46 CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF RABBITS 
many breeds have been crossed with the sandy 
giant in order to work out color combinations 
for various show purposes. 
The Flemish Giant should not weigh less 
than 13 pounds and the breeders at the present 
time are working to make it weigh as much 
over 15 pounds as possible. Some specimens 
have been entered in shows which weighed as 
much as 22 pounds each and it is not unlikely 
that even heavier weights will soon be reached. 
Because of his great size the Flemish Giant is 
a large boned animal and more or less slow in 
developing. This is not to be taken as a draw- 
back but a natural fact which cannot be es- 
caped. He could not be a quick grower and 
retain his natural vitality. 
He is, however, subjected to much criticism 
because of this very fact. At ideal market age, 
he has more bone than any other animal and 
even though he does weigh more than other 
commercial breeds it is doubtful if he has 
as much meat on him. This is because Nature 
has been giving first attention to the develop- 
