Flemish Giant

The giant rabbits are a group of particularly large rabbit breeds. The group includes the following breeds in Germany:

• German giants ( weight about 7 kg)
• White Giant ( German giants, white) ( weight 6.5 kg)
• German giants look (weight over 6.0 kg)

For the giant rabbit is in the standard of ZDRK now impose a maximum limit on the weight of the German giants. This limit is 11.8 kg.

German giants

The giant rabbit comes from the area of Ghent in Flanders, Belgium, which was a stronghold of the rabbit breeding in the 19th century. According to this background, they were referred to at the time of import to 1880-1890 as Belgian or Flemish Giant. About its origin, there are no further details; probably developed the breed by selection. The first imported into Germany giant rabbits were much lighter than today (around 4-5 kg), so the size of the context of today's mid-sized breeds. In contrast to today's giant rabbits the former animals showed white markings on chest, front legs and forehead, which were then also requires the Belgian standard way. The giant rabbit was shown on the first rabbit exhibition in 1893 in Chemnitz; the then standard required a weight of 4.5 kg. In Germany went further breeding of the imported giant rabbits to even larger animals and single-color skins. The weight of the Were-Rabbit rose within twenty years to 8-9 kg, the size that is common in the animal shown on shows even today. After haphazardly as long as possible and heavy animals have been bred in the first decades, now a balanced, strong body is required. At the German giants different monochromatic colors strokes are recognized today; the gray ( wild color ) is the most common. For a long time the Giants were in the covenant German rabbit ( BDK ) nor " Belgian giants" called (Standard 1948). The evaluation provisions for breed rabbits socialist countries led the "German Giant " as " giant rabbit ", while another race "Hungarian Giant 'with a lower minimum weight of 5.5 kg, only black partridge, and" Moravian giant " minimum mass 5.0 kg leads only in a light blue-gray.

White giant

The white color blow the giant rabbit, which was created by crossing the Belgian or German giants with albino animals, was first shown at exhibitions in 1904. The White Giant is pure white with red eyes. Since the body weight of these animals is somewhat less than that of the other colors punches, they were separated as a separate breed from the German giants. Due to the then very prestigious large white Kaninfelle that were highly sought also to imitation of precious furs, the white giant very quickly found widespread use. The evaluation provisions for breed rabbits socialist countries leads not only to the "White Giant " another race "Hungarian White " with a lower minimum weight of 5.0 kg and a maximum weight of 6.0 kg. Recently there is in Switzerland and a white color stroke with blue eyes.

German Giant Check

The Giants Check originated around 1900, especially in the Rhineland from already subscribed Belgian similar Rabbit, already in 1897 shown in the crossbred class at shows. In their later history the breed was renamed Deutsches country rabbits. It was to be large rabbits that were similar to the drawing of today's giant pinto, though still without the snout ( butterfly ) and the back points of today's giants look.

In the further course of the breeding value was placed on the presence of the snout, it was mainly in the south of France, the type of "Papillon" in Germany or the German giants look; by breeding giant rabbits the size of the framework was extended to the present state. In parallel, the German Agricultural rabbits until the 1960s (Standard 1932, 1948).

The ideal drawing picture of today's giant Check consists of the head drawing with the butterfly-shaped drawing of the snout, the rim of the eyes and the cheeks on both sided spot. The fuselage drawing includes the dorsal stripe, starting from the neck of even breadth continues about 3-4 cm along the spine to the top of the flower, and the 6-8, about 3 cm wide side spots on the flanks, which should be possible individually. The corresponding standard animals of the giant check in are split; Mating with each other resulting in 25 % monochrome animals, 50 % and 25 % type check in so-called Light Check. This Bright Check usually show only a partial dorsal stripe and no side drawing and are usually not viable. This inheritance is caused by the factor for Punktscheckung ( German Symbol k / K, English en / En), which is linked to a so-called lethal factor, which means that light can check in have a significantly reduced viability. For reasons of animal welfare is therefore recommended to make preferred pairings between monochrome animals and type checking, in order to avoid the occurrence of homozygous Light Check. Giant Check recognized black, blue and havana colored in the colors. 2011, the giant rabbit for pinto race of the year was chosen the Central Association of German race - rabbit.

Similar breeds

The scoring also to large breeds German Aries differs by the drooping ears and the blocky body shape of the Were-Rabbit.

In Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK, the giant rabbits are bred with the original name of Flemish Giants; the standard requirements do not differ from those in Germany. The British Beat is slightly lighter than the animals from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. In the UK, next to the Flemish giant to separate imports from the United States declining British Giant is grown.

The well-known by the Germans Giant Check Punktscheckung show in the same form the Rheinische pintos, small check in and the dwarf look.

Swell