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Sarah Jean

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I have 2 female mini rex rabbits. Soon I will be getting a male when i find one. I was wondering if it is really expensive to breed bunnies and is it hard? When they are born would i have to do anything special to them or do i have to buy certain stuff? Thank you for your time. :)
 
Please do not breed, unless you are completely prepared. I am going to ask you some questions and you have to answer them honestly (to yourself).

Do your rabbits have a Pedigree?

Are they purebred?

Are they over 8 months?

Do you know what a stuck kit is?

Do you know how to hand feed a baby with out them aspirating the milk?

Have you read a lot about breeding?

Are you breeding for a reason (such as show rabbits)?

Do you know what mastitis is?

Did you know that when most females have their first litter they usually die, sometimes from being eaten, are you able to handle the sight of dead (and possibly bloody)babies?

Will you have time, most likely1to2hours a day, to hand feed the babies if the mother wont feed them?

Do you have money set aside in case you need to bring your doe to the vet if there is an emergency?

Do you have an adoption contract ready to go out with the babies?

Do you have a plan for the bunnies if the new owner cant take care of them any more?

If you have said no to ANY of these questions then you should really consider not breeding.

Breeding is definitely not fun and games, there are SO many things that could go wrong.

*****

Here is my gains and losses this year....

Had a litter of 5 babies.....

At 2 weeks they all had to go to the vet for a check up = - $60

At 4 weeks one of the babies had to go in for a check up = - $35

Sold 3 babies for $30 each =+$90

Another baby had a spinal injury and was brought to the vets = - $200

Then the baby passed away. :(

So in all I made a whopping - $205 (Do you see that is a NEGATIVE SIGN!)

I am 16 years old ok, I only make $100 a week, and %50 of the money I make goes to the rabbits.


~Amy
 
I would initially advise against it. most likely in the end you will end up with a mass of vet bills. there are also several complications that can take place with breeding ranging from the doe not taking care of the young, in which case you would have to hand feed them, to sick kits, stuck kits...anything and everything under the sun can go wrong in breeding any animal that you will prolly not be ready for. you must also before even breeding find home for the potential kits. One member here just had rescue bun that came in pregnant that had a litter of 12! are you prepared to find 12 GOOD homes? not just ppl that *want* a baby bunny and then it will end up in a shelter. as is shelters are over stocked with un-wanted buns,...i would suggest that you go through the forum and look over the various problems ppl have had with breeding...if you reallly love your buns and know ppl that really would love one as well, direct them to a shelter where they could save a life :) oh and btw very good of you to ask before doing anything!! there is no substitute for research on the topic!
 
Welcome!

It can be expensive to breed, because of cage costs, vet bills if something goes wrong, etc. Although, to be fair, things can also go just fine and the doe can raise a healthy litter without much help.Problems are most common with first-time mothers, who can kill or neglect the babies. They often are confused by motherhood and don't know what to do. Babies can be stillborn or born with defects, such as the double-dwarf gene or "peanut syndrome" (which is always fatal). There are various health problems that affect young kits, mostly dealing with digestive issues.

Breeding mixed-breeds is really not advisable because of the difficulty in finding homes for them. Breeding purebreds should be done with much care and consideration and research, the goal being to improve the breed with healthy and genetically sound stock. A solid grasp of genetic theory is good--ask the forum's expert, Pamnock, for info on this. :)

You will need separate cages for all the rabbits, and nestboxes for the mothers.

There are many, many more possible considerations, but here's a start. Good luck on making a wise decision.

Rose


 
rabbitgirl wrote:
Good luck on making a wise decision.


Exactly, I am not saying breeding is a bad thing, you just have to be COMPLETELY prepared for anything that could happen. I started reading rabbit breeding sites and books almost a year before I started breeding. I wanted to make sure I was doing everything right (or at least sorta right:)).

~Amy
 
Wow! I didn't know there was so many things to think about! Thank you all so much for this information. I think I will probably wait for a while to learn more about it and understand every detail of it, thanks again! :)
 
I am a new breeder myself. I'm breeding for specific purposes and I have done a lot of research into breeding. The breed I'm working with are lionheads which I understand have fewer problems than other breeds like Holland Lops and some of thedwarfs which may wind up with peanuts.My first litters are due by July 4th...

...and let me tell you - with all of the research I've done and the tips I've learned....I'm really quite nervous. I believe I should be breeding because I know what the market is for the babies and I have 2 breeders mentoring me from 150 miles away.

I wouldn't recommend breeding to most people. The only reason I'm willing to try it is because I am at home full-time and can be here to handle any crisis that arises. I literally spend hours every day with my rabbits and I can tell you about each one and their personality. I can tell if they're having an "off" day because I spend so much time with them. But I don't have other responsibilities like a job outside the home or school....so I can be here if a mother refuses her litter and I can takeover. I've read about what to do and I know the people on this forum to contact.

Amy had some really good questions for you to consider. I've spent hours researching about breeding and one of her questions really threw me and made me think...

Enjoy your bunnies because they'll makewonderful pets for you!

Peg
 
Some of the issues that new breeders run into are:

1. Can't get the rabbits bred

2. Birthing difficulties which may result in highvet bills

3. orphaned kits

4. "gross" situations such as half eaten kits

5. what to do with seriously deformed kits (expensive to have vet put them down)

6. what to do with seriously ill rabbits (expensive to have vet put them down)

7. what to do with extra rabbits that can't be sold

A successful breeder must work progressively to keep improving his herd and to ensure the health of the herd. This means continual replacement of breeding stock and removal of unsuitable animals from the herd.

It can be very expensive. I spend approx. $10,000 a year on rabbits and rabbit related activities. Digging my way out of the red is no where in sight -- even with my judging income.

Pam
 
I dont want tosound like a B here but this isnt a very valid reason tobreed in my opinion ( and its only mine )

** " I believe I should be breeding because I know what the market is for the babies" **

this particular comment leaves the door wide open for BYB to say the same thing ( even tho it isnt true ).

If such a comment was a necessity the market would be over floodedwith every Pedigreed breed out there .
 
I think it's important to remember that this board is home to rabbit owners of varied interests -- including breeders.

Peg has done extensive research, provides optimal care for her animals, has wonderful mentorsand has the means to pursue her hobby. Certainly one cannot be more prepared or more qualified, and I don't think Peg has ever given any indication that her motivation is strictly to make money. She loves these rabbits and has decided she would like to take the next step.

In all honesty -- there are certain breeds in which production *is not*meeting demand (Dwarf Hotots, for example). In many cases,you'll find that the over population of abandoned rabbits cannot be traced to "professional breeders" -- many of who *do not* sell pet rabbits.

Personally, I wish Peg good luck in her endeavors.

Pam
 
gypsy wrote:
I dont want to soundlike a B here but this isnt a very valid reason to breedin my opinion ( and its onlymine )

** " I believe I should be breeding because I know what the market is for the babies" **

this particular comment leaves the door wide open for BYB to say the same thing ( even tho it isnt true ).

If such a comment was a necessity the market would be over floodedwith every Pedigreed breed out there .


Gypsy & everyone else,

Let me explain my statement because it probably did not come across the way it was intended.

Before I decided to breed, I knew the breed I was interested in -lionheads. I had two that I had purchased and when I spoke to the woman who was going to become my mentor - she encouraged me to become a breeder - which totally shocked me. She stated that I appeared to have a lot of knowledge about rabbits (I'd learned a lot of it here)...and that she often had requests for lionheads in my area of the state. She offered to help me get started and teach me what she knows too.

Now - if she had said to me something like, "Peggy, there are already a lot of lionhead breeders here in Texas..." or "There is a lionhead breeder in your area.." then I probably would have decided to not breed lionheads. If when I spoke to another woman in this area (who runs a pet boarding kennel and has a rabbit of her own) - I'd heard that there were a lot of breeders in this area for any type of rabbit...I probably would not breed. OR...if I found out that our shelter was filled with rabbits (they don't take them at all), I would have reconsidered breeding.

Instead, I know that there are only one or two breeders in this area -who mainly sell their rabbits at the feed store or for snake food.

I hope to sell my rabbits the following ways:

through rabbit shows in San Antonio & San Angelo (yes, it means I will be committing my weekends to going to those places)

through an internet web site I'm working on developing

through contacting the local 4-H and offering discounts (and heaven forbid..possibly even a low-cost rabbit or two if I find some young people who are really interested in rabbits and rabbit care and show a gifting for it).

Any rabbits I don't sell - I will give a home to for as long as needed.

But Gypsy & everyone else - I'm also planning to go beyond that. You see, once I'm done using a doe for breeding - I'm going to have her spayed - AT MY EXPENSE - before finding her a home as a pet. If need be, I will give a doe to someone I think she's a good match for - vs. selling her to someone who simply wants a pet but knows nothing about rabbits. I haven't yet decided on my bucks...whether I will neuter them at my expense....because I've gotten the impression they don't have the same high likelihood of cancer that does have - and I don't know yet what I'll be able to afford.

I'm sorry this is so long - but my point is this. I didn't decide to go ahead and breed rabbits without thinking through how many breeders were in my area or how I would find homes for them. I've had three years of business courses an done thing I always learned was "See if there is a market before you try to provide something...". I didn't want to breed rabbits in this area if we were overrun by rabbit breeders.

I hope this helps.

Peg
 
TinysMom wrote:
I'm sorry this is so long - but my point is this. I didn't decide to go ahead and breed rabbits without thinking through how many breeders were in my area or how I would find homes for them. I've had three years of business courses and one thing I always learned was "See if there is a market before you try to provide something...". I didn't want to breed rabbits in this area if we were overrun by rabbit breeders.

I hope this helps.

Peg


This is something like my own story, although I breed only once in a blue moon. I had a rabbit inherited from my brother, bought at a feed store with no papers, that was the oddest orange color. When asked what the breed was, the feed store salesman said he was "just a bunny-bunny". Thus "Bunbun".

Imagine my surprise when I took him to the 4-H fair and a breeder wanted to buy him! On hearing he wasn't for sale at any price, he offered to lend me a doe or two to breed with him and produce a few litters. That was how I learned about the Palomino breed.

Several years later, I took him up on the offer. Nine healthy young Palominos. All taken before conception. The breeder was delighted with his fee--two lovely large healthy bucks. The Palomino breed in the area was so inbred that an infusion of "new blood" was a good thing for their overall health. Literally just four or five Palsinthe areaandtoo muchline breeding and inbreeding.

Bub is gorgeous, and will be a stud someday when I have space for more babies. Demand for Palshere is greater than supply. The breeder wants me to do it again (and again), but I don't feel right about sendingthe borrowed does and babiesback into that environment, so I'm going to wait until I can buy andkeep the doe too.

I only wish there was better stock in the area to choose from. A larger genetic pool would be nice.:?

Rose
 
Sarah Jean wrote:
Wow! I didn't know there was so many things to think about! Thank you all so much for this information. I think I will probably wait for a while to learn more about it and understand every detail of it, thanks again! :)
Oh wow....really this is the first time I didn't have to persuade the owner not to breed. I am really proud of you for waiting until you havelearned somemore. Really I am very very proud. I know I don't know you and everything but most people don't listen to what we have to say and just breed anyways.

Wow you are !!!

I really don't have a problem with breeding, I have a problem with uninformed and reckless breeding. But if you are willing to learn about breeding it might be the thing for you. :D

~Amy




 
There are some rare breeds of rabbits that need breeders to insure the survival of the breed. mini rex have peanut babies and i have seen some doesthat were too small to breed. Lionheads have peanut babies too. I dont raise them but many people that do are mixing them with netherlands. bluebird
 
Mini rex are one of breeds that are prone to health and teeth problems. So you have to watch for that. I would say the best thing to do would be to hit a few local arba shows. do some research on breeding, and ask questions to the breeders at the shows. Most will be willing to help you and answer your questions. theres a lot of pros and cons to breeding. Pros being showing, metting nice people,and having a goal to breed nice looking rabbits. Cons would be finding an outlet for your extra stock, dealing with bad buyers (been there done that twice this year!), and sometimes you will run into things like disease and illnesses down the road. Just want to let you know that pet stores are not a good outlet to sell to (not saying that you were going to, but wanted to let you know.), and neither are farm places. I prefer the meat outlets and re-homing non breeding animals to responsible pet homes(or at least try). always a generally good idea to ask questions and screen. And pushing them into spaying and nuetering the pet if they dont plan on showing it through 4-h or arba. I'm still trying to figure out the screening method myself. But i think ive got something that does work for me. Also make sure you are and arba memeber and read the guide book and standards like they are your bible. Those IMHO are the best resources for breeders.
 
Yesh, being prepared is VERY good.However, though, I wasn't. Things did end up working out great for me. Being a country girl and all, having to deal with blood, and gross things, that aren't really that gross to meany more. After I found out that Flower, my mini rex female was pregnant, I did a lot of reading, and got some help on here. Anyway, to sum it up... Good luck!
 
I'd advice doing lots and lots of research but also why do you want to breed, what do you hope of getting out of it?Like people have said your going to end upspending more then you're going to gain from selling them.They're are tons of rabbits in shelters because of breeding mishaps. But at least your going to do research before jumping in.

-Lindsay
 

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