Florida White rabbit
The Florida White is a small, compact, all-white rabbit with pink eyes, kept for show and as a small fryer for a small household. Does weigh 4–6 lb and the show maximum is 6 lb. The breed club recommends it as a 4-H project because of its small size.
- Cold tolerance
- Heat tolerance
- Space needed
- 4 sq ft
Is the Florida White right for you?
Good fit if
- You want meat for a small household and don't need a 5 lb fryer
- You're looking for a 4-H or show rabbit a child can lift
- You only have room for small cages
Poor fit if
- You want the most meat per litter. New Zealands and Californians are about twice the size
- You want a choice of colours. Florida Whites are white only
Appearance and varieties
A Florida White is a small, cobby, compact rabbit. Does weigh 4–6 lb and ARBA's limit is 6 lb. The coat is pure white with a flyback coat, and the eyes are pink.
On the show table, body type counts for most. The breed club says type carries 55 points, and fur, colour and condition together carry 35.1324
Temperament and handling
The breed club says the Florida White makes an excellent 4-H project, that its small size is ideal for youngsters, and that does are excellent mothers. None of the sources describes its temperament directly.7
Animals vary within a breed. Treat this as what to expect, not a promise, and meet the animal before you buy if you can.
Production numbers
What to expect from a healthy doe. If two sources disagree, you see the full range.
| Measure | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Carcass | Small fryer; firm flesh, small bones, very little waste1 | The breed club's description. We found no fryer weight or dress-out figure for the breed. |
| Mothering | Excellent, according to the breed club7 | |
| Gestation | 31–32 days11 | All rabbits. Put the nest box in on day 28. |
Planning a litter? Use the rabbit gestation calculator.
Housing, feed and health
Housing
New Hampshire Extension lists this as a small breed, and UMass gives 24 × 24 × 16 in as the cage for a small rabbit. A doe with a litter needs more: University of Missouri Extension says 6 sq ft.
Put outdoor cages in shade under a roof, out of rain, wind and drafts. Rabbits stand cold better than heat, and Missouri Extension says the hutch should not go above 85 °F. A frozen gallon jug of water in the cage, or a fan nearby that does not blow straight at the rabbit, will help on hot days.839
Feed
A commercial rabbit pellet with 16–18% protein supplies everything needed. Don't overfeed, and take out uneaten pellets each day. New Hampshire Extension puts a small breed's appetite at 2–3 oz of feed a day.
Feed a doe and her litter all they will eat. Keep fresh water available at all times.39
Health
Missouri Extension's routine for any rabbit: clip nails when they need it, watch for flies, fleas and mites, remove droppings daily, and clean and disinfect the cage at least once a month. A healthy rabbit's nose is dry.
This is a starting point, not veterinary advice. If a rabbit stops eating or seems unwell, call a vet who treats rabbits, or your county extension office.3
Similar breeds
| Breed | Adult weight | Litter size | Beginner | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida White (this breed) | 4–6 lb | |||
| New Zealand | 9–12 lb | |||
| Californian | 8–10.5 lb | 7–10 kits | ||
| Dutch | 3.5–5.5 lb |
History
ARBA judge Orville Miliken created the breed. According to the breed club he crossed an albino American Dutch, a white Polish and a small, well-typed white New Zealand, then selected and line-bred until he had a strain of cobby, compact animals. ARBA accepted the Florida White in 1967.
The aim was a smaller rabbit for laboratories and a small fryer for small families. The breed club was chartered in 1972. From 1978 Fibber McGehee improved the breed's type with further selective breeding.
It turned out to be a show rabbit as well. Florida Whites won Best in Show at the ARBA convention in 1977 and 1999, and the youth Best in Show in 1993.12
Common questions
What are Florida White rabbits used for?
Meat, showing and laboratory work. The breed was developed to give laboratories a smaller rabbit and small families a small fryer. University of Missouri Extension names it as one of the three most popular meat breeds, behind the New Zealand White and the Californian.13
Are Florida White rabbits good for meat?
For a small household, yes. They are popular for home meat production because of their compact, meaty bodies, and the breed club describes firm flesh, small bones and very little waste. Each rabbit is about half the size of a New Zealand.31
How long do Florida White rabbits live?
No lifespan figure here is specific to this breed. For pet rabbits in general, Utah State University Extension gives 8 to 14 years.12
Do Florida White rabbits come in other colours?
Is the Florida White a good 4-H rabbit?
The breed club says so: it calls the Florida White an excellent 4-H project and says the small size is ideal for youngsters.7
Where can I find Florida White rabbit breeders?
ARBA's breed page links to its Find a Breeder listings and to the Florida White Rabbit Breeders Association. The association's own website would not load on 8 October 2026. There is no price range here because fewer than two breeder pages posted prices.2
Sources
The small numbers beside each fact point to one of these.
- Florida White Rabbit Breeders Association, History (archived copy, 7 October 2025).
- American Rabbit Breeders Association, Florida White.
- University of Missouri Extension, Raising Meat Rabbits, Ag Connection newsletter, May 2013.
- Ohio State University Extension, Ashtabula County, Study Tips for Rabbit Breeds, revised 2016 (PDF).
- BreedBarn, Editorial rating, method on the editorial policy page.
- Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service, Rabbit Tracks: Summer Rabbit Care, 4-H 1440 (archive copy, PDF).
- Florida White Rabbit Breeders Association, Home (archived copy, 22 November 2025).
- UMass Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, Rabbit Housing.
- University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, Getting Started in Your Rabbit Project (PDF).
- University of Illinois Extension, ARBA rabbit breed identification guide: breeds, varieties and showroom classes (PDF).
- Penn State Extension, Rabbit Production.
- Utah State University Extension, Pet Rabbit Projects: Getting Started (PDF).
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