Giant rabbits: description of popular breeds

Rabbits with the eloquent name "Giant" were bred recently.

It is believed that the first such rabbit was born in 1952 in the territory of the Poltava region.

The main goal of breeding this type of animal was the desire to meet the needs of the population for food due to the difficult economic situation in the post-war years.

Breeders sought to create such rabbits, which would combine the best qualities, that is, they could quickly multiply, gained a lot of weight, were large and very viable.

Breed "White Giant"

This breed of rabbits was bred on the basis of European albino flandres. Initially, the breed had quite a few shortcomings, for example, animals were distinguished by low viability and productivity, but over time, breeders corrected these defects.

The similarity with the flanders in rabbits of this breed is obvious, but the white giants have a more elegant design, a beautiful appearance, but a little smaller in size.

The weight of an adult animal may be more than 5 kg. Externally, they are large, up to 60 cm long, the body is rounded. The back is straight, the chest is rather narrow, but deep enough.

The head is large, but not very heavy. Ears wide and long. The females have a small crochet. The eyes are red, pink or blue.

Wool shines in the sun, thick and uniform, above average length, white. The legs are straight, long, but not too thick.

Rabbits of the White Giant breed are representatives of the meat-shredding trend. Animals are healthy, they perfectly adapt to adverse climate conditions or harsh living conditions.

Meat yield average. Animals "mature" quickly. The meat is very tasty, high quality.

For industrial purposes, the skins of rabbits of this breed are also used, but they are both painted and not painted. White giants play a very important role in the breeding industry, as with the help of males and females of a given breed, livestock breeders improve other breeds.

The fecundity of this breed is good, the average offspring is equal to 8 rabbits.

Breed "Gray Giant"

The gray giant emerged from the clans of the Flandres by constantly improving the source material. The gray giants were officially recognized in 1952.

Often, gray giants grow to 6 kg. The body is elongated, long (more than 60 cm), rounded, massive, closer to the hips increases in height. Gray bones have stronger bones than Flandres.

The shape of the head is elongated. The ears are horizontal, large, V-shaped. The sternum is deep and wide, the dewlap is present. Legs strong, large. Wool is a bit short, medium thick.

If the wool is reddish-gray, then the rabbit's belly is light. In the case of dark gray color the belly is also light shades. Sometimes there are animals with black down on the abdomen.

The direction of this breed is slaughter. But because of the unevenness in the thickness of wool, the price of the skin may not be as high as we would like.

Gray giants can be bred in the edges with changeable weather conditions. The meat yield, as well as the meat quality is above average, but still the gray giants are inferior in rabbits only meat in these parameters.

The early maturity of this breed is average. Rabbits - good mothers, with good milk performance, give birth to 7 - 8 rabbits.

Breed "Giant chinchilla"

These rabbits were the result of crossing common chinchillas with clans with flanders. Due to the fact that the flanders are quite large animals, and chinchillas have a very beautiful and soft fur, rabbits of this breed are extremely valued in the meat-furs direction.

This breed was bred at the beginning of the 20th century by breeders from America.

A worn adult animal can vary between 5.5 and 7 kg. Their body is long and rounded. The back is straight and wide. The chest is deep. The legs are very powerful, rounded hips.

The head is large, the ears are erect, large. Wool is very soft and pleasant to the touch. The silky layer is dense, the length of hairs is medium. Wool is colored with stripes, that is, along the entire length of a hair there are several bands of different colors, but in general the rabbit seems to be light blue. The abdomen and the circles around the eyes are light.

In females high milk yieldthey are excellent mothers. If you correctly and actively feed young rabbits, then after 2 months they will gain a weight equal to the weight of adult animals of the chinchilla breed.

They are often kept as pets at home, but because of their large size, they need a cage of the appropriate size. Their temperament is very calm, these rabbits are very affectionate, they quickly get used to new conditions of life, and also become attached to their masters.

It is also interesting to read about the best breeds of rabbits.

Breed "Champagne"

This breed appeared more than 400 years ago and, since then, has been particularly popular with livestock specialists because of its excellent meat and excellent quality of its skins. The birthplace of these animals is the French province of Champagne.

Rabbits of the Champagne breed of large sizes, the body is straight, expanding closer to the pelvis. The average weight of an adult animal is 4-6 kg. The body is of medium length, the back is formed by a straight line, the "slide" is absent.

The sternum is wide, voluminous, sometimes there is a small dehydration. The head is of medium size, the ears are medium in length, rounded, standing. The coat is dense, with a glossy shine, silver color.

The down hair of these rabbits is blue, but the guard hairs are white or black, so this kind of coloring is created. Rabbits are born almost black, then after 3 weeks of life, the fur begins to brighten, and by the age of six months the animal acquires the final color of the fur.

Legs strong, straight, medium length. The eyes are dark brown.

Rabbits of this breed are grown to produce high-quality skins and tasty meat. Due to the fact that the animal is rapidly gaining weight, its content soon pays off.

Keep them in a cool room, so what is harmful heat. Fertility is average - 4-7 rabbits per rabbit.

Breed "Ram"

This breed belongs to the decorative, but they are grown purposefully for slaughter, as they are the largest.

The average weight of an adult animal is more than 6 kg. These rabbits got their name because of the external similarity with rams, since the shape of the head of rabbits is very similar to the head of a ram.

The image is complemented by long drooping ears. The color of wool can be white, and gray, and red, and motley. These animals were bred in England. He was implanted natural mutation, because of which these ears appeared.

This breed is divided into several subspecies, whose representatives differ in the country where they were bred, and in weight. The body is rounded, its length reaches 60-70 cm, and the average weight of an adult rabbit is 5.5 kg. The chest is wide, the back is long, sometimes sags.

These rabbits ripen very quickly, due to the fact that the body is downed, you can get a lot of meat from one animal, which is estimated as very high-quality and tasty.

Females give birth to some young, usually 4 - 7 rabbits. The skins of these rabbits are large, soft, dense, painted in various colors. They are hardy, quickly adapt to new conditions of detention, calm.

Breed "Black-brown"

Animals of this breed are quite massive in appearance. Their name was due to the dark brown color of the fur. The coloring of the hair is not uniform. The sides are covered with black-brown hair, and the head and back are pure black.

The tips of the hairs are black, the fluff is light blue, the guard hairs are gray-blue at the base, and the guide hair is black. These rabbits appeared in the middle of the 20th century as a result of the crossing of the White giant, Flandre and the Viennese pigeon.

The productivity of these black-brown animals is high, the mass is gaining more, ripen with average speed, the meat and fur give very high quality.

Black Brown Rabbits adapt quickly to any changes.

Individuals on average gain 5 kg, but sometimes - all 7 kg. The build of these rabbits is strong, the head is large, the chest is deep and wide, the sacral-lumbar part is well developed, the legs are long and fleshy. Rabbits of old weigh about 80 g

After 3 months after birth, they weigh about 3 kg, if height and weight gain are intense. At one time the rabbit can give 7 - 8 rabbits. The fur pubescence is excellent, he has already managed to form 7 - 8 months of life.

The fur of animals of this breed is especially appreciated by those who are close to the fur industry.

Breed "Soviet Chinchilla"

These animals were obtained through the selection of hybrids of the White giant breed. The fur color is heterogeneous, on the body of the animal can be combined and light gray, and dark gray, and black, and silver-white hairs. Due to this, the fur shimmers and combines many shades.

The productivity of this breed is very high. The average weight of an adult healthy animal is 4.5 - 7 kg, and the body length is 62-70 cm. The design is quite strong, the bones are well developed. The head is small, the ears are small, upright.

The back is slightly rounded, the sacrum and the loin are wide and elongated, the legs are strong, with well developed muscles.

High fertility, at one time, a rabbit can give birth to 10-12 rabbits, each has a mass of approximately 75 g. The milkiness of the females is high, the maternal instinct is well developed.

2 months after the birth, the weight of each individual is 1.7-1.8 kg, after 3 months it is already 2.5 kg, after 4 months it is 3.5-3.7 kg. Skins are large, well-pubescent, have an original color, so that the value of this fur is high. Meat yield is 65%.

Breed "Motley giant"

The full name of this breed is the German motley giant or the German butterfly. The minimum weight that these animals gain is 5 kg, and the maximum weight is 10 kg.

The average monthly weight gain should be equal to 1 kg in the normal development of the individual. The average length of the body is 66-68 cm.

The skin of these animals is very attractive, bright. The design is dense, elongated, the back is wide, slightly rounded. The head is medium in size, round, the neck is shortened.

Sternum volume, legs straight, strong, medium in length. Ears of medium length, straight, covered with a large number of fur, eyes dark brown. Wool is white, with spots of black or blue color. The coat is thick, short, shiny.

Fertility indicators are average, the female can give 7 - 8 young rabbits, but at the same time the milkiness and maternal instinct of rabbits are well developed. Earliness is good. Meat yield is 53 - 55%.

Breed "Flandr"

The birthplace of this Belgian rabbit is considered to be the province of Flanders, whence the name of this breed came from.

Animals quite large in size overweight. The average weight is 4-8 kg, and the standard is set at 5.5 kg.

The length of the body, on average, is 65 cm, but can exceed 72 cm.

The body itself is elongated, strong, well developed. Legs are strong, thick. Thorax wide, voluminous.

The head is large, the ears are long, massive, thickened, with a lot of wool and black border.

Females begin to give birth already at the age of 8 - 9 months. Their milkiness is excellent. The average fecundity is 6–8 rabbits, but sometimes 16 heads can be born. Flandra - one of the most productive breeds of rabbits. Wool thick, thick.

Hair coloring is the most diverse: from the typical hare to the mixing of shades of black, metallic and dark gray.

Sometimes a rabbit can gain 12 kg of body weight.

Breeding such large rabbits brings profit and excellent meat, high quality skins. They do not need special care, so their content does not require much time and money.

Watch the video: Meet the giant Flemish rabbits (April 2024).