# What's the difference between a flemish giant and a german gray giant?



## SablePoint

What's the difference between a flemish giant and a german gray giant? They both seem the same to me and I can't find any info on the net supporting my question that I've wanted to know for a while.






^ This picture here came off a site saying it was a German Gray Giant.
But on another site with this image claimed it was a flemish giant.

When I searched for pictures of Flemish Giants - it cames up with simular and even the same pictures when I searched for German Gray Giants, and vice versa.

So, what is the difference?


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## Seras

I think the Germans are bigger, but im not a breeder. Its just what i think lol i have a flemie and he is that big but he is also still a baby at 3-4 months.


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## bunniekrissy

In Europe there are some different recognized breeds than in the US. The flemish giant is probably closely related to these other giant breeds, but the current rabbit types each have a different separated lineage that started at some point. Or, maybe they are just as different as any other breed but they have their large size in common. Just a guess, though.


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## fuzz16

german gray=continental giant.
bigger than the flemish by a 1lbs or 2


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## TinysMom

I'm about 100% sure that picture was photoshopped to make the rabbit look bigger...


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## sbaxter

i agree with Peg,picture just looks odd head is huge compared with rest of the body!! His/Hers feet look tiny


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## SablePoint

It's real! I've seen this guy on animal planet's The Most Extreme, one time with his bunnies. They're huge!











Anyways, thanks for the info guys!


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## Seras

Yea i saw him on animal planet too his bunnies are HUGE lol he raises them to be that big.


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## SweetSassy

HOLY CRAP!! Thats one big bunny. :shock:


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## fuzz16

their life span is about three years...
they are sold to third world countries to be bred and used for food/fur due to their breeding and growth rate..


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## TinysMom

I'm in shock that the photo is true - but I checked it out on Snopes...

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/giantrabbit.asp


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## SweetSassy

Would you like one that big Peg? Lol.


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## TinysMom

*SweetSassy wrote: *


> Would you like one that big Peg? Lol.


I'm not sure - I would be constantly paranoid that it was gonna die of a heart attack...so probably not.


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## SweetSassy

*TinysMom wrote: *


> *SweetSassy wrote: *
> 
> 
> 
> Would you like one that big Peg? Lol.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not sure - I would be constantly paranoid that it was gonna die of a heart attack...so probably not.
Click to expand...

I wonder how long a huge bunny like that lives.....


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## TinysMom

*SweetSassy wrote: *


> *TinysMom wrote: *
> 
> 
> 
> *SweetSassy wrote: *
> 
> 
> 
> Would you like one that big Peg? Lol.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not sure - I would be constantly paranoid that it was gonna die of a heart attack...so probably not.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I wonder how long a huge bunny like that lives.....
Click to expand...

However long it is - it is like all bunnies...

NEVER LONG ENOUGH!


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## SweetSassy

So True!!


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## wabbitmom12

Hee, hee...I have a copy of the photo where the guy is holding the Conti (where the bottom of his big feetz are toward the camera). I used to keep it on my desk at work and watch people do a double take. 

Some of them would just flip out! "Holy Guacamole, that's a HUGE RABBIT!!" Then, they would either say, "That's GOT to be a fake" or(if they knew I raise rabbits), they would say, "Is that one of YOUR rabbits?!"

I had a lot of fun with that picture. :devil


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## kirbyultra

lol wabbit mom you're giving me ideas! I am already known as the rabbit lady at work. people who see the NY Sweet Millions commercial tell me they think of me when they saw the cute little bunnies carnival commercial. It would be funny to have a little fun with a picture of a giant bun!


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## JadeIcing

*TinysMom wrote: *


> I'm in shock that the photo is true - but I checked it out on Snopes...
> 
> http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/giantrabbit.asp


You didn't know that was real?:shock:


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## irishbunny

I've seen these pictures and a video of him and his rabbits on youtube. They are so cool, but they don't live long at all and alot of people are against breeding rabbits that big because they have tons of health problems and some of them can barely move, I think I agree.

The bunny in the picture is a German Giant. They get to be around 23 lbs, flemish and continentals are a different breed.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f8y4SR9mjU[/ame]


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## BlueGiants

The photo is real, and it was not photoshoped... but it was taken with a "fish-eye" lens to make the item in the center of the picture appear larger. And if you read the Snopes article, "Herman" was only 17 lbs. And we have plenty of Flemish that get that bigger or bigger.

According to the British Rabbit Council, the Flemish is a seperate breed from the Continental. Different body structure and confirmation, different colors. The ARBA does not recognize the Conti in the US.The Conti is known to have heavier bones and carry less "flesh" than the similar sized Flemish. The Flemish has to have a "mandolin" shape to it, the Conti carries less rise over the loin and hips, and is posed differently than the Flemish.

There are some breeders that have crossed Conti's and Flemish (in the US) but it tends to produce rabbits that do not meet the standard for showing as Flemish. It takes a number of generations to eliminate the DQ's, and most breeders look at the cross as unproductive for the Flemish breed.


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## Sweetie

Yeah I saw that guy on animal planet before too. He does have huge rabbits.

Lifespan of rabbits are as follows:

Giant breeds: 3 to 5 years
Standard to Mini breeds: 5 to 7 years
Dwarf breeds(including Holland Lop, I think): up to 10+ years

This is if I remember correctly about the lifespan of the rabbit breeds out there. It is one reason why I prefer to have a small breed rabbit instead of a large breed rabbit.


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## BlueGiants

Yeah, well we won't tell my rabbits about that. I have a 6 year old Flemish Giant buck that still "likes the ladies" and I've had quite a few live to 6 and 7 and one was 8 1/2 when he passed. I generally tell people 5-7 years for the Giants...

And I still think that any day with a Flemish is better than a day without one... (Hmmm... but having lived with them for over 16 years,I might be slightly biased... forgive me.)


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## TinysMom

*BlueGiants wrote: *


> And I still think that any day with a Flemish is better than a day without one... (Hmmm... but having lived with them for over 16 years,I might be slightly biased... forgive me.)


Amen!


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## Blaze_Amita

That was one HUGE bunny. i thought some of the flemmies i saw today were big, but that just dwarfs it. 
We've usually had our mini rex, holland lops live from 8-12 years, so that's usually the time span i give people. I would love an American Chin though, i want to get into bigger rabbits, i just don't have the room or the cages yet to do it.


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## DeniseJP

If that big bunny thumped his foot I am sure it would register on a seismograph somewhere - 

Denise


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## wabbitmom12

*DeniseJP wrote: *


> If that big bunny thumped his foot I am sure it would register on a seismograph somewhere -
> 
> Denise


lol! Can you imagine being in the woods and coming across one of those huge rabbits? I'd probably go screaming in the other direction. :shock:


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## DeniseJP

*wabbitmom12 wrote: *


> *DeniseJP wrote: *
> 
> 
> 
> If that big bunny thumped his foot I am sure it would register on a seismograph somewhere -
> 
> Denise
> 
> 
> 
> lol! Can you imagine being in the woods and coming across one of those huge rabbits? I'd probably go screaming in the other direction. :shock:
Click to expand...


Me too... unless it offered me a ride home... :biggrin2:

If I saw one of those in the woods I would also be wondering if someone spiked my coffee or Diet Pepsi....

Denise


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## Sabine

I've seen those pictures before too. I always visualize those as "guard rabbits". Imagine the face of a burglar if he suddenly feels that paw on his shoulder:biggrin2:


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## wabbitmom12

LOL!


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## Demismith

In the UK we have 3 main giant breeds - The Flemish, British and Continental. The continental giant is sometimes called the German giant or Vlaamse Reus. Over here, conti's and british giants come in nearly all colours, and conti's are bigger. Flemish giants only come in steel grey, and they are smaller than conti's.


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## wabbitmom12

*Demismith wrote: *


> In the UK we have 3 main giant breeds - The Flemish, British and Continental. The continental giant is sometimes called the German giant or Vlaamse Reus. Over here, conti's and british giants come in nearly all colours, and conti's are bigger. Flemish giants only come in steel grey, and they are smaller than conti's.


What? No blues, sandys, fawns, light gray, black or white Flemmies? No fair!! You guys are missing out


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## BlueGiants

*wabbitmom12 wrote: *


> *Demismith wrote: *
> 
> 
> 
> In the UK we have 3 main giant breeds - The Flemish, British and Continental. The continental giant is sometimes called the German giant or Vlaamse Reus. Over here, conti's and british giants come in nearly all colours, and conti's are bigger. Flemish giants only come in steel grey, and they are smaller than conti's.
> 
> 
> 
> What? No blues, sandys, fawns, light gray, black or white Flemmies? No fair!! You guys are missing out
Click to expand...


According to British Rabbit Council rules, the Conti (German Giant)comes in black, Dark Steel, Light steel, Agouti, Opal and Yellow... and they are working on the Blues in Germany. The British Giant comes in White, blue, black, steel gray, brown gray and opal.

They only recognise the Flemish in one color... Steel gray...


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## Demismith

Yep


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