Feeder Rabbits

[Kricket]

I have a question about 'feeder'rabbits. I hope to NOT upset anyone, as I am simplycurious. When someone feeds their snake or whatever a rabbit(or chicken, etc.) where do those rabbits come from? Are theythe least attractive of the litter? Do people breed rabbitsJUST to sell to pet stores as feeders? Again, I hope I didn'tmake anyone sad, just so curious as to where these poor feeder rabbitscome from.

Thanks! Hugs! Shorty, Star & Krick

 

[naturestee]

Both.

 

[ayglnu13]

Yup both.

~Amy

 

[Kricket]

Does it matter what breed these 'feeder' rabbitsare? Shorty & Star were supposed to befeeders. I wonder why someone would sell Dutch rabbits asfeeder bunnies...

 

[ayglnu13]

Feeder rabbits arejust unwanted baby bunnies. And the breed wouldn't matter. I mean canyou see a snake saying "I am sorry owner but this is a Netherland, Ispecifically asked for a Holland"

~Amy

 

[pamnock]

Some people raise rabbits specifically asfeeders -- others sell their culls as feeders. Size rangesfrom "pinkies" (new borns) all the way to giant sized rabbits that hugesnakes or other animals will eat. Two-Three week old bunniesare a popular size for feeders. This can often provide abreeder with an outlet for mismarked rabbits or rabbits with congenitaldefects.

Some breeders sell directly to herpetologists rather than to petstores. Rabbits are often sold frozen -- not fed live.

Locally, we had a market for rabbits as dog food.



Pam

 

[Kricket]

Heeeheee, Amy, as always the entertainment for the day

I guess I meant it seems so weird to me that Dutch and Mini Rexes aregonna be fed to snakes. I see mixed buns at shops priced at$50 and more...??

You are so fun, Amy! You crack me up at least once a day.

Hugs! Shorty, Star & Krick

 

[TinysMom]

ayglnu13 wrote:

Feeder rabbits are justunwanted baby bunnies. And the breed wouldn't matter. I mean can yousee a snake saying "I am sorry owner but this is a Netherland, Ispecifically asked for a Holland"

~Amy

No - but I can see a snake choking on all of the hair on a double-manedlionhead or Angora or something and saying, "Never again...".

Peg

 

[Kricket]

I was worried about starting this thread as Idid not want to upset anyone. I see, that this thread hasactually turned out kinda funny. TinysMom, you are so funny!

I LOVE this forum!

 

[ayglnu13]

Really there isntmuchpeople can do about it. Rabbits are prey animals, andhave been eaten by snakes in the wild since forever If thereweren'tany feeder rabbits there wouldnt be any snakes. And Iknow some one will say "But we could just feed them mice", I am sorrybut life is life, I dont see the difference between a rabbits life anda mouses life. I personally will never breed rabbits for food (mine oranother animals) but I am not going to bash other people that do breedrabbits for feeders.

~Amy

 

[naturestee]

Amy, I love your new avatar!

 

[ayglnu13]

I just made it

~Amy

 

[Kricket]

ayglnu13 wrote:

Really there isntmuchpeople can do about it. Rabbits are prey animals, andhave been eaten by snakes in the wild since forever If thereweren'tany feeder rabbits there wouldnt be any snakes. And Iknow some one will say "But we could just feed them mice", I am sorrybut life is life, I dont see the difference between a rabbits life anda mouses life. I personally will never breed rabbits for food (mine oranother animals) but I am not going to bash other people that do breedrabbits for feeders.

~Amy

Exactly, I am not going to bash someone for having (or feeding)snakes. It is simply not my choice of pets.However, I don't know as though I would be able to watch a snake inhalea chicken or rabbit or mouse...

But, all in all, Amy, I agree!

Hugs!

 

[ayglnu13]

Kricket wrote:

I don't know as though I would be able to watch asnake inhale a chicken or rabbit or mouse...

Oh I DEFINITELY wouldnt be able to watchthat!YUCK!

~Amy

 

[Pet_Bunny]

Snakes eat about once a week, and they prefer dead animals to live ones.

Rainbows!

 

[FreddysMom]

My boss' second job isinternationalsnake breeding....he has THOUSANDS of them...hegoes on all these crazy trips to africa and asia....when he found out ihad recently gotten a female bunny...he asked me if i would breedbabies for him.....i dont think i could EVER do that....not that itswrong i just donthave the heart to do it ....hehid want to keep all the babies

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

Pats on the backsto all ofyou!!!

I've seen this topic brought up soooooomany times on this forum I couldn't begin tocount. And it hasnever ended up this civil.

Personally, I love a good discussion andsee no reason why people can't discuss and debate all day long withoutgetting nasty. It makesthings interesting!

Congratulations! You did it!

Raspberry

 

[Pipp]

ayglnu13 wrote:

Rabbits are prey animals, andhave been eaten by snakes in the wild since forever If thereweren'tany feeder rabbits there wouldnt be any snakes. And Iknow some one will say "But we could just feed them mice", I am sorrybut life is life, I dont see the difference between a rabbits life anda mouses life.

ireallyagree with this, amy.inever liked the idea of pampering a cat and killing acow,felt likei was playing god.so,rather than killing the cat, i became avegetarian.

still, i understandmother (and human) nature, gotta gothrough the food chain. thoughthe soonerwe can get those darn snakes evolving to tofu, thebetter.

SAS

 

[cirrustwi]

From my pet store experience and as someone whoowns reptiles (not snakes though) there are just some animals out therewon't eat dead animals. My bearded dragons are breeders andwhen my females are pregnant, they need extra calcium for their eggformation. They eat live pinky (baby) mice. Theywill not eat them dead, I've tried. I won't watch, I take outthe male, throw a pinky in the cage and quickly leave theroom.

2of my rabbits were meant to be feeders. I got themfrom a reptile show. Orion was just a tiny little 4 week oldbaby. He's a Mini Rex Mix. Daisy was about 6 weeksand she's a papered Holland Lop. They were happy when I tookher, but they were "getting out of rabbits".

I've found that most people buy frozen because it's better for theiranimals to eat in so many ways. My friend had a ball pythonthat was mauled by a live rat. I thought it was funny, I'mjust not a snake person and I don't agree with feeding live, but shewas a little more then upset. The snake just won't eatanything frozen. It actually went 2 months without eatingwhen she refused to feed it live. It's a little insanesnake. Frozen things just can't do damage like that and if arat could do that, I can't imagine what a rabbit would do, especially abig one. When I got Orion, someone was buying 10 CheckeredGiant Mixes to feed to a 250 lb Burmese python. That snakecould eat me!!! This man was selling all kinds of rabbits, hehad little babies and big huge things, Mini Lops and Californians andFrench Lops. I will say that at my store and a lot of storesI've encountered, they will not sell anything "fancy" forfeeding. That means we basically will only sell white mice orrats for food (we don't sell anything larger for food) but this appliesto rabbits too in most places. I'm not sure what thedifference is, but if we order "feeders" that's what we get, so Iimplemented that they would be separated if we had "fancy" animals in.

Jen

Edit: I just saw Amy's post about people saying we could just feed miceto snakes, but can you even imagine how many mice it would have takenthat personto feedthat 250 lb python?

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

Pipp wrote:

the sooner we can get those darn snakes evolvingto tofu, the better.

SAS