Last Updated on June 12, 2023 by Leonard Harper
The Florida White rabbit breed probably isn’t going to be as popular as a pet breed as you may think, despite the rather cute look of it. However, this is something that we are going to come to in a short while.
Let’s start by discussing the origins of the Florida White rabbit breed.
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The Origin of the Florida White Rabbit Breed
The Florida White rabbit originated from one of the judges at the American Breeders Association.
Orville Milikin decided he wanted to try his hand at creating a rabbit that would suit pretty much every situation.
However, one thing that he considered that many other breeders didn’t consider was the rabbit for use in a laboratory. He went and found out that labs around the United States wanted to get their hands on smaller rabbits.
They were a lot easier to carry out their tests upon.
So, he went about creating a small rabbit breed. This rabbit breed was designed for fur, meat, being a pet and, of course, for use in a lab environment. The rabbit was bred from a Polish Rabbit and a New Zealand rabbit (the most popular rabbit breed for lab testing at the time).
As you may imagine, the breed was developed in Florida and named after the state.
The Look of the Florida White Rabbit
There are no prizes for guessing that this rabbit is only available in a white color. You cannot get it any other way. If it is not white, then it isn’t a Florida White Rabbit.
This rabbit is quite small, and it has that traditional commercial body shape (this is what makes it ideal for rearing for meat). The back of their body is a bit wider, as a result. What is interesting about the Florida White is that it tends to be quite a muscular rabbit. This means that it is probably going to need a bit of exercise to ‘keep in shape’, but more on that in a short while.
The coat of the rabbit is soft, and it requires very little in the way of maintenance. As long as you give your rabbit a quick brush once a week, this is probably all that is going to be required to keep your rabbit looking in peak condition.
The rabbit is going to weigh somewhere between 4 and 6lbs. There are some that are born a little bit heavier than that, but they would never be drastically heavier.
The Lifespan of the Florida White
If you are raising a Florida White, expect it to live somewhere between 5 and 7 years of age.
There are not really any health issues present with the Florida White that you wouldn’t get with any other rabbit breed. So, as long as you take the time to raise the rabbit well e.g. ensure that it has a healthy diet of hay (mostly hay), then this is a rabbit that is going to thrive.
Personality
As we always say in articles like this; the personality is going to be dependent on your individual rabbit. Some of them love interaction, while others are going to loathe it.
That being said, one of the goals, when the Florida White rabbit was being raised, was to create a rabbit that could thrive as a pet.
As a result, you will find that the Florida White is a rather calm and docile animal. While it isn’t always going to love being touched (very few rabbits do), it is going to cuddle up to you sometimes.
It may even go out of its way to do that. However, it is vital that you interact with your rabbit regularly if you do want this to be the case.
As with all rabbits, the Florida White breed tends to do better in social situations. As a result, if you are going to get one of these rabbits, then you will want to be interacting with it regularly.
It is not a rabbit that you should be sticking in a hutch outside only to feed it. It needs regularly interaction. If you can, then you should purchase a couple of these rabbits at once.
They tend to love interacting with one another, and it is kind of cool to see them running around and having a little bit of fun!
Raising Your Florida White Rabbit
As we said before; there are not really that many special things you need to do when raising your Florida White rabbit. Remember; this is a rabbit that was bred for commercial use.
This means that the rabbit was designed to be low-maintenance. However, if you are keeping it as a pet, then you may want to brush it at least once a week. When molting season happens, then three times a week is going to be even better.
This is a rabbit that tends to thrive better indoors. Sure, it can live in a nice warm shed, but as we said before, this is a rabbit that needs that regular social contact.
As a result, it is best to have it indoors, because then you have no excuse not to interact with your cute bunny.
Thankfully, owing to the small size of the Florida White rabbit, you do not need to have a huge amount of space available for it. In fact, this is actually a rabbit breed that is suggested for those that live in smaller apartments.
It will need a cage (about 3-feet long) and providing there is nothing dangerous around, it is a rabbit that can be running about throughout the day. In fact, it needs to be running about throughout the day.
It needs to build up those awesome muscles it has in the legs!
Other than this, just remember to pet your Florida White rabbit regularly so it can interact with you and learn to trust you. You will also want to give it pretty much the same diet as any other rabbit.
However, do bear in mind that since it is smaller, it is probably going to consume nowhere near as much food as the larger counterparts.
Florida White Rabbit For Sale and Price
Do you like this rabbit breed and trying to find Florida White rabbit for sale? You may be able to find it in your local pet store, and you may be tempted by its availability, but we encourage you to get your rabbit from a reputable rabbitry and reputable breeder. This way you will have a better idea of the temperament and any health problems that may arise.
Check out the links bellow, we are sure that you will find Florida White Rabbit for sale near you, just scroll down thru the lists to find your state:
- Florida White Rabbit for sale list – Official American Rabbit Breeders Association.
- Florida White Rabbit for sale – Breeders for each individual US State.
- Breeders Association – Florida White Rabbit for sale
If you want to keep the rabbit as a pet, then Florida White rabbit price would be $25+. If you want to breed it and show it, then the price can go up to $400.
Leo, a novice urban farmer and avid writer hailing from Chicago, Illinois, finds his joy and inspiration in the company of rabbits. His affection for these cuddly creatures started when he was gifted a Mini Rex, named Poe, on his 18th birthday. Poe soon became a source of comfort, companionship, and surprisingly, creative inspiration. He soon expanded his brood to include three more rabbits of different breeds, each with their own engaging tale.