying to hold him he bit me...and used to bite me when he stuck his head out of cage...after awile he learned that I was not going to give him any atteion if he continued...now he just sniffs me because of doe. Flemish giant love to chew things and can be very destructive. I guess its just with any other animal treat it bab and expect same treatment in return.

 

[curlysue]

I love the colors beautiful rabbits.