The Rural Voice, 1979-04, Page 50The bunny business!
The
Young Farmer
Rabbit clubs are new 4-H trend
BY DEBBIE RANNEY
The raising of rabbits has become
increasingly popular with Huron County
4-H members during the past few years.
Currently, Huron has a 15 member club
in Blyth and and a club in Seaforth which
hovers between 22 to 25 members.
4-H co-ordinator, Len McGregor said the
Blyth Club which was formed in 1972 or
1973 got it's start when local 4-H leader
Ray Hanna come to him and said he
thought there was enough interest in the
Blyth area for a rabbit club. He thought a
rabbit club would do something for the
personal development of the kids as well.
The Seaforth club (the Central Huron
Rabbit Club) was started in 1977 after Mr.
McGregor had been talking to some 4-H
members and told them if they were
interested in starting some new kind of
club to let him know. A couple of members
told him they wanted to start a rabbit club
and he told them to go to it if they could
find a leader and 10 members. They did,
and according to Mr. McGregor "It's been
very successful."
Most of the Huron
kids raise their
Michelle and Timmy Machan of Brussels
know what spring brings - bunnies!
PG. 48 THE RURAL VOICE/APRIL 1979
rabbits for meat although some do raise
them just for show, he said.
"The price has been good. I think it's a
good thing for them to get into. They learn
a little about the basics of business," the
4-H co-ordinator added.
Ray Hanna of Auburn buys rabbits, a lot
of them from the young people in 4-H. He
also raises a few rabbits himself. He says
the popularity of raising rabbits has been
"a progressive thing!"
"It is getting more noticeable these last
few years. The influx of people from other
countries who are used to eating rabbit has
had a big influence. This contributes to the
interest other people have taken in the last
few years," he said.
It's not that rabbit meat retails any
cheaper than any other kind of meat. But
as Mr. Hanna says, "It's a very nice meat
and a lot of people use it for a gourmet
meal or treat."
One of the advantages of raising rabbits
is that people tan have their own meat
rather than buying it.
They can do this very easily if they can
have these animals in the garage or
somewhere at their own home.
"It must be attractive to a lot of people at
present when meat is so dear," Mr.
Hanna.
Although the raising of rabbits remains
fairly steady in Huron, it has not really
caught on in either Bruce or Perth
Counties.
In fact, Bruce seems to be interested in
another animal altogether. 4-H members
there seem to be into raising goats,
according to 4-H secretary Helen Gutscher.
There are no 4-H rabbit clubs in Bruce
County although the agricultur al office
has had one or two calls on where rabbits
can be slaughtered. Bruce young farmers
are starting a 4-H goat club.
In Perth County, Mrs. Dorothy Lowe,
OMAF's 4-H secretary, reports a lot of
people coming into the office asking for
bulletins on raising rabbits.
Pe'h has had a 4-H rabbit club in
Atwood for about four or five years and
one is low being organized in Mitchell.
Thea. are 16 members enrolled in the
Atwood club but at the time of the
interview only four people had enrolled in
the Mitchell club so that one may not
materialize, Mrs. Lowe said.