Bittercowgal,
If you like the looks of a Hotot X Dutch cross then go check out ashelter for already born bunnies with thoselooks.
I understand your concern, but I am always checking places in my city and have not found these kinds of rabbits.
I hope I'm not coming off as rude but..personally, and this is justmy opinion, I simply do not approve of folks breeding just tobreed. I hear folks using the excuse of 'They're such nicebunnies that we want to breed to get babies just like them' all thetime. Thats not a reasonable excuse to even considerbreeding. Most rabbits should never be bred. Justbecause the parents are sweet does not mean they should be bred.
I never said I was going to 'breed just to breed'...I'm sure thatmany people have looked at their pets and wondered fondly what theoffspring would look like - even if they weren't seriously consideringit.
The mother could die during, before or after kindling(birthing thebabies)..are you prepared to take that chance?Of course Iwould be prepared for that because it is well known that that could bea possibility. You are aware of this fact, yet you breed rabbits....soreally, there is no difference. I suppose you may be asking that toconsider if I could 'handle' the outcome...but if you're suggestingthat I would be putting my doe in jeopardy, I would have to point outthat you do as well with your female rabbits.
Babies could be born deformed or have major genetic flaws requiringthem to be humanely put to sleep for their future wellbeing..again canyou handle that?
Again,yes I can.I have been in that situationbefore. A lot of what has been said, I have commented on before. Inraising rabbits and in having little buns around.
The babies may be born fine but momma may decide not to nurse them,are you prepared to attempt handraising the kits (they are verydemanding and sucess rate is very low)?
As I said in an earlier post to this thread, I raised a kit from day2of his little life and he survived for years and years, a chance hewouldn't have had otherwise had he been born in the wild where I foundthe mother rabbit. Every second was dedicated to my rabbits and theirhealth, and always was.
Momma mayeat her babiesor otherwise kill or maimthem for no apparant reason, are you perpared to take thatchance?
I watch my rabbits closely and would be disappointed if thishappened (as anyone would be)....I'm sure you have had this happenbefore, but it has not stopped you from breeding. Where is thedifference?
Are you prepared to house potentially 10+ kits for an extendedamount of time if by chance your family backs out of wanting abunny?
Of course I would be prepared. The thing with my situation however,is that my entire family has dealt with rabbits for years and years.It's not as though my family members are clueless as to what they aregetting themselves into, after all, they were the ones who introducedme to rabbits as a child. I understand that you may not believe thisand may think that they would back out, but we are a close family and Ihave no regret in trusting them.
Sorry again if I come off as rude. Its just that I don't think this has been very well thought out.
Well, it comes off as that because it hasn't been well thought out.The reason for that? We haven't been thinking about it seriously. Weare just curious about our two buns and the future possibility. (Again,I said this in the beginning of the thread)
I would also like to say this --- what is the big problem of peopleraising rabbits in their own home for their own enjoyment and to giveas loving pets to their caring family members? People who do this mostoften have the best of intentions.....I could totally retaliate and goagainst your post and what you believe in with rabbit breeding, andcould argue that it's better for me to want to breed in the future forthe love and companionship of bunnies, as opposed to a breeder such asyourself breeding rabbits to put in shows and use the doe over and overagain in this breeding situation........but I suppose I shouldn't gothere.
I am a new member of this community and do not want to offend anyone in the way that I was offended myself.
If anyone really thinks that I shouldn't express my curiousity about mybunny's possible offspring, then please tell me. I just do notunderstand how me asking "what will the babies look like?" turned intome being a careless wannabe breeder who isn't prepared and all elsethat was said.
Also, like to say that in no way am I planning to "breed just to breed" - where did this idea come from?
-TeriDegenstien *raising wonderful rabbitcompanions with the devoted Degenstien family since 1986*