Rabbit Sales Policy

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

OneTwoThree wrote:

I'm a little confused, how is someone supposed to pick out a bunny if they can't see them all? Are you planning on taking all your bunnies to each home that wants to buy one? I also wouldn't buy one that I couldn't see the living conditions of. I've never heard of that before.

And as the breeder, you should be responsible for the sexing and guarantee of no genetic health issues, the buyer isn't going to know what to look for.

It's VERY common amongst breeders to not allow anyone into their rabbitry. Buyers view pictures of the animal and are given a chance to look the rabbit over at shows or when the buyer & breeder meet at a public location. This absolutely does not prevent buyers from seeing/picking out a rabbit. A good picture, description of type & bloodlines, and recent wins etc, is enough to get someone interested in the rabbit.

Not sure about the no refund thing, as EVERYONE I know in animal business, and even beyond, does it.

And, nowadays, it's not even about if you're doing things 'right', because ARA's will find ANYTHING wrong to get you in trouble. Wire floors? BUSTED. No food 24/7? They're starving.

Emily

 

[wendymac]

Emily, the only ones I've seen that had their animals taken were obviously neglected. There was a post asking for money to help someone (a big-time breeder, I think?) pay her legal fees. I hadn't heard of it before, so went and Goggled it. I'm telling you now...they NEEDED to take them. Wire cages with drop pans...but the pans weren't emptied often enough and their were PILES of manure stacked up. NO water. NO food (no pellets, no hay, nothing). Angora rabbits covered in huge mats. Can you show me a case from someone that had food/water in front of them, no manure piled up, etc?

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

wendymac wrote:

Emily, the only ones I've seen that had their animals taken were obviously neglected. There was a post asking for money to help someone (a big-time breeder, I think?) pay her legal fees. I hadn't heard of it before, so went and Goggled it. I'm telling you now...they NEEDED to take them. Wire cages with drop pans...but the pans weren't emptied often enough and their were PILES of manure stacked up. NO water. NO food (no pellets, no hay, nothing). Angora rabbits covered in huge mats. Can you show me a case from someone that had food/water in front of them, no manure piled up, etc?

I know which case you are talking about, I believe it was the Colorado case. Yes, there are times when the rabbits DO need to be taken from a situation, but what I'm saying is that ARA's will jump on anything, even if cages are clean, & the rabbits have food & water.

There is currently a situation going on in WA State, but I don't know the exact details of it, or why the animals were taken.

Emily

 

[LakeCondo]

Do your videos of the bunnies show someone interacting with each one? This should help people narrow down their choice to a couple. Then maybe they could see the one they like best & then maybe the 2nd best.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

The way I see it, the personality of a rabbit is more for a pet owner. Other breeders tend to go more for the build, colour and other physical features. These can usually be seen from a well posed photo and sometimes a video for some breeds. While a breeder won't want to buy an aggressive rabbit, knowing the personality is not usually a huge selling point. However, a good breeder who knows their rabbits should be able to give a good description of the rabbit for someone looking for a pet. This can mean that someone looking for a pet does not have to go see all the rabbits, but could do fine with a few to pick from. Even with dog breeders, the breeder should be talking with potential buyers and can usually pick the puppy that would suit them best out of a litter.

When I got Tesla and Kraken, I knew there was no way I was going to meet them before buying. The breeder I got them from lives around 15 hours away and in another country, I do not drive, can't afford to fly and don't have a passport. She did take some pictures of them and her descriptions of their personalities were prefect. So even though I did not get to see them until they got here (transported by a local breeder), I did know what I was getting.
Even when I got Lillian and got to go to the breeders, I didn't really pick her out. The breeder sort of knew what I wanted and thought that Lillian would be great for me. Going to her place was the meet her, meet Lillian and learn about grooming angoras and caring for them. To be honest, I would not have know what to pick if given the choice, I wasn't even sure if I wanted a buck or doe at that point.

Pet buyers usually have an idea of what they want, it can be sex, colour, breed or whatever. So if a breeder only has a few rabbits that fit what the buyer wants, there is no point in taking or showing them all the rabbits. If a buyer wants a black Holland Lop buck and you have 3 of those, then bring those 3 and let them choose.
Think of buying a car, you have a good idea of what you want and need and you tell the salesperson. They show you the cars that meet your needs and can suggest something else as they do know the cars better than you might. You test out the cars and pick the one you like. If you are looking for a car, there is no reason to look at all the trucks, vans, SUVs and others that aren't what you need.

 

[wendymac]

I know what case you're talking about. While the animals were in good condition, their living conditions were pretty bad. Over 170 animals, one tiny falling-down barn, junk all over the place, horses unable to get out of the mud, etc. Only enough feed on the property to feed everyone for one day, no more. Even if they win their case, the animals (from what I can gather) have all been spayed/neutered, and the majority re-homed. They shouldn't have been able to do any of that until the case was finished in court, for sure!

 

[OneTwoThree]

Haha Korr, you have great points with the bunny thing! I'm probably just biased because I was fortunate to view my Lady's rabbitry, watch her interact with her siblings and even sit with all of them (and the mother) and see who looked the best/was the friendliest.

But OT and a funny on how we all view things differently, I totally don't rely on a salesman for anything more than filling out the paperwork. I internerd as much info as I can on cars, which are the top for the year, any issues with them etc, then I wander lots and see what the best the salesman can offer on what *I've* found. If you rely on the salesman to do they work, they only care about the bottom line, not if you're truly getting the best for your buck.

 

[wendymac]

Kate, but sometimes you might be shopping for a car, see a truck you can't live without, and buy it instead.

 

[wendymac]

Oh, and the people I bought Max and Ruby from are great people. They not only let me see the rabbits they had picked out for me, but also every rabbit there. They were proud of their rabbits, and for good reason. They have a lot of really rare breeds, told me information them all, etc. It was a GREAT learning experience, for someone just getting into the rabbit showing/breeding thing.

Where I bought Jack, Twila, Adeline, and Nora is another case. They had them in the garage. I found out later that they aren't able to show in PA because they always have sick animals.

 

[LakeCondo]

wendymac wrote:

I know what case you're talking about. While the animals were in good condition, their living conditions were pretty bad. Over 170 animals, one tiny falling-down barn, junk all over the place, horses unable to get out of the mud, etc. Only enough feed on the property to feed everyone for one day, no more. Even if they win their case, the animals (from what I can gather) have all been spayed/neutered, and the majority re-homed. They shouldn't have been able to do any of that until the case was finished in court, for sure!

What was the alternative to removing the animals; leaving them in the bad condition?

 

[wendymac]

Oh, I agree they should have been taken. I don't agree, however, that they were all spayed and neutered and re-homed. The case is just now going to court. Even if they are allowed to keep a few of them, they're all gone. That's the ******** part. There was someone asking for money to help them with their court fees, and that's why I checked it out. If I would have agreed the people were in the right, I would have gotten out my checkbook. It stayed in my wallet.