When we moved back to the middle of Old Council Bluffs in 2016 and wanted to raise some kind of meat animal again we began research on the possibilities with chickens as the alternative. We were looking for an animal type that was highly versatile in its range of uses, similarly to chickens. We eventually landed on rabbits because they have the cute & cuddly factor of course, but they also have uses including: food for humans and other animals like cats, dogs and reptiles, pets, therapy animals and show animals; fur and wool for clothing and crafting; their manure can even be directly added to garden soils without having to age it like chicken manure requires. Since we have approximately 2,000 sqft of garden space at Gardens on Glen we thought that having our own on-property source of the highest quality fertilizer was a great idea!
Once we narrowed our livestock choice down to rabbits the real research began to find the perfect breed choice for our intents and purposes. We wanted a rabbit breed that: was very friendly and sweet-natured, produced a high number of kits per kindle, possessed the best mothering skills in its does, had the best meat-to-bone ratio (highest amount of meat weight and least amount of bone weight per rabbit body), had great fur/hide qualities to use in leather working and apparel uses, was on the smaller end of the “large breed” spectrum, and was on the rare side in our geographic area. All of these considerations led us squarely to the Florida White Rabbit breed. Our decision to focus on Florida Whites was the best decision we could have made when choosing our rabbit breed. Florida Whites meet or exceed every one of our requirements. We couldn’t be happier with the Florida White breed.
While we haven’t had the opportunity to attend or compete in any rabbit shows yet (due to COVID-19 concerns), all of our rabbits come from award-winning genetic lines. Best of Breed, Best Opposite Sex and Best in Show are the three most common awards for each of our breeding stock rabbits and their genetic lines. And many of their progeny have gone on to win similar awards at shows their new owners participate in. We understand the need to maintain the “breed standard” in our breeding program. Not only does maintaining the breed standard make our rabbits more valuable to our buyers but it also ensures their health and wellbeing during the entirety of their life. We love our rabbits and make sure they are loved no matter where they go or in what form they get there.
We purchase our breeding stock rabbits from well-established rabbitries in South-Middle Iowa. They were great about answering our questions, even ones that may have seemed silly to novice rabbit breeders, and we emulate that practice with anyone that is raising rabbits for meat operations. We are also open to procuring more breeding rabbits from further away, in the future, to keep our breeding genetic lines healthy and vibrant with the best traits of the breed to ensure each and every one of our rabbits meets the “breed standard” for the Florida White Breed.
By Thomas P. O'Brien, the founder of Gardens on Glen
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