# Flemish giant litter expectations



## Miss mouse (Mar 11, 2020)

Hey all I’m back!
And if you remember my babies from last summer (my profile pic) you’ll be excited to see the next generation has arrived.
Last year our momma rabbit did everything wrong and only had two kits, luckily her baby girl has some better instincts.
I had to help her figure out the nesting box but once she accepted it she did awesome at building her nest and she’s had 4 giant babies (no fur this time yay)
So my question is, with Flemish giants, are the kits normally this big when they’re born? And if she only had 4 this time (no losses yet) do we think she’ll have more in following litters or are the genetics just not there for bigger litters?


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## BarredCometLaced (Mar 26, 2020)

I have a giant chinchilla/ lop that I suspect will have small litters as well once we get her bred. As a novice rabbit raiser, I am not mad about that! I can see how on a production level, larger litters would be better.


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## B&B Happy goats (Mar 26, 2020)

My FG has kindles of 6 to 11 kits , 10 being the average....the less kits she is carrying,  the bigger they are when born has been my experience  here...


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Mar 26, 2020)

I have smaller breeds, but, the more rabbits are bred, the larger the litter, typically.  I have one, that, one girl first time only gave me 5, second only 7, this last time 12!  So, they grow litters each time, is what I’m finding to be true, as what all the research I’ve done on breeding says on the net, before I found the forum.  Glad you had a nice litter.  They are cute!  Glad the momma is doing a good job!  I’d give the first momma another try...see if she does better.  I give my does three tries.  I just had one...her third time at bat.  Unfortunately she screwed up again and killed them all, again.  She will go.  Not sure how or when, since my hubby doesn’t like to do it.  she’s not as nice now that she’s been bred..so, I don’t want to sell her as a pet.  My rabbit sales are through the rioof right now ...Chris is meeting people in grocery store parking lot...only to local people.  But even the kits born on weekend, are almost all reserved!!  I suppose it’s due to kids being home?


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## Miss mouse (Mar 26, 2020)

they’re so big now I lovingly call them my loaves of bread 😂


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## B&B Happy goats (Mar 26, 2020)

They are adorable


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## Bunnylady (Mar 26, 2020)

As a general rule, larger breeds tend to have larger litters, though some individualists seem determined to break those rules (last year, I had a small Netherland Dwarf doe have 6 babies  as her first litter,  2-4 is normal for a doe that small). And as @B&B Happy goats said, the kits in numerically small litters are generally larger at birth, and also grow faster. Studies have shown that before they start on solid food, the litter as a whole seems to gain the same amount of weight, regardless of how many kits are in the litter; evidently, the doe only makes a certain amount of milk, and the more mouths it goes into, the slower those kits grow. 

A lot of things go into litter size. While does don't show "heat" the way a lot of animals do, they do have a hormonal cycle. Rabbits are what is known as "induced ovulators." They ripen eggs at roughly monthly intervals, then hold them in readiness rather than automatically releasing them. In this way, they greatly extend the time during which they are fertile and can conceive. The actual act of being bred causes a doe to release a hormone, which in turn triggers the release of the eggs. This hormone enters the doe's bloodstream over time, reaching a peak level a few hours after breeding. 

A doe may not release all of the eggs she has ripened. Some people will put a doe in with a buck twice, the second time being a few hours after the first. The idea is that the second breeding will also cause the hormone release, which will (hopefully) create an even higher peak in her bloodstream, encouraging her to release more eggs. 

Eggs being held remain viable for a long time, but they age, losing more of their vigor and vitality the longer they get held. In the later phases of her hormonal cycle, a doe may refuse to breed, or if she does, she may miss or only conceive a small litter because only a few of the eggs of that cycle are still viable.

All of which is a very rambling way of saying, one small litter may not mean anything, other than she just didn't have many that time.


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## Miss mouse (Mar 26, 2020)

Bunnylady said:


> As a general rule, larger breeds tend to have larger litters, though some individualists seem determined to break those rules (last year, I had a small Netherland Dwarf doe have 6 babies  as her first litter,  2-4 is normal for a doe that small). And as @B&B Happy goats said, the kits in numerically small litters are generally larger at birth, and also grow faster. Studies have shown that before they start on solid food, the litter as a whole seems to gain the same amount of weight, regardless of how many kits are in the litter; evidently, the doe only makes a certain amount of milk, and the more mouths it goes into, the slower those kits grow.
> 
> A lot of things go into litter size. While does don't show "heat" the way a lot of animals do, they do have a hormonal cycle. Rabbits are what is known as "induced ovulators." They ripen eggs at roughly monthly intervals, then hold them in readiness rather than automatically releasing them. In this way, they greatly extend the time during which they are fertile and can conceive. The actual act of being bred causes a doe to release a hormone, which in turn triggers the release of the eggs. This hormone enters the doe's bloodstream over time, reaching a peak level a few hours after breeding.
> 
> ...


That was super informative, thank you!


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## Miss mouse (Mar 26, 2020)

On the left is chunky with her mom Lil bit and on the right is chunky with her babies. Little clones ♥️


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Mar 27, 2020)

Bunnylady said:


> As a general rule, larger breeds tend to have larger litters, though some individualists seem determined to break those rules (last year, I had a small Netherland Dwarf doe have 6 babies  as her first litter,  2-4 is normal for a doe that small). And as @B&B Happy goats said, the kits in numerically small litters are generally larger at birth, and also grow faster. Studies have shown that before they start on solid food, the litter as a whole seems to gain the same amount of weight, regardless of how many kits are in the litter; evidently, the doe only makes a certain amount of milk, and the more mouths it goes into, the slower those kits grow.
> 
> A lot of things go into litter size. While does don't show "heat" the way a lot of animals do, they do have a hormonal cycle. Rabbits are what is known as "induced ovulators." They ripen eggs at roughly monthly intervals, then hold them in readiness rather than automatically releasing them. In this way, they greatly extend the time during which they are fertile and can conceive. The actual act of being bred causes a doe to release a hormone, which in turn triggers the release of the eggs. This hormone enters the doe's bloodstream over time, reaching a peak level a few hours after breeding.
> 
> ...


She’s our expert!!  Thank you @Bunnylady , for always helping me to learn more!!  I have a friend who is buying many kits and rabbits from me in about two months...to start breeding for meat.  I told him about the forum, simply because of all the great info on here...everyone is sooo full of great help!!  😀❤️🐰


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## Miss mouse (Mar 27, 2020)

nest box eviction day seems to be going well


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## Miss mouse (Apr 3, 2020)

Why are their ears flopping? All four kits have floppy ear tips. I don't remember their mom going through a stage like that. Is it something to be concerned about?


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## YourRabbitGirl (Apr 14, 2020)

Miss mouse said:


> Hey all I’m back!
> And if you remember my babies from last summer (my profile pic) you’ll be excited to see the next generation has arrived.
> Last year our momma rabbit did everything wrong and only had two kits, luckily her baby girl has some better instincts.
> I had to help her figure out the nesting box but once she accepted it she did awesome at building her nest and she’s had 4 giant babies (no fur this time yay)
> So my question is, with Flemish giants, are the kits normally this big when they’re born? And if she only had 4 this time (no losses yet) do we think she’ll have more in following litters or are the genetics just not there for bigger litters?View attachment 70826View attachment 70827


Cutie Cutie Babies!! I envy you, I always dream of having one, then yours are mating and breeding. you are so lucky.


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch (Apr 18, 2020)

Miss mouse said:


> Why are their ears flopping? All four kits have floppy ear tips. I don't remember their mom going through a stage like that. Is it something to be concerned about?View attachment 71928


If it's just the tips, it's probably either heat or growing related. I have had that happen to two kits in different litters. It was in warmer months. It lasted a few days and then the ears went back to normal.


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## Miss mouse (Apr 18, 2020)

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> If it's just the tips, it's probably either heat or growing related. I have had that happen to two kits in different litters. It was in warmer months. It lasted a few days and then the ears went back to normal.


That’s the only thing I’ve read could be it but we’re still experiencing freezing at night here 😕


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## Larsen Poultry Ranch (Apr 19, 2020)

Miss mouse said:


> That’s the only thing I’ve read could be it but we’re still experiencing freezing at night here 😕


Then it's probably growing related, like the ears aren't growing at same rate for top and bottom? The kits should go back to normal in a couple days. If it's been a week like that then I would start to worry.


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## Miss mouse (Apr 19, 2020)

Larsen Poultry Ranch said:


> Then it's probably growing related, like the ears aren't growing at same rate for top and bottom? The kits should go back to normal in a couple days. If it's been a week like that then I would start to worry.


It seems to eb and flow... Sometimes when I check them they look normal and the next time I look they're floppy


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## Nao57 (Oct 4, 2020)

Miss mouse said:


> View attachment 71562
> they’re so big now I lovingly call them my loaves of bread 😂



Well I suppose you could put them in a sandwich.


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