Anybody raising Florida Whites?

[waynesgarden]

I understand now. You talk in terms of "most" or "taken over" in describing value.

Since the Florida white is always listed as one of the top three rabbits used in laboratories (along with the Californian and New zealand White,) I guess I'll just wait for some actual statistics documenting their lack of use as support that Orville Millken's work was a failure.

Laboratories have not shunned their use in favor of the older, larger breeds. That they haven't "taken over" is meaningless when assessing their worth. They seem to have found a place in the laboratory as anticipated. Many labs seem to have found value in their use.

They certainly seem to have found a place in the hearts of breeders and owners. Hard to quantify that.

Wayne

 

[no nonsense]

Perhaps one needs to refresh themselves with the old saying:

If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

You are coming off kind of snotty and snarky no nonsense and to be blunt I think it's rubbing people the wrong way.

For all you know, some single person might have started developing the FW simply because they felt the portion size of the NZW was too large! Maybe they didn't need such a large meat rabbit.
Who knows, but it probably filled their need and I think to come out "swinging" so to speak about this guys chosen breed in the first reply of the thread isn't all that nice.
This guy happens to raise some outstanding NZW's as well as so if he wants FW's and if he's excited about it and it tickles his fancy, then so be it!

Let's face it, most times these days people are NOT using rabbit breeds for what they were intended for!
They are being used primarily for pets and showing/breeding. I see this in Angoras ALOT. And while I find it disappointing that alot of angora fanciers are not using the wool themselves and are only in it for the show, it's just what it is. I have had to turn many people away for my kits who wanted them just for pets and had no plans to use the wool, as I feel that a angora in a pet home with no plans for it's wool is much more likely to fall into coat neglect.

And those lab "strains" had to start with some breeds that were already around

Oh for crying out loud. This is going way off track, and people are turning my comments into something that they're not. I didn't realize that this was a forum where everyone had to think the same way. I'll stick to my original thought. I just don't understand the reason for the Florida White, nor how it fills a need which several other breeds already serve. That's not a slam against any individual or their ideas, just to be clear. Enjoy your rabbits, whatever breed you choose.

 

[embkm]

I like the idea of Florida Whites. I don't need a whole lot of meat and the smaller amount of feed they would require was a plus. Unfortunately, they are not easy to find around here. Californians and NZW are much easier to find.

Oh.. and your buck is beautiful!

 

[Goatzilla]

The "anti-Florida white" post/lecture contains one or two semi-valid points. The rest is the usual internet chat board "biased, uninformed, opinion being stated as fact". There's one in every crowd.

My experience with raising Florida Whites has been very satisfying. I exhibited them at regional and a few National shows for years, up until I sold out all of my rabbits in 1998. I got started in them because I was looking for the "perfect" exhibition rabbit. I wanted a rabbit that performed well on the show table that had the least faults that a judge could find. Fw's are white, and there is no worry about colors, patterns, or toenail color. I also knew, that in order to produce rabbits that would win their breed class consistently, you have to raise and select through hundreds of offspring to come up with 10 or so rabbits that are capable of "winning it all" at a regional shows, week after week. I chose the FW because I could eat and sell all of the extras that I would produce. with most other 4-class breeds you have a hard time unloading that many castoffs unless you live next door to a snake farm. Since I would be breeding incredible numbers, I also needed a rabbit that was smaller, that required smaller cages, and a rabbit that was economical to feed. I bought some very good foundation stock from a couple of different well known breeders and started my herd. Over time, through countless breedings and selection, I produced the rabbits I was looking for. I won countless regional best of breeds, quite a few best in shows, and placed very high at national events and even won a couple classes at Convention.

FW's are basically a "bantam" New Zealand. Having processed over time, at least a thousand of each, I can draw from experience, that the meat/ bone ratio and dress out is pound for pound nearly identical. They are an excellent meat rabbit for those who prefer smaller portions or prefer their fryers on the smaller size such as I do. They are used extensively in labs. Twice as many can be housed in the same space as a large size meat rabbit and the feed conversion is nearly identical.

I just aquired these new ones because I have a 13 year old son who has the "itch" to start showing rabbits himself. Also, these rabbits have at least "some" of my original bloodlines in them, going back 10 or so years back in their lineage. I thought it might be fun to play around with them again, except this time with my son as my partner.

I would recommend them to anyone who wants to raise a high performance, even tempered, meat rabbit, but is limited in space that would prohibit raising the larger breed meat rabbits.

 

[JoieDeViveRabbitry]

Great!

Do you not have the slightest itch to start showing again? It's so much fun!

I wonder, after taking your 10 year hiatus from the breed, do you find anything different in the stock you've purchased than the stock you produced back then?

Sometimes a trend will happen where it seems that some judges liked a certain shorter back or different butt, etc. and then a bunch of those will crop up as people scramble to make the judges happy.
Are there any differences or are they the same as you left them?

 

[Goatzilla]

Jenna, if I said I don't ever get the "itch" once in a while I'd be lying to you. I do miss the socializing and friends that I made along the way. I also miss the competition, and the roadtrips. Now that my son is interested in showing, I may just enter a show once in a while after I get these FW's back to where I want them.

These rabbits that I recently purchased are actually pretty good, but they are no where near the same FW's that I had before. My old line had incredible depth of body, without having a hind end that is severely undercut. It is EXTREMELY difficult to build a tall rabbit with a full, even hind end when viewed in all directions. I honestly believe that trait is what gave me the edge on the showtable. Judges were impressed because most of them realize how difficult it is to pull off. My rabbits were judged the same whether I was showing locally in the northeast, down south, or occasionally when I would travel out to the midwest. My old line of FW's also had a very short, dense coat of fur. I found that the shorter, more dense fur would stay in prime forever. I had some rabbits that would keep a primeline running down their back for the entire show season, from Spring till Fall. I always maintained two "strings" of show bunnies that I could alternate each show, and that way, keep them fresh and never lose condition due to "overshowing" them with too much travel stress.

Bottom line, I look at these rabbits and I know that I have my work cut out for me. I feel rejuvenated, and am up for the challenge. I estimate that it will take at least 2 years to get something that looks like I want it too. I do know however, that there will be one day down the road, while I'm going over a new litter of rabbits to cull and I'll see something that will make me think......"This batch has "got it", let's get 'em up on the show table."

Great!

Do you not have the slightest itch to start showing again? It's so much fun!

I wonder, after taking your 10 year hiatus from the breed, do you find anything different in the stock you've purchased than the stock you produced back then?

Sometimes a trend will happen where it seems that some judges liked a certain shorter back or different butt, etc. and then a bunch of those will crop up as people scramble to make the judges happy.
Are there any differences or are they the same as you left them?

 

[JoieDeViveRabbitry]

Good for you! I wish you all the best in your endeavors

 

[chinbunny1]

The history of the florida white rabbit.

http://www.examiner.com/x-2156-Dall...2009m8d20-History-of-the-Florida-White-rabbit

Doesn't mention it, but they were also developed as a lab rabbit.

I raise them. I only keep a few. They are my second main breed. They are one of the top producing meat breeds, and are very popular. It may take them an extra month to develope out as fryers, but they do consume less then what a large breed would. How the animal developes also depends on the breeding line. This is a breed where good muscle tone is bred into them. A good florida will have good, tight muscles. They are also small, and more compact then the larger mat breeds are.

When you breed these guys, hold back the babies with the best muscle tone, nice big round butts, and good top lines. Those are the rabbits that will show better, and produce better meat quality animals.

Also, they are not part of the dwarf craze. If they were, I would see hundreds of them at shows. Lately we are lucky to see ten of them shown.

They are also a favorite meat breed with 4hers. tehy are easy to handle, show well, and tend to have better muscle tone then most larger breeds do.

Basically they are just a mini 'improved' version of a white newzealand.

 

[captain cluck]

So what would you get if you crossed a NZW with a FW?

Would it be as economical to feed? Have a good meat to bone ratio? reach butchering size sooner?

I am researching meat breeds & crosses for my own table and may want to sell a few along the way, that's why I am asking.

 

[HeatherM]

Many breeds of rabbit were just developed because they could, and as a show/fancier thing. Most have an interesting history if you really look into it. For instance, the Thrianta was developed somewhat to honor the queen in Holland, where the royal color was red. Now they are just a gorgous hobby/pet/fancier breed.

Anyway, I've never bred Florida Whites, but the one you put up looks nice when I've looked at them, they have a wonderful fur coat and fleshing (not saying that they are a meat breed necessarily) that feels firm under your hands. They also are one of the few all white breeds, and the furs are worth more then.