I Have A Plan

[Skybunny11]

I don't know if this is where this goes...but I can't think of another place on the forum so here it goes. I have a plan. As anyone who reads my posts can sense I am a minor and run the rabbitry with my mother. I am not old enough to work yet. Anyway, I plan to seperate and start my own rabbitry. Due to the fact that my mother pays the rabbits food, supplies, ect. I have to go by any decision she makes. Including ones that I don't agree with. Including the selling of certain rabbits and the buying of certain rabbits, and the not showing of some of our rabbits. Of courseI am the main provider of clean cages, socialization, feeding/watering, and grooming.She pays for all of there supplies.

I have a plan, I want to run it by you all and ask for your advice or knowledge. I want to seperate and have my own rabbitry away from hers. Well, not away..but just a different rabbitry. I have spent the past week planning and prepping for stuff. I plan to propose this to her in about a year giving me enough time to make enough starting money, finish planning,..ect. Anyway, but before you guys go "If you can't work you can't run a rabbitry". I don't know if that is what you will do or not but just in case. I do have a plan. I have started my own buisenss already, selling paintings, yarn, and fiber art. Suprisingly it makes good money. My mother runs a buisness almost the same as mine but ONLY with yarn and she can make up to $500 in one month. Minus the street fair which I go to with her and try to sell my stuff.

Anyway, I plan to save up at least $700 this year. Don't try to get into the whole "it's a big responsibility taking care of rabbits". I know that two, as stated before I am the sole caretaker of my mom and I's rabbits. At the end of the year I plan to propose this whole thing to my mom. If she agree's I am going to begin the first step of my plan.

Get a Shed-There is enough space in the back of our yard to get another shed around the size of the one we have now. I can get one off of free cycle or craiglist for almost nothing. If that does not work my father and I can build one (he just about built the one for the rabbitry now). If I can get a shed or build or build one then I will put in the essentials. A few fans and or an air conditioner.

If this works out good it should be all together around $100. That brings my $700 budget down to $600. Then begins the second stage of my process.

Cages/Supplies-I plan to get from KW cages...Plus I have about 3 cages at my house that I own already do that would be okay. Then I get down to the pet store for other supplies. This is the like food dishes, water bottles, water bottle hooks, Medical...ect. That sets me back around $200-$300. That brings me to about $450.

Pretty good estimate correct? If I am wrong you can correct me at any time. Now onto stage three

Food-Food? Yes, Food. The food that we buy at our local feed store is about $15 a bag and it lasts for about 3 weeks. So if I was to buy 4 bags I would have enough to get myself started.

Stage 4

Rabbits-Here comes the fun part. I plan on doing either dutch or mini rex, or both later on. I want to start off with about 5-7 rabbits. Good amount? I will have around$350 left for rabbits.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Corrections?...ect. If worst comes to worst my parents would help me out but I am hoping it does not. My initial proposal would be that if I fail in my duties to take care of and provide for the rabbits, my mom can sell all the rabbits from it. In all likelyhood that will not happen, but just in case it does. Of course I am not just going to completely ignore the bunnies that we have now. I will still probably take care of them too. Anyway, I will probably end up with more then $700 in a year at the rate my buisness is going. Of course I will have to get more then what I am stating and it will not be as simple as I say it but that is just a rough overveiw of my plan.

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

I think your plan sounds good, however, I think you will need some more money to do what you want.

I’ve broken my explanation down into the steps you are wanting to do.

Step 1: Shed

Personally, I think it’s going to cost more than $100 for a shed. Sure, you can get a crappy shed for $100, but if you’re going to be putting rabbits in this, you’re not going to want some run-down bought-it-off-CL shed that is just going to fall apart soon, or one that looks crappy.
If you build a shed, depending on where you get the materials, what you have access too, I think it too will cost more than $100. I would budget about $200 to $400 for a shed alone.

Step 2: Cages/Supplies

Cages cost a large amount!! I just bought 8 USED cages and paid $240 for them, not including the $90 that was separately spent on stacking kits. I would have paid about twice as much for 8 cages NEW. How many cages are you going to get? Are you going to get ones that already are stacked, or are you going a different route in setting them up?

I would budget about $200 to $300 for cages, depending on how many and how you want them to be set up. On top of this, supplies such as water bottles/crocks and feed crocks can run pricey too. So budget about $50-$100 for those alone.

Step 3: Food

I personally wouldn’t buy 4 bags of feed at a time, when you’re only going to have 7 or so bunnies, because some bags might end up going bad, and depending on how much you feed, it could take several months to get through all those bags. Just buy one or two at a time, and store them in a metal trashcan with lid.

Step 4: Bunnies

I think $350 would be enough for getting good, show/brood quality starter stock. But you might want to think, where will you get them? Are you going to be buying from local breeders, or out-of-state breeders where you might have to pay for an airline flight or something?

All in all, I think your plan sounds good, but you should save up as much money as possible. With the averages I just gave you, that sums up to a little over $1000. (I added together the highest price of how much things might cost. )

Emily

 

[wooly_queen]

I agree with Emily. Very nicely stated.

If I was going to buy one of those nice shed's from Lowes or Home Depot...I think the cheapest ones are like $400. So you'll have to really look into that.

Cages here cost like $25 each and thats not including the stacker kits (I don't use those anyway, but just in case you do.) So I would deffinatly look for nice used cages. I was lucky enough to get a few of mine free from a really good friend...praise God. Or else I would probably be poor. lol

So save up as much as possible. Aim towards $1000! And you don't have to get everything done at once of course. I would buy the shed and like up to 5 cages to start and then get a trio of bunnies and their need supplies.

I buy metal bowls that are like $1 at the Tractor Supply here. But of course that is only here, I don't know what you have close to you. I would do around and perhaps compare prices...we have many places to choose from...Small town, but we have like 5 feed stores around here. lol

Hope this helps a little

 

[wooly_queen]

Oh, and how old are you? I started my own rabbitry when I was 12. lol Of course I didn't buy everything myself, but my parents only know about rabbits because I taught them. lol And now I am 17 and I still barely pay for anything. hahhahaa

It is hard to find a job when you don't have experience working. That is going to change now hopefully. I am going to start a dog walking business and I am going to make dog collars and leashes. Next year hopefully I can start dog grooming as well.

So good luck to you!

 

[Erins Rabbits]

Alright... I'll do what Emily did- she was very clear and everything she said was true.

Here, you have to have at least $500 for a poorer quality shed with very little room. I don't know if it's different where you live, but this is just what I've noticed personally.

Have you looked up prices for KW? They are EXPENSIVE. You can waive shipping costs because you're in California- That'll save some money, but not much. Generally, you're looking at about $200-$250 for a 3 tier stacker. You are looking at a much larger bill than that, most definitely. You may want to start with 6 hole and work from there, occasionally adding onto the rabbitry, so that you don't break the bank first thing out.

I, like Emily, wouldn't buy 4 bags in advance. Start with 1 or two for asmaller ammount of rabbits.

$350 is a good ammount for rabbits, but I'm just going to offer you a little piece of advice- Buy the best buck you can find. He may be Over $100, but if you're serious about it and you have the money, find a nice buck that's proven, from nice lines, and haveas many second opinions as posible. Buy good does from the same lines for consistency OR know what lines work well with the ones you buy, and go from there. You may want to just start with a trio and breed your own show team. Whatever you decide to do, the buck, DEFINITELY is going to influence your herd the most, so you want the best that's out there, essentially.

I think you need to look up some more prices in your area, and really map out costs- this generally is an extremely expensive hobby and you have to be completely prepared.

 

[Pet_Bunny]

Fans and or an air conditioner is needed for sure where you live. You can save some money by using empty tuna cans for your food and water dishes. Are you able to hook up with another breeder in your area, and share some costs of food and supplies? Can you buy a bale of hay and store it?

 

[irishbunny]

I don't know much about running a rabbitry, but I will add if you could build your own cages that would save you lots of money

 

[sbaxter]

I know nothing about rabbits really but after putting my emergency pack together pumpkin,diaroylte,prebiotics,wormer,gas meds etc etc that came to about $50 /£30 (uk).

I think it would be an idea to have savings for vets/medical i assume the more rabbits you have the more likely you`ll need vet treatment more often,even if they are top quality bred?

 

[Skybunny11]

But you might want to think, where will you get them? Are you going to be buying from local breeders, or out-of-state breeders where you might have to pay for an airline flight or something?

I get all of my rabbits from show's that I go to. There are no local breeders except for my mom's friend that I can find. I am not going to fly a rabbit to myself.