HANCOCK COUNTY — The big ball of light brown fur, which was actually a lionhead rabbit, was sitting on Amber Lightle’s lap as she trimmed the bunny’s toenails. She was getting the rabbit ready for the big show. Amber was adding a final few primping touches before the bunny took center stage at the far west arena as part of the Rabbit Show at the Hancock County 4-H Fair earlier this week.
“Most of the prep work for this show was done well before the competition,” Amber said. “The competitors will now put their rabbits on a table for the judge and then the judge will look for a certain standard of perfection for every breed of rabbit.”
Amber’s three children, Bella, Ali and Ty were all competing in the Rabbit Show this past week at the 4-H Hancock County Fair because the county they live in, Marion, doesn’t have a Rabbit Show at their summer fair.
“A lot of county fairs don’t show rabbits, so we’ve been coming here to compete for years,” Amber said.
Amber noted her three children love to cuddle their rabbits, and most of them are for that, but she noted some rabbits they were showing this past week can be considered for meat, although she’s not sure that will happen to any in their group of over a dozen.
She has her kids involved because caring for rabbits can teach them skills, although Amber admits her kids enjoy cuddling them more than feeding and caring for them daily.
“This is an easy livestock project that doesn’t take a lot of space or as much financing as some of the other livestock projects in 4-H do,” Amber said.
While the family doesn’t care for using rabbits as a meat source, some people do.
“As a homesteader family, your rabbits can be your cheapest meat production and their meat is super lean,” Amber said.
Still, Amber said the main reason her family has rabbits is because they are great for young and even older kids to showcase. Plus, Amber noted, rabbits can be a big part of the farming life because their waste can be used for fertilizer around the farm.
“Their feces can go straight into the garden where as chickens and other animals, their feces are too hot for that and can’t go straight into the soil,” Amber said.
The family noted there are many different breeds of rabbits, like Silver Fox, Rex, Californian and Florida rabbits to name a few as well as different classes, and that’s why the rabbits all look so different.
Bella had a white rabbit with expressive black eyes in her arms. She’s been showing rabbits at the Hancock County 4-H Fair for the past several years and called the event a fun time for the family.
“It’s great here,” Bella said covered in white rabbit hair.
Two other competitors waiting inside the show ring had gorgeous white and brown mixed bunnies in their hands and called them broken colored rabbits.
Sloane Wolsiffer and Emma Adams were cuddling their rabbits Clover and Coco waiting for their chance to be judged.
“It’s fun,” Sloane said. “Yes,” she answered when her mother asked if the 4-H rabbit show is her favorite thing of the whole year.
Sloane’s mother, Tessa Wolsiffer, said having a rabbit and being part of the 4-H Fair is great for her child and other young children wanting to learn how to care for what is considered a livestock animal.
“We really love it because she gets to compete but she also gets to come and see all of her friends and show off her prized possession,” Tessa said.
Tessa noted Sloane is raising the rabbit as a pet and for 4-H but there are no thoughts of using their rabbits for meat.
“Oh, no, we’re not doing that,” she said.
Officials say the 4-H Rabbit Show provides youth a fun and hands-on learning experience that helps develop life skills, as well as teaches valuable information about properly caring for an animal. Having rabbits helps students learn about subjects such as general care, nutrition, housing and health care.
