Rebreeding Again Soon and another ??

[bhoffman]

So, I have decided that I will be rebreeding Bubbles again in the next couple days. This will bring the kits to be 8 weeks old roughly March 18th, but Easter I believe is the following week.. so I figure I will wait it out and not let the kits go to their new homes until AFTER Easter. They will then be 10-12 weeks old. I do not want them to be "Easter Bunnies" as I know that most of them probably would end up in a shelter etc. I do not want that for my bunnies. I thought of waiting another week or two to breed them, but then the weeks that they would be due to arrive, we will be busy.. I dont want that. Do you think that 10-12 weeks is too old to start advertising?

I will be breeding Bubbles my mini rex doe as well as one of my other mini rex does, not sure which on yet though. I want to breed two of them just incase I need to foster them to the other mom. I am hoping to have it set up so I only breed each rabbit once or twice a year.

 

[Imbrium]

kudos to you for staying away from the horrible easter crowd!

one thing I'd be concerned about with waiting until 10-12 weeks is that by 12 weeks, the males can start becoming sexually mature and might have to be housed individually... so it depends on whether or not you've got extra cages for them.

they also eat and grow a TON between 8 and 12 weeks (mine more than doubled in size), which will cut into any profits you're making and make them less "omg, CUTE!". of course, you don't really want people buying ONLY because they're cute and super tiny anyway, since those are the jerks that dump the bunny in the shelter when *gasp* it grows into an adult... so I guess the age difference wouldn't really matter in that regard anyway since anyone offering a quality home will love the bunny regardless of the age it starts out at.

 

[whitelop]

I think its better to offer an older bunny anyway. That way they ARE out of the "omg cute!" stage and people while know they're NOT just getting a cute baby bunny. They're getting something that will grow into an adult rabbit!

Do you have enough people who want to buy the two litters of bunnies? I know that you normally get a waiting list together before you breed, so do you have that waiting list set up?
And I think its great that you don't want to sell Easter bunnies. Those poor things. Easter and Christmas are the WORST times to have litters of buns, just for those reasons.

 

[bhoffman]

We have tons of room and extra cages for seperating. I am not too concerned about profit as I am not into the breeding for the money. I am doing it because I love rabbits and believe that I can (well my rabbits) produce good pet quality rabbits. I do not breed for show as we do not have any shows around here. I a absolutely prepared to keep any kits that do not find homes, but at the same time, I do want them to find homes. I will probably start advertising when they are 6 weeks old BUT wont allow them to go until after Easter. I am just not a fan of pets being given as gifts! I was going to breed a few months ago, but then that would have meant that they would be ready to go for Christmas and that isnt good either. I would hate to see one of my bunnies in a shelter. However, I do offer to anyone who buys a bunny from me, that if at any time they decide the bunny isnt for them, then they are more than welcome to bring it back to me.

 

[bhoffman]

I do have a waiting list for bunnies.. but only for 6 bunnies. So that may end up being only one litter! But I dont think it would be an issue for me to find good homes for the other ones that are born. I have advertised already for people to be added to the waiting list, but still thinking I should keep them until after Easter.

Edited to add: That Even with the waiting list, I like to make sure I have extra people lined up. It seems that I always have one or two people back out of a bunny because 1. they found someone else who had bunnies available already or 2. they didnt do the proper research and when I email them info they change their minds

Thats another question.. does anyone else advertise before breeding? Do you find you have better replies doing it this way or waiting unti they are born??

 

[whitelop]

I agree that you should keep them until after Easter. Its good that you have a waiting list already. I would try to get more people for at least another litters worth of kits and then breed. But thats just me and I don't breed anything.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

You don't necessary have to wait until after Easter to advertise, but not letting them go to the new home until after Easter can be good. This does help screen out people who want a cute bunny for Easter. If you did let some go before Easter, then you need to screen people carefully to make sure they are committed to having a rabbit.
It can be harder to find homes for older babies and people tend to want cute little babies. I know some people might have rabbits for a few months before they sell. As long as you are prepared to wait for them to find homes, then you can start to advertise when you want.

 

[woahlookitsme]

I havent ever advertised babies before they were born. Especially because I dont know how many will be born and I am breeding for show. With tans its impossible to tell really great show quality before 3mos old. The only time I did was for convention. I was breeding every doe I had and knew that some people would back out.

Good that you will have cages for the babies because those buggers do grow quick fast! For those people that like to back out I require a 50% deposit to hold a rabbit. I have had people back out one to many times and man that is annoying!

 

[bhoffman]

I havent ever advertised babies before they were born. Especially because I dont know how many will be born and I am breeding for show. With tans its impossible to tell really great show quality before 3mos old. The only time I did was for convention. I was breeding every doe I had and knew that some people would back out.

Good that you will have cages for the babies because those buggers do get quick fast! For those people that like to back out I require a 50% deposit to hold a rabbit. I have had people back out one to many times and man that is annoying!

I like to be sure I have some buyers for my bunnies before breeding, while I am prepared to keep any rabbits tat do not sell, I would rather sell them. I always tell the people on the lists when they first contact me that I can not guarantee how many will be born, if any at all and that I am unsure of colors etc. They all seem to understand. I still have people waiting from last litter as well as new people. I actually got another coupld interested now, so I shouldnt have an issue selling. I dont breed for show. Just for pet.. and not for the money either.

 

[woahlookitsme]

That makes sense. I am still growing my herd and keeping my offspring. Once they outshine their parents alot of people sell the parents. Since it takes so long to tell quality I keep them for a while. I dont see how anyone could breed rabbits for the money lol

 

[wendymac]

Great for not breeding for Easter Bunnies! I've never advertised before a litter is born. I currently have a waiting list longer than I can fill in 5 breedings. I also never sell anything younger than 4 months, because I'm breeding for show bunnies. The majority are show quality, but I do sell the occasional pet. Because you are breeding for pets, and only have 6 on your waiting list, I would probably try to get more lined up before breeding the second doe.

 

[bhoffman]

Yes! I can not believe it either!! I guess I shouldnt say that. I understand that people do have some great quality stock but I had this one experience where I was reallly upset with how the guy handled his sale.

He had his rabbit listed for $20 (or $25 I cant remember the exact price). When I replied he basically treated it like an auction and said that so and so agreed to pay more do I want to go higher too? I told the guy to forget abou it because I was not interested in an auction, about a week later the rabbit was still on the site!

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

I don't advertise anytime before the rabbit is ready to be sold, and I don't keep a waiting list anymore. It was too much work keeping up with people, trying to remember who to contact, and then 90% had picked up something else or lost interest until I had something available.

I raise rabbits to improve my own herd, not for other people. So although I do occasionally have something for sale, I don't "take orders" for them. When something is available, it's posted publicly and inquiries are taken from there.

If you know that everything you breed will be sold, it would be a little easier to work with a waiting list probably.

 

[bhoffman]

I don't advertise anytime before the rabbit is ready to be sold, and I don't keep a waiting list anymore. It was too much work keeping up with people, trying to remember who to contact, and then 90% had picked up something else or lost interest until I had something available.

I raise rabbits to improve my own herd, not for other people. So although I do occasionally have something for sale, I don't "take orders" for them. When something is available, it's posted publicly and inquiries are taken from there.

If you know that everything you breed will be sold, it would be a little easier to work with a waiting list probably.

The reason I do the "waiting list", is because I dont want to breed my rabbits and then have no one interested at all! While I am prepared to keep any and all bunnies, I dont want to breed just for the sake of breeding a rabbit and getting babies. I know thats not what most breedsrs do, and that a lot of you are breedinig to improve and for show etc. I now have about 8 people on my list, which I do not find hard to maintain at all. I take their names, phone numbers and email, write it in a book (my rabbit records book) and then when kits are born, I start contacting starting with the first person to contact me. But then again, I am a stay at home mom, so I do have a little extra time for that.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

How do you secure committed buyers? Do they put down deposits before you breed your does?

 

[bhoffman]

No, I do not. I just take their word for it. I have been thinking about doing a security deposit for them, but havent quite decided yet. I will see how this next litter goes, and if i have too many people backing out, then I will think aboutthe security. My last litter I had about 15 people on the list (2 backed out), but then, I didnt have enough bunnies to fill the amount of people on my list (which I told the poeple before that they are not guaranteed a bunny this time around, and that they will be notified when I do my next breeding. I still have the majority of those people on my list now waiting for this next litter). I am honestly not too concerned about people backing out of purchasing a rabbit. I would prefer them back out before hand than take one and decide later on that they arent for them and release them outside or end up in a shelter. If I end up with bunnies staying for life, then thats fine with me. I just want to be responsible and make sure that there are homes for my bunnies before breeding. As I said before, there arent any shows around here, so I am sure that 95% of the bunnies bought in our province are for pets, so there is no guarantee that I will have any buyers at all sometimes, so I like to be sure there are people interested. It would not be fair to the bunny or the doe to breed without anyone interested in my opinion. Now, I dont mean that any of you are not good breeders, because I know that you are great breeders.. but we breed for different reasons, most of you breed for show.. not too many breed for pets, and I know that you would have a better chance of selling because of that reason.

 

[Blaze_Amita]

Yes! I can not believe it either!! I guess I shouldnt say that. I understand that people do have some great quality stock but I had this one experience where I was reallly upset with how the guy handled his sale.

He had his rabbit listed for $20 (or $25 I cant remember the exact price). When I replied he basically treated it like an auction and said that so and so agreed to pay more do I want to go higher too? I told the guy to forget abou it because I was not interested in an auction, about a week later the rabbit was still on the site!

I almost was going to ask if you were in Kentucky . . .
BUt I do have one baby that's going out for a Christmas gift- but the home has been well screened, the child has taken care of rabbits before, is enamored with the Dutch breed and I'm the second person to screen the parents. The first person they contacted lost the litter they were going to pick out of, so she sent them my way knowing I had a litter on the ground that was going to be ready. They chose Christmas because the child has lost her last one(it was a 'foster' so to speak) and she's got everything ready for when she can do it again and the parents are all for it- it's her start into 4H as well. Normally I don't sell for Christmas or Easter either. But if that's where my litters fall I screen pet homes heavily and make the buyers sign contracts(where I keep one copy, they keep the other) tht if they get tired of their bunnies, they bring it back to me-same goes for my rescue-rehab-rehome rabbits.
As for quality, I have jsut my brood stock is all nicely typed, so I start by their markings(Dutch are a marked breed) and then as they get older Usually arond 8-10 weeks evaluate on type