SunnieBunnie Rabbitry
Well-Known Member
:bumpfor mini rex girl
(Also a gooddiscussion on breeding)
~Sunshine
(Also a gooddiscussion on breeding)
~Sunshine
Questions for professional breeders
- Thread starter TinysMom
- Start date
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Falls-Acre
New Member
a. Why did you choose to start breeding? Do you still enjoy it? (How long have you been breeding?)
I've been breeding rabbits for over a decade. I started with meat rabbits from a local source. Eventually got into rabbit breeding for pets, then finally broke into the show arena. I don't recommend starting out breeding for pets alone. That is a very difficult thing to get past if you begin to deal with other show breeders. It seemed like every time I turned around, someone was trying to foist off their ugly cull rabbits to me since I wouldn't care, they were just for pets anyway. It actually took a few years for me to get through that and be respected as a breeder.
b. What is your biggest challenge in breeding? Do you have a hard time finding homes and buyers?
Moving the waste is the most difficult for me. I live in acity, and 60+ rabbits tend to emit a rather large amounts of it. It's not always easy to find outlsets for it.Even though I give it away, I still have some trouble moving it. I don't have trouble moving rabbits themselves.There are plenty of outlets, and I always remember that even little rabbits taste good. However, I would recommend thinking this out if you cannot handle butchering. Call around and decide how you plan to move excess rabbits and also outright culls (rabbits you wouldn't sell to other breeders).
c. What resources would yourecommend for us to read? What would you recommend we have on hand besides cages & supplies? (Certain medicines?)
Definitely consider joining the ARBA. You'll receive a very good book called Raising Better Rabbits and Cavies, plus a quarterly magazine. There are other benefits as well, but these two resources are good ones. There are also lots of other useful books out there about raising rabbits. And of course, there are several rabbit forums out there filled with knowledgeable people who don't mind helping out.
Keeping spare supplies is always a good idea. You never know when you might crack a water bottle or break a bowl or need an extra nestbox. I'd also suggest keeping penecillin on hand along with needles and syringes. The time to realize you need medical supplies is not when there's an emergency.
d. I'd like to hear any special thoughts/comments (even if they're recommendations against breeding) because we want to think everything through.
One thing I have not read yet is the type of rabbits. Thel ady suggesting starting with a trio is right. I'd put mos tof your available finances into the buck, but don't neglect the does because they *do* make up half the genetics of the offspring.However, I would suggest that one of the does be a proven brood doe. Ideally, one that had recently come off a litter. Breed the doe immediately and go ahead and get started. There is no harder thing for a new person than the heartbreak of losing the first litter. So avoid it if you can by starting with a girl that already knows what to do with the babies.
I've been breeding rabbits for over a decade. I started with meat rabbits from a local source. Eventually got into rabbit breeding for pets, then finally broke into the show arena. I don't recommend starting out breeding for pets alone. That is a very difficult thing to get past if you begin to deal with other show breeders. It seemed like every time I turned around, someone was trying to foist off their ugly cull rabbits to me since I wouldn't care, they were just for pets anyway. It actually took a few years for me to get through that and be respected as a breeder.
b. What is your biggest challenge in breeding? Do you have a hard time finding homes and buyers?
Moving the waste is the most difficult for me. I live in acity, and 60+ rabbits tend to emit a rather large amounts of it. It's not always easy to find outlsets for it.Even though I give it away, I still have some trouble moving it. I don't have trouble moving rabbits themselves.There are plenty of outlets, and I always remember that even little rabbits taste good. However, I would recommend thinking this out if you cannot handle butchering. Call around and decide how you plan to move excess rabbits and also outright culls (rabbits you wouldn't sell to other breeders).
c. What resources would yourecommend for us to read? What would you recommend we have on hand besides cages & supplies? (Certain medicines?)
Definitely consider joining the ARBA. You'll receive a very good book called Raising Better Rabbits and Cavies, plus a quarterly magazine. There are other benefits as well, but these two resources are good ones. There are also lots of other useful books out there about raising rabbits. And of course, there are several rabbit forums out there filled with knowledgeable people who don't mind helping out.
Keeping spare supplies is always a good idea. You never know when you might crack a water bottle or break a bowl or need an extra nestbox. I'd also suggest keeping penecillin on hand along with needles and syringes. The time to realize you need medical supplies is not when there's an emergency.
d. I'd like to hear any special thoughts/comments (even if they're recommendations against breeding) because we want to think everything through.
One thing I have not read yet is the type of rabbits. Thel ady suggesting starting with a trio is right. I'd put mos tof your available finances into the buck, but don't neglect the does because they *do* make up half the genetics of the offspring.However, I would suggest that one of the does be a proven brood doe. Ideally, one that had recently come off a litter. Breed the doe immediately and go ahead and get started. There is no harder thing for a new person than the heartbreak of losing the first litter. So avoid it if you can by starting with a girl that already knows what to do with the babies.
flemishr2cool
Well-Known Member
a. Why did you choose to start breeding? Do you still enjoy it? (How long have you been breeding?)
I started breeding because I showed rabbits in 4-Hy family has been breeding rabbits for almost 15 years now. I don't breed rabbits just to have babies running around, I breed to raise a good example of the Flemish Giant, to improve the genetics and temperment. Do I still enjoy it? If I didn't I would of sold them a long time ago,When I breed a litter I do not make any money off of them, in fact I lose money with each litter I raise, so I obviously do not do it forthe money, so I must do it because I enjoy it
b. What is your biggest challenge in breeding? Do you have a hard time finding homes and buyers?
Getting Does bred, and having to sell the babies, I always have buyers but boy I don't want to give up any of those guys.
c. What resources would yourecommend for us to read? What would you recommend we have on hand besides cages & supplies? (Certain medicines?)
I suggest every book ARBA has every published! triple antibiotic ointment for any accidental kits from mom,
d. I'd like to hear any special thoughts/comments (even if they're recommendations against breeding) because we want to think everything through.
Be prepared for every possibility, Stuck kits, peanuts, mom kills kits, mom doesn't feed kits, mom doesn't make a nest, sick kits, sick kits, mastitis in mom, uterus infection, know how to diagnose and treat each problem, and be prepared for any deaths, don't expect everyone to make it or you will set yourself up for heartache. Don't breed buck A to Doe B just because you like their colorsand personality breed to improve something, go somewhere with the genetics, have a breeding plan, think ahead. You should know who are going to breed the resulting kits to and even their kits to in the future, or you may end up with all your rabbits being too closely related to breed.
We know that if we choose to do this - we're going to buy double-manedlion heads from particular breeders that we trust. My lionhead breeder explained to me that she knows some folks who "backyard breed" lionheads from their pets and have a hard time selling their lionheads-while she always has a waiting list going and her litters are normally sold before they are of weaning age. She also has a lot of requests from my area and Mexico and she has offered to mentor me if we choose to breed.
In fact, here are some of her recommendations - maybe y'all can comment on them?
a. Start out with at least three rabbits - 2 does and a buck. Put the majority of my money into the buck since he will be siring all of my herd at first. yes use the trio method, but I have to comment as I'm not sure if you mean spend the most money on the buck and then whatever doe fits into your remaining budget. If money is an issue, save up, and spend good money on ALL three rabbits. The buck will pass on the genetics, but that doe is the one that will be raising the kits, and birthing the litters, you want good mom's that can raise nice sized litters with nice sized kits, she needs to produce adequite amounts of milk, make good nests, have a good temperment, and she needs to know what she's doing, And good does that do this stuff, aren't cheap, but in my opinoin if they can do all this they are worth their weight in gold.
b. Pick 2-3 colors I'd like to work with and focus on those.Good idea, that's the way to go, by doing more than 2-3 you stretch your limits as to how many of each color you can house and feed.
c. Start up a webpage with lots of pictures once I get going.This will really be helpful since you don't have a "name" yet as a breeder once your name proceeds you and people search you out specifically for rabbits you won't need to advertise so much.
I started breeding because I showed rabbits in 4-Hy family has been breeding rabbits for almost 15 years now. I don't breed rabbits just to have babies running around, I breed to raise a good example of the Flemish Giant, to improve the genetics and temperment. Do I still enjoy it? If I didn't I would of sold them a long time ago,When I breed a litter I do not make any money off of them, in fact I lose money with each litter I raise, so I obviously do not do it forthe money, so I must do it because I enjoy it
b. What is your biggest challenge in breeding? Do you have a hard time finding homes and buyers?
Getting Does bred, and having to sell the babies, I always have buyers but boy I don't want to give up any of those guys.
c. What resources would yourecommend for us to read? What would you recommend we have on hand besides cages & supplies? (Certain medicines?)
I suggest every book ARBA has every published! triple antibiotic ointment for any accidental kits from mom,
d. I'd like to hear any special thoughts/comments (even if they're recommendations against breeding) because we want to think everything through.
Be prepared for every possibility, Stuck kits, peanuts, mom kills kits, mom doesn't feed kits, mom doesn't make a nest, sick kits, sick kits, mastitis in mom, uterus infection, know how to diagnose and treat each problem, and be prepared for any deaths, don't expect everyone to make it or you will set yourself up for heartache. Don't breed buck A to Doe B just because you like their colorsand personality breed to improve something, go somewhere with the genetics, have a breeding plan, think ahead. You should know who are going to breed the resulting kits to and even their kits to in the future, or you may end up with all your rabbits being too closely related to breed.
We know that if we choose to do this - we're going to buy double-manedlion heads from particular breeders that we trust. My lionhead breeder explained to me that she knows some folks who "backyard breed" lionheads from their pets and have a hard time selling their lionheads-while she always has a waiting list going and her litters are normally sold before they are of weaning age. She also has a lot of requests from my area and Mexico and she has offered to mentor me if we choose to breed.
In fact, here are some of her recommendations - maybe y'all can comment on them?
a. Start out with at least three rabbits - 2 does and a buck. Put the majority of my money into the buck since he will be siring all of my herd at first. yes use the trio method, but I have to comment as I'm not sure if you mean spend the most money on the buck and then whatever doe fits into your remaining budget. If money is an issue, save up, and spend good money on ALL three rabbits. The buck will pass on the genetics, but that doe is the one that will be raising the kits, and birthing the litters, you want good mom's that can raise nice sized litters with nice sized kits, she needs to produce adequite amounts of milk, make good nests, have a good temperment, and she needs to know what she's doing, And good does that do this stuff, aren't cheap, but in my opinoin if they can do all this they are worth their weight in gold.
b. Pick 2-3 colors I'd like to work with and focus on those.Good idea, that's the way to go, by doing more than 2-3 you stretch your limits as to how many of each color you can house and feed.
c. Start up a webpage with lots of pictures once I get going.This will really be helpful since you don't have a "name" yet as a breeder once your name proceeds you and people search you out specifically for rabbits you won't need to advertise so much.
