Hey, no problem. I served so others wouldn't have to. But that was a loooong time ago (20 years ago this next spring), before the world lost it's mind. I'm grateful to live in America.
I typically don't process until about 16 weeks. That's about how long it takes to get a sufficient amount of meat on these little boogers. I roll the furs and stash them in the freezer. I figure I'll get a wild hair and process a bunch of them this next year. I'd love to make a blanket out of them.
I'm incredibly tempted to try a florida white/new zealand/california cross and see how that goes. These floridas are little meat bricks, but it would be nice to get some bigger litters and a little faster growth. I've done FW x rex and that turned out okay. Had a champagne doe I would have loved to have tried, but despite breeding her several times she just never would catch.
Geez, ramblings of a sleep deprived brain ... LOL
I love a curious mind. That's what keeps us young. I'd love to hear the results of an FF experiment with rabbits. Who knows, you may start a revolution! Ferment a batch of pellets and see what they think?
I hope my previous comments weren't taken as trying to squelch curiosity about natural diets. I'm tired, stressed, and the ol' brain gets away from me sometimes. I just wanted to defend the pellet junkie-types such as myself, since it sort of almost feels like at times on this forum that if you aren't growing/manufacturing all your animal feeds on your property you're somehow less of a keeper. I say the proof is in your bunnies' condition.
ETA - regarding $400 bunnies ... It's easy to price to get away with you, and I'm fairly certain he didn't say he paid $400 each for rabbits. I'll use my experience as an example. I had to drive 8 hours each way to get my initial florida white stock. For some reason, I'm always attracted to the rarest of the rare when it comes to animals. I spent a hundred bucks in gas right off the bat. The rabbits were $40-50 each. Then I had to factor in caging. So yes, it's easy to spend $400 on a few really good rabbits that you have to travel a ways to pick up. If that much money is too much for you to feel comfortable spending on rabbits, no problem. Just please don't mock those of us who see it as a good investment?
I love that such diverse opinions can get together and share and dream. I've gotten all sorts of mad scientist ideas that I wouldn't otherwise have gotten if I hadn't been hanging around here. I just need to stop letting others make me feel like my posts aren't welcomed, but I guess you have those dominant personalities on any forum. (No, I don't mean the participants on this particular thread)
Hope any of that made any sense. Need moar coffee and am procrastinating because it's snowing and I have to go outside.