Flemish Giant questions

Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
May 6, 2015
Messages
672
Reaction score
408
Location
Seattle, WA
Breeder told me to give Harvey free access to pellets until she is 15 months. She has free access to hay as well and gets 2 cups of greens a night plus 3 tablespoons of carrots. Does this seem ok? Just wanted to get feedback from people who have raised Flemish Giants.
Also, how could I tell if she is overweight? She was slim until about 6 months old. She did lots of running and was so slim that when she was sitting she looked like a Hare. But now that her feet have grown so furry she can't run much because she slips on the tiles. I have blankets in the hall so she runs there a bit, but no more bunny 500's like the old days.
 
I'm sorry I can't help with the food part because I've never owned a Flemish giant but I would say if your worried about her becoming overweight you could always ask your vet. Sorry I couldent be more helpful hopefully u find the answers u seek.
 
Hello!
The only thing in her diet that would be a major concern would be the carrots. They have very high sugar content and are actually more of a treat than something to be giving in large quantities each day. I have smaller rabbits and they get 1/2 a baby carrot on a rare occasion. If you're worried about her weight I would watch the pellets. Are they Timothy or alfalfa based? What type of hay are you feeding?
Even when my rabbits were young I gave them measured out amounts of pellets each day, but everyone does the pellets thing differently, some opting not to give pellets at all!

Here is a picture I've used when checking my rabbits weight: View attachment ImageUploadedByRabbit Forum1448051090.171241.jpg
However, if you're concerned about it you could always ask the vet about it as well.
 
Hampsterdance! That was exactly what I was looking for! Thank you!! I know we can weigh her, ( and I plan to for her 1 year birthday) but weight alone wouldn't tell me if she was overweight because it wouldn't take her size into account. When we snuggle her nose is at my collar bone and her feet are by my knees. I want to be sure she doesn't get fat since Flemish don't live very long as it is, being overweight would make her short life even shorter. According to that chart above, she is a healthy 3. Her dewlap has no fat, we easily feel her hip bones and spine and her tummy is very firm though I can't feel any ribs. I know I can ask the vet, and I will/do when Harvey has her check ups. I just wanted more feedback. When it comes to pets it seems like everyone has their own opinion. It's like how many pellets to feed; no one really agrees 100%.
Thanks everyone!
My rabbit is in better shape than I am.
 
Yay! What a helpful post. I have a young flemish giant. Lucky is about 5ish months old and I've had such a hard time figuring out if he is the right size and weight for a fg at that age. I give him a small shot glass full of pellets each morning, fresh hay all day and night, a bowl of veggies at night, and a small handful of alfalfa at night. Lucky is a super chill and laid back bunny, so he hangs out a lot stretched out next to my dog and I on a chair or in bed. He does play chase with my dog (he does the chasing most of the time), and he has a few big binking sessions throughout the day. The vet hasn't been super helpfull because he didn't even know what kind of breed Lucky was when I first brought him in (neither did I- Lucky was a rescue), and I think he thought Lucky was a little bit older then what he really was due to his larger size.

That chart helps a lot, though! :D He seems to be a 3 (closer to 4 then a 2). He is very fluffy, but I could feel all his ribs, spine and hips once i got under that fluff. I'm so happy to finally have some sort of refrence guide to keep track of his weight with.
 
Assuming the Flemish is purebred, normally, by the time they're 8 months old a buck would weigh about 13 pounds and a doe 14 pounds.
 
We raised two Flemmies, both now over the rainbow bridge, and we fed them both differently because they metabolized the food differently. Our female would eat too many pellets and have too many wet poos (when running, she would sling these sometimes on the wall! Ew!). We gave her the recommended amount of pellets based on the brand (look at the back and there will be a measurement based on weight). So, she ate more timothy hay, and we did not give any other treats except a small slice of banana every morning. We gave greens in the morning and evening (about a handful each). Our male got larger amounts of pellets (we often kept his small bowl full), but he had no problem with them. He was not overweight ever. Our rabbit savvy vet said no carrots because they have too high of a sugar content. The bananas have high sugar too, but one small slice won't hurt them. Our male reached 20lbs and was healthy except for dental problems. Please be sure to get his teeth checked regularly to get trimmed as needed. Exercise is important too. We bought a North States Superyard and turned that into his cage when he was full size, and then we let him out of the cage when we were home. They are so fun! Keep another thing in mind - because of their larger size, also keep checking their hocks because the bigger they get, the more pressure they put on their feet.
 
Back
Top