If you have been raising Flemish Giants for an extended amount of time, you pick up little tricks and tips along the way. Most of these started out as odd-ball ideas that, at one point or another – often out of desperation – someone has tried and had great success with. Once these little tidbits of information have passed the test (of ‘does it work or not?’), that person tells their friends and then word spreads like wild-fire among the rabbit communities. For those who may not have access to such groups of people, Flemish Mentors – as they are commonly referred to, we have decided to add this section. In addition, if you have other ‘tricks of the trade’ that you would like to share, please contact us and our staff will gladly add that information.
1. ) Do you need to beef-up your buns? Give them a 3” piece of raw sweet potato, every other day.
2. ) Is your Giant acting a bit sluggish, but his health otherwise checks out fine? Add a little V8-Juice to his drinking water.
3. ) Does your Flemish have ferocious ammonia odors? Try adding Apple Cider Vinegar to his water (1 tablespoon of ACV mixed per gallon of water)
4. ) Are you having issues with bunny-biting? Rub rubbing something bitter on your hands before touching the big guy.
5. ) If your Flemish doesn’t come to his door to greet you, try bribing him with a few raisins.
6. ) Whole grains mixed with Flax Seed Oil, given as a treat, will help the fur have more luster.
7. ) Listerine mouthwash can be used to kill fur mites; likewise, use baby oil for ear mites.
8. ) Giving your Flemish pieces Fruit Tree limbs will help keep their teeth in good, strong condition.
9. ) Sugar Free, Unfrosted Shredded Wheat Cereal will add the most weight in shortest amount of time. (BE CAUTIOUS: Fat Flemish are unhealthy giants.)
10. ) Giving your Flemish a handful of “Sweet Feed Mix” adds body-heat to them, and will cause them to go into a heavy molt.
11. ) Calf-Manna will increase milk production in does.
12. ) If your doe is ready to have babies, feed her a Chewable Tums Tablet for a couple days before and after delivery to replace lost calcium during birth.
13. ) Trying to litter-train your Flemish? Give him a pile of straw for a few days. After he has soiled/wet on that, place that inside the litter box – then place the litter box into his house in the same corner that he was most using as his toileting area.
14. ) Do you want your big eared pal to do tricks? Use treats and noises to train him with – in the same manner that you would train a dog. Only train for 10-15mins per day, and only work on one trick at a time.
15. ) Is your un-lucky rabbit’s foot bleeding? Cover the spot with Baking Soda, Confectioner Sugar, or even Flour – the blood will clot faster.
16. ) Having problems getting your doe to breed? Try these tricks: cut her feed amount in half for a few days before breeding, feed her a bit of parsley with her feed, increase the amount of lighting she is exposed to, and take her for a nice car ride immediately before breeding her.
17. ) Has your Flemish stopped or slacked off eating/drinking? Try giving him some celery and grape vine leaves.
18. ) Does your giants’ fur look rough? Add a spoonful of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds to his feed.
19. ) If you need to add a couple ounces of weight to your Flemish before a big show, give him some Unfrosted Shredded Wheat Cereal every day.
20. ) Give Willow Tree twigs and sticks to your kits before and after weaning them will help to prevent them from getting ‘Bloat.’