Wanting a breed to breed for pets with my NZ buck

[Out of this world bunnies]

When i was new to rabbits i got a Red NZ buck who i have named Comet (he is my profile) i love him very much and got my female to breed with him, they said she was a chinchilla i assumed the breed. I was wrong she is a tiny mini rex who i have now got a Chinchilla/Rex buck to breed with her but i need a new Doe to breed with my Comet i am hoping for a pet breed as i want to sell as pets or for breeding. And some people are going to comment "why don't you sell him?" as i have stated i love him very much and if i sold him i am afraid he would become snake food or someone's dinner. Does anyone know any larger pet breeds compatible with a NZ?

 

[BunnyLove360]

In my opinion any rabbit breed of a similar size would do fine with a New Zealand rabbit. I bred pet rabbits once and i personally believe the best breeds to mix are Holland Lops and Mini Rex, they make gorgeous and friendly kits.

I'm not sure what breed would be 100% compatible with your New Zealand rabbit if you want to mix them but i would recommend a Californian (great temperament) or Continental Giant (they can grow very large though).

 

[majorv]

NZ is typically mixed with Californian. In many areas people want small rabbits for pets. A NZ or NZ/Cal mix is going to be pretty big.

 

[Out of this world bunnies]

NZ is typically mixed with Californian. In many areas people want small rabbits for pets. A NZ or NZ/Cal mix is going to be pretty big.

but Cali's are not worth very much and i don't want these babies going to freezer food

 

[BunnyLove360]

but Cali's are not worth very much and i don't want these babies going to freezer food

I would suggest breeding your NZ with a breed that you like the look of, see what the kits look like and once they get old enough advertise them but make sure you write 'Pets Only'.

If the kits look nice to you and they all sell then you have a mix that will work.
Try to advertise in the rabbit community, on forums and on facebook for your area. plenty of rabbit owners or want-to-be rabbit owners will see the ad and contact you wanting more information about the parents and the two breeds.

You can always find a mix breed rabbit to breed with your NZ, many people mix their rabbits and end up with an adorable bundle of fluff, find an adult mix breed rabbit and breed them with your NZ, you might find a good combination with 3 breeds.

 

[majorv]

Keep in mind though that it’s best to breed with a rabbit of similar size, or at least make sure the buck is smaller than the doe, not vice versa.

 

[Blue eyes]

Here is a thread on breeding that is worthy of consideration. Lots of good info...
https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threa...-history-or-conformation-when-breeding.76678/

 

[woahlookitsme]

I agree with Majorv. You don’t want a buck that is bigger than your doe or you risk the kits being too large for her to pass safely on her own. There are larger breeds that you could use like a Flemish giant. Flemish and French lops make really good pet bunnies as long as people understand how big they will get.

I don’t recommend mix breeding just because you are adding to the potential shelter issue with bunnies so before you even breed him I would double check how you will find homes for the babies to make sure they are good ones that understand a rabbit is a 10year commitment not a one or two year one

If you cannot find good homes then why must you breed him? Neuter him and let him live a long happy life as a pet bunny

 

[Out of this world bunnies]

I would suggest breeding your NZ with a breed that you like the look of, see what the kits look like and once they get old enough advertise them but make sure you write 'Pets Only'.

If the kits look nice to you and they all sell then you have a mix that will work.
Try to advertise in the rabbit community, on forums and on facebook for your area. plenty of rabbit owners or want-to-be rabbit owners will see the ad and contact you wanting more information about the parents and the two breeds.

You can always find a mix breed rabbit to breed with your NZ, many people mix their rabbits and end up with an adorable bundle of fluff, find an adult mix breed rabbit and breed them with your NZ, you might find a good combination with 3 breeds.

why i am worried to do two "meat rabbit" breeds is because i don't want to over price, but i don't want to be selling 5 dollars rabbits because no matter if i type "PET ONLY!" they could still end up being somebody's dinner. I have a NZ buck so could a lion head doe be compatible? i have ZERO experience with Lionheads.

 

[Blue eyes]

I have a NZ buck so could a lion head doe be compatible? i have ZERO experience with Lionheads.

The doe should be larger than the buck (or very close to his size). Lionheads are tiny compared to NZ.

I'm still not following why you are trying to breed him. Selling pet rabbits isn't profitable because of the amount you'll spend on care beforehand. You'll be lucky to break even. Mixed breeds often are difficult to sell even at $15. I've seen the same ads on Craig's list and how often they keep reducing the price until they end up giving them away.

 

[majorv]

Honestly, the popular pet rabbit breeds are lionheads and lops. Those breeds, except maybe a French lop, are too small to breed to a NZ buck. You’re putting the doe at risk if you try.

NZ is a meat rabbit and if you try to sell anything crossed with it you may get people who don’t want it for a pet. That’s the hazard of selling just about any rabbit. You have to price them higher but it’s still no guarantee, and most people won’t pay that much for a NZ cross. Best to just keep him for a pet IMO.

 

[Popsicles]

Like lots have said here, you aren’t unlikely to make money selling kits from him, you are more likely to be out of pocket - best to keep him as a pet. There are enough rabbits struggling to find homes without adding more to the mix.

 

[Out of this world bunnies]

The doe should be larger than the buck (or very close to his size). Lionheads are tiny compared to NZ.

I'm still not following why you are trying to breed him. Selling pet rabbits isn't profitable because of the amount you'll spend on care beforehand. You'll be lucky to break even. Mixed breeds often are difficult to sell even at $15. I've seen the same ads on Craig's list and how often they keep reducing the price until they end up giving them away.

Why i am breeding him is because my dad says i can't have rabbits unless i make money off of them, he doesn't understand they are like a dog or a cat. I could try and convince him to let me keep Comet even though he is "no use".

 

[Popsicles]

You absolutely won’t make money off him, it will cost you more to get a doe, feed her through pregnancy and lactating, feed the kits until rehoming, provide extra space for doe and all the kits, not to mention the potential vet bills if things go wrong. To pay all that and sell the babies as cross-breed pets, you really won’t make money from him.

 

[woahlookitsme]

My mother and I bred and showed rabbits for 8 years and we were always in the red. The only time I made a profit from my bunnies was when I showed them in FFA. I won reserve grand champion and sold them in auction. It was a lot of work but very rewarding. Even people in more popular breeds like holland lops could potentially sell rabbits for more but you’re putting it right back into the business when you purchase more breeding stock. You might just have to convince your dad that it’s very hard to make money on rabbits (I would like to point out it’s hard to do that for any animal) and that you don’t get an animal to make money off it. I’m sorry it’s not what he or you will want to hear. It is the truth though. I hope you can keep your bunny and just love him as he is

 

[Asriel&Bombur]

why did he get you a bunny in the first place.................

 

[Out of this world bunnies]

why did he get you a bunny in the first place.................

I agree with Majorv. You don’t want a buck that is bigger than your doe or you risk the kits being too large for her to pass safely on her own. There are larger breeds that you could use like a Flemish giant. Flemish and French lops make really good pet bunnies as long as people understand how big they will get.

I don’t recommend mix breeding just because you are adding to the potential shelter issue with bunnies so before you even breed him I would double check how you will find homes for the babies to make sure they are good ones that understand a rabbit is a 10year commitment not a one or two year one

If you cannot find good homes then why must you breed him? Neuter him and let him live a long happy life as a pet bunny

I am able to find good homes for my other breeding rabbits babies cause they are Mini Rex's a usually pet breed, i am just worried about babies going to freezer food as Comet himself was advertised as "Good for pets or freezer food" i have two breeds in mind i want to breed him with which are Champagne de argent's i used to have one and i loved her! and a french lop! (also used to have one) the thing is argent's are VERY expensive and i was lucky to find one for pretty cheap when i had my beloved Luna.

 

[Out of this world bunnies]

I agree with Majorv. You don’t want a buck that is bigger than your doe or you risk the kits being too large for her to pass safely on her own. There are larger breeds that you could use like a Flemish giant. Flemish and French lops make really good pet bunnies as long as people understand how big they will get.

I don’t recommend mix breeding just because you are adding to the potential shelter issue with bunnies so before you even breed him I would double check how you will find homes for the babies to make sure they are good ones that understand a rabbit is a 10year commitment not a one or two year one

If you cannot find good homes then why must you breed him? Neuter him and let him live a long happy life as a pet bunny

also i fully understand the lifespan of the rabbit and plan to have and care for all of mine till the day they die. Thats why i want to make sure i can keep Comet he is a amazing rabbit and i love him very much and i can't imagine not having my big baby in my life <3

 

[woahlookitsme]

I’m glad you love him and want to keep him. I just wish your father understood different.

There are people who love big rabbits as pets but it’s going to be harder to find them. Make sure you have a way to advertise and don’t price them cheap if you don’t want them to be food. Price alone will ward off those looking for meat but you will have to understand if someone is willing to pay you what you asked and you are willing to take the money because of what your father says then you honestly have no control over that rabbit after you make the sale. You can try to price them strategically and vet out the new owners but inevitably you don’t have control if you’re taking someones money. We’ve kinda given you an idea on how you can do it again i’d recommend a larger Doe (either a champagne or french would work as well as a Flemish if you can find one) and then pricing. You are going to be limited to what people are willing to pay for a mixed breed rabbit that’s the only downside. Just know that any money you ‘make’ isn’t truly a profit but I guess if your dad doesn’t see that then who cares as long as you can keep them.