By Adelyn Heidel, Youth Breeder
American rabbits can be intimidating for youth due to their size. Many more youth never even consider Americans because they have never seen an American rabbit before or cannot find stock. Yet American rabbits with their sweet personalities, robustness, and great mothering abilities are an ideal breed for youth.
Adult Americans weight between 9 and 12 pounds, so as far as rabbits go they are quite large. American rabbits are comparably easy to handle though as they are calmer than most smaller rabbits and friendlier than most other meat rabbits. While New Zealands run to hide in the back of their cages Americans run to the front of their cages to demand pats and treats.
Americans are heartier than other breeds of rabbits. They do comparatively well in both the heat and cold. They are more resistant to respiratory and other illnesses when compared to other breeds. Americans are great mothers. They have large litters with 8 to 12 kits being fairly common. They will also foster the kits of other rabbits easily.
Americans are also a fun breed to show for youth. Because of the rarity of Americans it is easy to have a few best of breed wins. Unlike more popular breeds, a breeding pair of Americans (if they can be found) will often cost significantly less than a similar quality breeding pair of a more popular breed. Youth breeding programs can make a significant impact in preserving and improving the breed, something that is much harder to be done in more popular breeds. Judges when deciding Best Six Class and Best in Show may choose a competitive American rabbit over a rabbit of similar quality due to the rarity of the breed. While not a commercial type their bone and growth rates makes a competitive choice for meat pens and single fryers. Americans can grow to over 5 pounds in 10 weeks.
The most important reason Americans are ideal for youth is their personalities. Rabbits carried around in hooded sweatshirts as babies will prefer this mode of transportation as adults. Americans will pout if not given their pats and treats. They love to interact with their humans in outdoor play yards. They have unique, fun personalities. They can be playful, sassy, mad, and silly!