Biggest BUNNY I've ever seen!

[JacksonsMom]

I wish I would have gotten pic/video...

Stayed at the hotel in Gettysburg this past weekend and someone brought their pet 'bunny'. I don't know if this is some new fad, or if it was mixed with something else... but this thing was huge.

She was 17lbs at 6 months old and apparently would grow to be 30lbs.

Hysterical when my 16lb terrier was terrified of this thing. They let them sniff on the ground and the bunny kept hopping towards Jackson, and every hop, Jackson would take a LEAP backwards. He had NO idea what to think of THIS bunny, though he happily hunts the small ones in our backyard, LOL.

It was too funny. That bunny was the boss of him.

 

[Sweet72947]

Was it perhaps a Flemish Giant bun? Those things get HUGE.

 

[Snark]

Wow! Never heard of bunnies that big! (Maybe it's crossed with a Maine Coon cat? ) Poor Jackson! He'll probably have nightmares about MegaBunnies now.

 

[AliciaD]

It was probably a Flemish Giant. They are FANTASTIC! I have had a mixed breed rabbit, and I currently have a lionhead, but basically Flems are worshiped in bunny forums and I would love to have one in the future.

Flemish Giant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rabbits can be bossy, mine will boss around the cats and dogs.

 

[milos_mommy]

I want a flemish giant one day!!!

 

[Pops2]

poor conversion rate & their meat to bone ratio isn't the best. however, they do make good terminal crosses.
oh and they are just awesome to see.

 

[Kat09Tails]

Sounds like a flemish. Pops is right about being an ideal terminal cross to a commercial breed like a new zealand or a californian.

This was one of my Flemish when I was a kid. This bunny is about 4.5 months old in the picture if I remember right and the girl in the picture is me at about 15 or 16, the older guy is my grandfather. He loved that rabbit, if I remember right that particular one was a 26lber as an adult.

 

[Katkoota]

Hehe that bunny sounds like my type of bunny wish u had your cam in hand .. I bet it was a one of a kind experience to Jackson

 

[AgilityPup]

Flemish was my thought too, since sadly, the Continental Giants haven't come into Canada/US yet.

 

[sparks19]

yep likely flemish giant. they have one here at "That Fish Place". her name is Alice. She's a permanent resident there.... not for sale.

 

[SarahHound]

Sounds like a Flemish Giant, yes. They are beautiful but far too people are breeding them excessively to make massive ones (similar to what people are doing to St Bernards, Newfies, Great Danes etc), so they are really unhealthy and have shorter lifespans

I like my little buns

 

[JacksonsMom]

Sounds like a flemish. Pops is right about being an ideal terminal cross to a commercial breed like a new zealand or a californian.

This was one of my Flemish when I was a kid. This bunny is about 4.5 months old in the picture if I remember right and the girl in the picture is me at about 15 or 16, the older guy is my grandfather. He loved that rabbit, if I remember right that particular one was a 26lber as an adult.

Yep, that's pretty much what it looked like! Wow, I had never heard of them. Very cool.

 

[MicksMom]

...Very cool.

They are pretty cool. My folks bought a couple about 30 years ago. I think my mother showed them for awhile. They were mainly bought, tho, to mix with another breed my mother had for meat.

 

[Kat09Tails]

Sounds like a Flemish Giant, yes. They are beautiful but far too people are breeding them excessively to make massive ones (similar to what people are doing to St Bernards, Newfies, Great Danes etc), so they are really unhealthy and have shorter lifespans

I can't think of a time I've ever encountered what I considered a truly structurally flawed flemish to the point where long term welfare was really a consideration. When I was showing they were bred to be a running breed rather than a posed breed for show so generally they were really well muscled, pretty heavy boned, and just lovely temperament wise. Most breeders were pretty no nonsense about selection, "They're winners or they're dinners" was the slogan of the local Flemish breeders club.

Anyway, I'm not sure what pet folks swing for in the way of reasonable lifespan for a rabbit. 12-16 tended to be considered pretty old in show circles across all breeds and generally those spots were reserved for the favorites in the barn like Gr Champions, BIS winners, or that particular rabbit that just caught the eye. I had Calvin (holland lop), Nell (britannia petite), and Ryo (english lop) in my barn. They lived pretty long lives for rabbits and Rio I sent to live as a petting zoo bunny at the local game farm when I was too allergic to care for her anymore.

 

[Teal]

Awesome bunnies! I love Flemish giants I had rabbits when I was younger... but I'd never have another as a pet.

 

[SarahHound]

I can't think of a time I've ever encountered what I considered a truly structurally flawed flemish to the point where long term welfare was really a consideration. When I was showing they were bred to be a running breed rather than a posed breed for show so generally they were really well muscled, pretty heavy boned, and just lovely temperament wise. Most breeders were pretty no nonsense about selection, "They're winners or they're dinners" was the slogan of the local Flemish breeders club.

Anyway, I'm not sure what pet folks swing for in the way of reasonable lifespan for a rabbit. 12-16 tended to be considered pretty old in show circles across all breeds and generally those spots were reserved for the favorites in the barn like Gr Champions, BIS winners, or that particular rabbit that just caught the eye. I had Calvin (holland lop), Nell (britannia petite), and Ryo (english lop) in my barn. They lived pretty long lives for rabbits and Rio I sent to live as a petting zoo bunny at the local game farm when I was too allergic to care for her anymore.

Maybe things where you are, are different, because there are far too many breeders here breeding to make BIG bunnies without taking into consideration their hearts and the strain their size puts on it.

I would say a reasonable lifespan for a pet rabbit would be 8-12 years, if cared for correctly, or at least, that would be what I would consider a good rabbit life. However with breeding they way it is in this country and the care so many rabbits receive, there's very few rabbits that make it past 4 or 5.