We have decided...

[Luv-bunniz]

Becca, nobody thinks your stupid. Nobody wants to be mean, we care about the rabbits. No amount of money for vetbills will guarentee that Fluffball will not lose her life along with her babies, because it can and does often happen. We understand you have researched, you know of risks, you care about the rabbits, but for they're sake, is it worth it?

OK, I may have repeated some stuff I said on MSN. Good luck with whatever you decide.

PS. Breeders - is 9 months too old? I am sorry to throw this into the works but I am not 100% although I am 99.99.99.9% sure it isnt :?

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

I am not going to judge you...they are your rabbits. I am going to ask how old they both are. A doe should not be bred if she is older than 18 months...some say no older than a year. She will have problems passing the babies and this could be fatal to all.

Sharon

 

[Becca]

I don't know what to do now - I really want to breed. :cry1::cry1:

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

How old is the doe?

 

[Becca]

She is 9 months exactly today!

 

[Luv-bunniz]

BabyBunnies wrote:

I don't know what to do now - I really want to breed. :cry1::cry1:

How about trying to find a local breeder/rescue and helping out there a few times a week? also, if it is a breeder then they will usually have more then one litter a year so you get to see it over and over again, instead of just once. Alot of owners would love to breed, but there is so many risks, and the over-population is just added to that it IS irresponsible to breed without a reason.

PS. again not being mean.

 

[clevername]

BabyBunnies wrote:

I don't know what to do now - I really want to breed. :cry1::cry1:

Is the BRC difficult to join or something? (I honestly don't know, they could have some prerequisites or high fees to join)


I think if you're going to breed rabbits, really go for it. Join rabbit breed clubs, make contacts, mentors. Educate yourself about rabbit genetics and breed standards. Do you have pedigreed animals, if not get some good stock.

If you really want to breed rabbits, you'll take the time to learn and do it right.

 

[Luv-bunniz]

clevername wrote:

BabyBunnies wrote:

I don't know what to do now - I really want to breed. :cry1::cry1:

Is the BRC difficult to join or something? (I honestly don't know, they could have some prerequisites or high fees to join)


I think if you're going to breed rabbits, really go for it. Join rabbit breed clubs, make contacts, mentors. Educate yourself about rabbit genetics and breed standards. Do you have pedigreed animals, if not get some good stock.

If you really want to breed rabbits, you'll take the time to learn and do it right.

Perfect post.

 

[Becca]

How to I join?

 

[MissBinky]

Hey Becca?

Since you love bunnies so much and you want to help them and all and you do have the space and permission from your parents to have more, how about you consider getting into fostering? Many shelters cover the costs of the vet bills and all so you wouldn't be adding financially other than care costs (food, bedding, etc) and you'd be helping others, and you'd get to enjoy cute bunnies...

Most breeders are looking to improve the breed when they make the decision to breed. I don't recall really, but are your rabbits show quality or are they pet quality? Also, do you have their pedigrees and information on their background? Not only that, but sometimes things happen and babies need to be taken care of when the mother doesn't etc., and with school hours and homework it may be difficult...

When I used to help the local SPCA, we were often looking for families for does with litters, babies needing socializing, etc. I think you should consider it

 

[polly]

clevername wrote:

BabyBunnies wrote:

I don't know what to do now - I really want to breed. :cry1::cry1:

Is the BRC difficult to join or something? (I honestly don't know, they could have some prerequisites or high fees to join)


I think if you're going to breed rabbits, really go for it. Join rabbit breed clubs, make contacts, mentors. Educate yourself about rabbit genetics and breed standards. Do you have pedigreed animals, if not get some good stock.

If you really want to breed rabbits, you'll take the time to learn and do it right.

This is what I was trying to say but perhaps not very well!! It is and should be a difficult decision Becca and that you are thinking hard about it is a good thing not a bad thing!!

lets put it this way do I love breeding and working with my rabbits I have 29 adult rabbits in my shed at the moment and other than with my new one that I got only on saturday I could tell you everything about each and everyone of them personality their likes and dislikes how the girls behave with their babies!! BUT I have lost a doe in birth and its horrid I found it hard to go into the shed if one of my does was due in case I saw it happen again. Bruce and I have done shifts lasting 3 days for a doe who was having major problems giving birth and eventually we had to help her deliver the kit. I have had to go in and take out dead babies I have seen babies who are not right and had to make the decison to let them pass on peanuts etc I had a lvely baby who i had to try and save at 4 weeks because he lost any body weight he had. And then if you are passing the babies on to people its knowing that they are well cared for which as much as you try you can't always do.

At 9 months she should be fine to breed.

Oh and Clevername the BRC is very easy to join does cost but they do a junior rate
edit to add you can go onto teh website Becca its www.thebrc.org and it has a list of the amount to join you would need one of your parenst to do it with a credit or debit card or you can send a cheque in to them.

 

[Becca]

I would love to foster in fact I wanted to adopt buuuuttt for some reason the parents said that i can only breed fluf not get another bun but i said well if we breed fluf we will probs keep one of the babies anyway but they just said no and i dont understand why. I am gonig to give her the link tot his thread so she can see....

 

[MissBinky]

Yeah, with fostering, you wouldn't have to do it continuously With breeding, what will happen if you have a hard time rehoming the litter or if you have a special needs bun? You might have to keep it for a while... Those are things to considerand theyare also thingsyou may want todiscuss with your parents.

Fostering is lots of fun really. I really enjoyed it. It's nice because you are helping out more than just one bunny. You help out your fosters, you help out by providing space for other bunnies at the shelter, you help the shelter employeesévolunteers, and you get to experience many different things :biggrin2:Adopting is great, but so is fostering :biggrin2:Maybe you can discuss it with your parents. You can work it out around times when you are more available so you'd really have more time to care for your foster

 

[Becca]

Mum should be looking at this thread righttttt now!

How does fostering work?

 

[clevername]

BabyBunnies wrote:

How to I join?

https://www.secure-website.com/thebrc/join.htm

I would suggest putting off joining until you go to your first rabbit show. Talk to the breeders, find a breed you like.

Then buy some resource books. Does the BRC put out a Standard of Perfection book? Find out, ARBA's has been invaluable to me. Pick up some rabbit care/medical books too--you will need them.

Now gets some spare cages. Breeders usually have more cages than rabbits just in case they have problems moving a litter--you have to be prepared to keep your offspring and keep them seperate.

Okay! I would join the BRC now. Get some good stock and get pedigrees. Its good in general to pick out a goal when you aquire animals. For instance I decided I wanted to breed Red Satin Angora. Reds tend to have a problem with density so I got a nice red buck and a few does who carried red, were red, or were a compatible color with great density. You'll like the genetic aspect--its fun to look at pedigrees and figure out what to expect from your litters.

Now show your rabbits. Showing your rabbits is a way to learn more about your breed, get updates about how your doing as a breeder and is a good way to releive yourself of stock you don't intend to keep.

Wheew, sorry I wrote a lot. So any of that sound like fun?

 

[Becca]

It sounds soooo blimmin fun :shock::inlove:

 

[MissBinky]

Well it varies from shelter to shelter really...

For me, when I'd take in a foster, I was doing it for an undetermined amount of time and I had the permission to rehome the foster (as long as it went with the shelter's policies) myself. However, there were bunnies that needed certain care, whether it was administering medicine such as cream etc. so those buns needed to be placed in foster homes. Usually, this bun stayed the time required and then went back to the shelter. I took in a pregnant doe so she could have a quiet environment to give birth and it gave the babies the oppurtunity to be socialised as well. The vet costs (if there were any and if it was possible) were covered by the shelter.

The other thing is that potential adopters will want to see the foster. For me, the people would come visit here directly. However, you can always work it out so that they meet the bun at the shelter though that would involve more transportation. Also remember that moving bunnies around a lot can be stressful so you'd need to decide if you are okay with the idea of people going to your home. In any case, you can discuss fostering special buns that need only a short time in foster care and then they'd return to the shelter. Just do keep in mind thatsome thingscan be contagious so you'd need to be careful but most of the shelters don't permit people who already have bunnies to foster these as they do not want to risk the health of the other bunnies

 

[Luv-bunniz]

BabyBunnies wrote:

How does fostering work?

In my experience...

First you will talk to a local shelter, get to know them, how things work, different volunteers etc then you can apply or just send in some general info like what experience you have with rabbits, how many you would be willing to take at one time, what you would like experience in etc. Then they will find a rabbit that would suit you well and usually they pay for costs etc until the rabbit finds a home. You will also learn tons from it, ie. living/dealing with different needs/ilnesses, caring for babies, pregnant mums, giving meds etc. It is really fun and great if you have alot of time to spare especially with the timid rabbits that need some socialisation

 

[polly]

As a BRC member you get your breed standard book, your new to the fancy book and your yearbook. You can find all shows on the BRC website.

Your breed standard book gives you every breed recognised in this country and all the colours allowed.

 

[Spring]

After volunteering at a shelter since March, were I'm in contact with 30 or so rabbits on a weekly basis.. I honestly, really urge you to reconsider.

Every rabbit at the shelter I volunteer at deserves a home so badly, they are all such awesome rabbits, heck even one poor guy had been sitting there for 2 years, but thankfully he recently was just adopted.

I know that the UK isn't any better off homeless rabbit wise than we are, and their are so many rabbits here, such sweet and awesome individuals that often miss out on a home, because the supply is larger than the demand - and the majority of the demands are for cute little baby bunnies, so there they sit.

I'm not saying breeding is wrong - the right kind of breeding is great. I think everyone would love to have the experience of baby bunnies, but if everyone with a male and female rabbit bred because it would be a "great experience" the population would further explode.

I've gotten so much more out of helping at the shelter than I could have ever gotten mating rabbits.. I've met so many awesome little ones, it's taught me so much. It's taught me some major life lessons too.. something I really am glad I've gotten..

Just thought I'd share.. since it makes me so sad seeing rabbits just sit there waiting for homes.. but if I walk into a petstore and see dozens of cute baby bunnies that will go in a week.. then "my babies away from home" at theshelterjust sit there.. really puts breeding without a truepurpose to advance thebreedin perspective when you've seen it first hand.. it's not a nice feeling.