Hi I'm New Here

[sweet7895]

I absolutely LOVE rabbits. I have a Polish named Lila (not sure if she is a purebred she has no papers) and my sister has a Purebred Holland Lop named Cochise. I live in Nebraska

Me and my sister want to start raising rabbits. We live in town so we can only raise a few litters at a time. We have considered meat rabbits, pet rabbits/ breeding stock, and Wool rabbits. But what is best type of rabbit we should get?

The people down the street breed Holland Lops and American Fuzzy Lops. And we want to make sure that if we breed them we can sell them all. We are willing to buy a different breed but we would like to raise Holland lops as well
Any other advice would be very helpful.

Thank You

 

[Hyatt101]

Welcome!

For breeds, it depends. I've heard that mini rexes are very friendly rabbits and great for beginners. I also love holland lops!

 

[LakeCondo]

I understand there isn't much money to be made breeding rabbits, no matter what they're used for. And if you live in a city, a permit may be needed, zoning considerations, etc.

 

[sweet7895]

Thanks for the Advice!
I have also heard that but the only thing is is that at our county fair most of the rabbits are mini rexes.
Are there any other breeds that are popular?
Should we consider raising meat rabbits, or wool rabbits?
Sorry if I'm getting to picky

 

[sweet7895]

I don't think we need a permit there is noting in our city code book (my sister wanted to know about keeping livestock at our house for her graduation party, so she looked through it), but chickens are another story.

 

[Hyatt101]

That's true, mini rexes are popular. I don't know of any good meat rabbits, so I can't help you there, but I personally love holland lops, lionheads, and dutch rabbits.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

I would not recommend a wool breed unless you know how to take care of them and groom them. I have seen far too many (frankly 1 is too many) totally matted rabbits from people who have no clue how to groom them. Some of these rabbits have had the wool come off in one big piece as it is so matted. It is also hard to find good homes for these rabbits, there simply are not enough people who know what they are doing or are willing to learn and selling to other breeders can be tough if you don't live close or show the rabbits.
Meat rabbits do tend to be eaten or used as meat. So if you are not comfortable with that, then don't raise those breeds. Lots of pet people don't want such big rabbits, so it can be hard to find good homes for them as well.

What breed you pick does depend on what you like and why you are breeding. If you are primarily going to sell the rabbits as pets, then pick a breed that is commonly kept as a pet. If you are going to sell to breeders, then you should be showing a lot, but having a breed that others in your area have is helpful. You do want a breed that you like and can care for above anything else.

 

[Hyatt101]

I would not recommend a wool breed unless you know how to take care of them and groom them. I have seen far too many (frankly 1 is too many) totally matted rabbits from people who have no clue how to groom them. Some of these rabbits have had the wool come off in one big piece as it is so matted. It is also hard to find good homes for these rabbits, there simply are not enough people who know what they are doing or are willing to learn and selling to other breeders can be tough if you don't live close or show the rabbits.
Meat rabbits do tend to be eaten or used as meat. So if you are not comfortable with that, then don't raise those breeds. Lots of pet people don't want such big rabbits, so it can be hard to find good homes for them as well.

What breed you pick does depend on what you like and why you are breeding. If you are primarily going to sell the rabbits as pets, then pick a breed that is commonly kept as a pet. If you are going to sell to breeders, then you should be showing a lot, but having a breed that others in your area have is helpful. You do want a breed that you like and can care for above anything else.

^This is very well put! I know I couldn't have a wool breed, because I'm not good with grooming.
I also agree on the meat rabbit thing: lots of people are really into the smaller breeds (lionheads are big right now, as well as lops) and it can be harder to find a home for a big rabbit.

 

[kmaben]

Bigger rabbits also means a larger food bill. I have a German giant and a French lop. If it wasn't for the tractor supply store and the fact that I can buy pellets in bulk they would have eaten me out of house and home a long time ago. I dont even want to add up what I spend a month in veggies for them. To scary a thought

 

[sweet7895]

I think it would be fun to bush a angora every day, I have tons of free time after school. How long do Angora rabbits live? I would love to have one but I only have a few more years of school left and don't have anyone to take care of it after high school.
I would like to have both show and pet rabbits, I love showing my Rabbits off. But my sister would like to have meat rabbits. Would it be fine if we raised both?

Would it be helpful to join the American rabbit association? What are the best meat breeds? Is there any regulations to selling rabbits to local butchers that we should know about?

Thanks for the Advice

 

[cwolfec]

Rabbits can live anywhere from 7-12 years, and are a big commitment. Woolies are no exception (other than the fact that some people don't know how to take care of them so they die from GI Stasis a.k.a. a massive furball sooner than other breeds). You will need to line up a new a family for them when you go to college, should that be your decision.

And honestly, I don't mean to sound rude, but most of us on this forum have bunnies for pets, not for butchering...

 

[sweet7895]

Sorry if I can off like that. I love my rabbits and it would be very hard for me to butcher them I was just wondering if someone knew. I want to get more rabbits but my parents won't let me get them unless they can make me some money. My sister is the one who wants to raise them for meat, she one of those weird livestock people, and she had a few questions and was hoping that some here who raises rabbits would know anything about it. I would never in my life even think about raising meat rabbits.
Really sorry if I sounded like I wanted to get into it and don't mean to sound rude eaither

 

[Kadish Tolesa]

@ sweet7895 : If you don't want to butcher your own rabbits; most places that process chickens will do rabbits for a smaller fee. We take ours to a local farmer who only charges 2.00 $ a rabbit. Unless it's a larger breed, then it's a bit more. Hope that helped.

 

[agnesthelion]

I want to get more rabbits but my parents won't let me get them unless they can make me some money.

^^^^i have no knowledge about meat rabbits, but breeding rabbits, if done correctly, does not make you any money. It's not as simple as putting a buck and a doe together and there are babies. Consider housing, food, nest boxes, also consider vet bills and injuries/deaths during birth. Consider not being able to find homes and then needing more space, cages, food, money to keep them. Consider that some kits can get injured or be sick and need special care and attention, also in turn making them harder to sell.
The topic of breeding can be a touchy one. There are so many unwanted rabbits put to sleep everyday in this country....do you want to contribute to the pet population?
As far as meat rabbits, no one thought you were being rude it's just that this is primarily full of pet rabbit owners so the meat topic can get touchy.
I'm assuming you are fairly young if you have a few years left of school so no one is offended by anything you said so no need to apologize and I simply wanted to give you some things to think about that maybe you werent aware of. Whatever you decide is your business. Best of luck on whatever route you take.