# Florida White Project  (1st pics in "Anybody raising FW's"



## Citylife (Jun 8, 2010)

Check out this little junior buck on the right.  He is 3 days away from being 4 weeks old.   I am quite happy with my first litter of FW's.  I have 3 extremely nice kits, two boys and a girl.  I will be holding back the best boy, for my breeding program.







Same kit on the right





This doe had 7 healthy kits.  

Here is my backyard rabbitry along with chicken tractor.





This corner of my yard is dedicated to my 4 city chickens and the rabbits.  As you can see the rabbits face a very heavy tree line and then they are protected from the back.  The back faces NW and the way my lot is situated is the direction of the wind and weather for the most part.  The chickens get to free range in the corner and under the chickens.  The hanging  rabbit cages work out great and help me with my compost under them.  I am quite fascinated about naturally keeping the odor down in my yard.  So far, fresh grass clippings and letting the chickens under it seem to be working well.  I have also one time, added some compost 1/2 done.  
You can also see in the last picture that there is a hutch off to the left right on my tree line.  I have moved my breeding (and only adult buck) to a seperate area and in a spot that should keep him even cooler this summer.  It also makes a perfect shelf to help me when doing chores.

More to come

The lady with 4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 4 meat rabbits and their kits and a lizard


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## norcal (Jun 8, 2010)

Very cute.   I'm beginning to wonder if my buck isn't a FW.   He's supposedly Calif., but there's no black and he's smaller than the does (who have some black, and I saw mom, she's def. Calif.).

Our hutch looks similar, but we're in the wilderness here, so I think we're going to have to fence it better before they go out @ night.


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## Citylife (Jun 8, 2010)

The FW was my choice of meat rabbit as there are only two people in my family.  I do not want to take up a lot of space and with my back injury they are a nice size for me at butcher time.  I do not mind keeping the kits a month longer to get them up to the wieght I want.  
I looked at my situation and then went looking for the rabbit that seemed to best fit my needs.  So far, I am extatic!

As you can see from the above pictures I have a great start going.
All 7 are doing great.
I also have a Chinchilla dutch of poor  quality who was bred to my buck and she kindled last thrursday.  7 babies also, but the two runts have died in the last 3 days.  I am not supprised.  Two of the babies appear to be the chin color and the body of a nice fat FW.  Then there are two other medium sized but healthy ones and another smaller one.  






As you can see from this picture she is NOT a butcher rabbit.  But, she sure can produce some for us since one of my dogs likes her so much.    My Shepherd is 6 months old in this picture and it was her first rabbit.  She is the only pet rabbit in the lot.  
She was bred to this buck.






Pictures of the Dutch/FW cross kits will follow as they get older.

The lady with 4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 4 meat rabbits and their kits and a lizard.


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## blk90s13 (Jun 8, 2010)

They look very good if you are close by me I would take the second boy off your hand I need one for my breeding line too 


how big does the FW get ?


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## Citylife (Jun 8, 2010)

Thank you blk.  I am glad you like them.  The FW as an adult will be 4-5 lbs.  At 12 wks of age they will dress out with the same amount of meat as an 8 wk old CA or NZ.  They have a greater meat to bone ratio.  
There is a great deal of good information regarding them in the "Storeys guide to raising meat rabbits."

My focus with FW's is good quality meat rabbits for my family and dogs.  The dutches babies will not reproduce but the doe will.  As I said, she is the Shepherds friend.  
I looked for high quality stock so that I can work on producing the same.  Its nice to have feed back from other rabbit people.

the lady w/4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 4 meat rabbits and their kits and a lizard


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## Citylife (Jun 11, 2010)

Awe........  I had to cull one of the FW's yesterday as it had a broken back leg.  All I can figure is it must have gotten caught in his cage somehow.   I felt so bad for the little guy.  
On a better note, I am really liking the looks of two of the little bucks. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Look at the "hamhocks" on these 1 mo. old kits.  these are the two boys that have eye.






The lady w/4 dogs,m 4 city chickens, 4 meat rabbits and their kits and a lizard


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## Citylife (Jul 18, 2010)

Today, the mother of the kits posted earlier had 2, very large kits.  My junior doe early this morning had 6.  They have survived the day!  Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    We are going to great lengths to keep everyone as cofortable as possible.  It was  93 degrees here today with a heat index of over 105.  The rest of the week is supposed to be in the 90's.
It makes me act like a mother hen.  I am so glad we put their shed where we did....... it is the coolest spot in the back yard.  

On another note..........  my garden is florishing and hopefully I will be able to butcher a rabbit tomorrow and we will have our first FULL meal out of the back yard.  That will be great!

The lady w/4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 4 meat rabbits, the kits, a lizard and a kitty the dogs found who needs a new home........ hint hint....


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## Citylife (Jul 19, 2010)

They were all fine this morning, so I pulled the 2 largest kits from thier first time mom and gave them to the Senior Doe whose first litter was a major success.  She is turning out to be a very good foster mom also.  Now each doe is only supporting 4 kits through this hot hot weather.  
At the front of my shed it has been between 89-92 degrees.  The bunnies have frozen bricks, water bottles, a large wet towel hanging on one end to help give off a bit of a cool breeze.  They say it is just going to get hotter.  I sure am glad they are in the coolest spot in the yard and on the tree line...  that helps a lot.  Every 2 hours I tell my rottwieler she is going to help me and she stands for me while I put her back-pack on and put the bricks and bottles in it.  We haul them back and fourth until everyone is cared for.  It seems the 2 hr. cycle is working.  In this heat it makes me act like a mother hen.  The rotty enjoys helping out with chores, and even after I take the contents out she stands there and watches me finish what I have to do.  Then I load her back up and we go back to the house.  "she has a job"
It's a wonderful thing, having a dog who will earn her keep.   
I will keep posting as this is a learning experiance for me to.  I am just glad we both have lots of animal experiance to help get us though this.  And we both enjoy learning all we can about caring for the animals we have.  

The lady w/4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 4 meat rabbits, thier kits,  a lizard and a kitten the dogs found who needs a good home.........  HELP!


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## Citylife (Aug 5, 2010)

The kits will be 3 weeks old in two days.  I have one female in the group that is amazing looking and very large.  I am very much enjoying watching her grow and change.  If she stays consistant, I will most likely keep her for the program.  
Here is the smalles baby in out of both litters and the first one out of the nestboxes.





the lady with 4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 5 meat rabbits, their kits, and a lizard


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## norcal (Aug 6, 2010)

Citylife said:
			
		

> http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/1521_stkit8510.jpg


OH MY Goodness.  That has to be the cutest little tiny bun ever.


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## norcal (Aug 6, 2010)

The FW's have shorter ears huh?   It very cute.


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## johny2hats (Aug 6, 2010)

very nice  rabbitry and rabbits to boot


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## Mini-M Ranch (Aug 9, 2010)

I'd love to have some FWs, but can't find them in our area.  BOO!!!

Yours look great!


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## Ranch Girl (Oct 3, 2010)

Awesome Bun-Buns!


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## Citylife (Oct 3, 2010)

norcal said:
			
		

> The FW's have shorter ears huh?   It very cute.


Thank you... and yes, they have short ears and are all meat!  Very very small bones with the FW's.


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