Rarely has a breeder not heard of the White Giant breed. These handsome men amaze with the whiteness of their fur and impressive size. Breeding rabbits of this breed is not very difficult. It is only necessary to take into account the needs and characteristics of these animals.

Breeding history

Breeding work on breeding white rabbits was carried out in Germany and Belgium at the beginning of the 20th century. The ancestor was the breed of the Belgian gray giants Flandres. Among them, breeders selected exclusively albino rabbits. As a result, a variety was developed that has a pure white fur color. In the 20s. of the last century, the breed was brought to the USSR, but the animals died, since the climate was too harsh for them. Then, Soviet selection carried out work to adapt them to Russian conditions, by crossing with the Gray Giant and Soviet Chinchilla breeds. This is how the current, well-known White giant appeared.

Features of the breed

It is impossible to confuse the White Giant Rabbit with anyone - it has snow-white fur and impressive size. The coat is perfectly white, without spots and impurities, very fluffy, but smooth. The eyes of the giants are red, as the blood vessels show through the transparent iris. This is due to species albinism - the absence of any pigment on the body. Features of the breed have the following characteristics:

  • strong elongated body;
  • straight wide back, round croup, deep chest;
  • legs are long, straight, wide apart;
  • the female has a dewlap;
  • the male's head is more rounded than that of the female, large;
  • ears are long, about 16 cm, straight, slightly rounded at the ends;
  • chest girth - 37-40 cm;
  • weight depends on age and gender and averages 3.5-6 kg;
  • the female brings 7-9 cubs.

This type of rabbit has a calm disposition. They treat a person peacefully, but in case of danger they can stand up for themselves. White giant is a breed of rabbits, which has a meat-skinning direction, valuable fur is in demand for the manufacture of fur products. Good quality meat, suitable for dietary meals.

Interesting. Sometimes an individual can freeze in place, looking at one point, inexperienced owners can be frightened by this behavior. However, there is nothing dangerous in it, it is just a feature of behavior.

Content

The conditions for growing giants are basically the same as for other breeds. Only the cells for such giants need corresponding to their size. You can keep them in a ventilated room without drafts or under a canopy. Can be adapted for keeping aviaries. The mesh floor is not suitable for such large animals - due to their high weight, they may develop corns (pododermatitis). Therefore, you need a sufficient amount of bedding, you can add sawdust. Doors for cages should not have cells larger than 2x2 cm. If there is a threat of drafts, they should be covered with burlap. Manure should be cleaned as often as possible, the accumulation of ammonia negatively affects the well-being of animals. White giants can be kept as decorative pets.

White giant

Feeding

The appetite of large rabbits is excellent, they are unpretentious and not selective in food. The diet of the giants is standard for rabbits: grain, hay, fresh grass, vegetable mash. They are very fond of the tops of garden crops: tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, corn, pepper, Jerusalem artichoke, beans.For better weight gain, as well as for pouring milk from females, you can prepare a boiled mixture. To do this, waste vegetables and fruits are finely chopped, poured with boiling water and boiled for 2 hours. The remaining liquid is drained, the mixture is cooled. Rabbits love bread dipped in milk. On such a diet, a 4-month-old rabbit grows up to 4 kg.

In the summer, after the dew dries up, they mow the grass, excluding the ingress of poisonous plants. The latter includes a large number of herbs that need to be studied in order not to harm the rabbits. Here are just some of the poisonous plants: dope, wild radish, celandine, buttercup, euphorbia, wild mustard and many others. In winter, with a lack of vitamins, special supplements can be given. Albino giants will not give up young shoots and leaves of trees. Drinking water should be changed daily. But if the rabbits aren't drinking, there is probably no cause for concern. They just have enough liquid from food.

Important! Good nutrition is the key to health. But you need to make sure that the rabbits do not get fat. With an individual weighing more than 9 kg, the reproductive functions of both males and females significantly deteriorate.

Diseases and parasites

The albino rabbit, like other bred breeds, can be affected by rabbit infections. The most dangerous of them are:

  • Myxomatosis;
  • Listeriosis;
  • Fasciliasis;
  • Pasteurellosis;
  • Tularimia.

Tularimia in rabbits

The main method of prevention is vaccination of livestock, maintenance of cleanliness in cages, disinfection of feeders and drinkers. You should also exclude contact with sick individuals. The carriers of infections are skin parasites. One of the most common is ear mites. A rabbit infected with a tick shakes its head, scratches its ears, on the inner surface of which brown crusts form. A sick animal is treated with camphor oil. You can also use a mixture of kerosene, creolin, glycerin and turpentine. Ears are sprayed with this solution until healed.

If rats climb into a rabbit cage, they will not only destroy food supplies, but they can also infect rabbits with infectious diseases. To prevent this, you need to upholster the cells from the bottom and sides with tin. Also, many breeders set traps for rats near the cages.

Breeding White Giant Rabbits

Sexual maturity in giants occurs like in other breeds - at 5-6 months. The most worthy purebred representatives are selected for mating. Experienced breeders sometimes allow mating with other breeds to improve some parameters. Too fluffy rabbits are a marriage of the breed and are not allowed to breed. 10 days before the expected okrol, the mother liquor is prepared. Its dimensions are 60x30, height is 35 cm, it should be placed on the side. The cover is made from above to make it easier to inspect the brood.

On a note.The rabbit leads from 7 to 9 rabbits (sometimes up to 14), the maternal instincts of the White giants are good. After a couple of weeks, the cubs begin to leave the nest and try the same food that the mother eats, so the quality of nutrition must be monitored especially carefully.

Breastfeeding lasts approximately 8-9 weeks. During this time, young animals receive from the mother all the necessary substances for strong immunity and development. By the time of weaning, babies already weigh 1.5-2 kg. After weaning at 1.5-2 months, the rabbits are transplanted into a separate cage, and the female can be covered again. New food is introduced to young animals gradually, as babies have a sensitive digestive system.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of the breed include the following qualities:

  • Representatives really correspond to the name of the breed - they are large and heavy.
  • The beauty of this rabbit fur is beyond description. The quality of the snow-white skin of the representatives is similar to that of the chinchilla fur.
  • The meat has high taste, it is soft and juicy.
  • The percentage of meat per carcass of an adult is 70-80%.
  • Females of Giants are fertile and have no problems with milk supply.
  • You can breed these rabbits in any climatic conditions.

Some rabbit breeders consider the disadvantages of White Giants that when mating with individuals of other species, the features inherent in the breed are lost. In addition, White Giant females are susceptible to breast disease after several births.

Rabbits of the White Giant breed are very popular in Russia. Breeding them is very beneficial for the owner, both for personal consumption of meat and for the sale of meat and skins. Those who have already acquired representatives of this breed on their farm leave only positive reviews about it.