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Katie Kay

Katie Kay

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2010
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Location
Shell Lake, Wisconsin, USA
Mod Note: All 3 breeding topics by Katie Kay have been combined into one, to reduce confusion.

i really want to start breeding. what is everyones oppinion on it?
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for me quality doesn't equal quantity. I really feel the same way about breeding. i would like as much info and opions possible before i make the decsion. I have one mini rex now. she doesn't have the best coloration, but she is a super mom. ( she was bred once awhile back) I really want to stick to the breed i love. thats mini rexes but i just need some general info before i make my decsions. and i need some ideas of what it is like so i know if it is for me. please help me make this huge decsion!
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okay so i really want to start breeding bunnies but i need some advice on what breed would be best. i have kinda bad allergies but i am willing to give them up to work with bunnies. I don't have a ton of room or cages so they can't be huge rabbits. and i also need ones that don't have a lot of hereditary problems and ones that would be good mothers. i really want to win grand champ at the junior fair next summer so ones that would give me a chance at that would br great. i am open to all sugestions. thank you so much!


 
Rabbit's are the third most euthanized companion animal in America. My humble opinion on the matter is people should really take this into consideration before deciding to breed. If someone wants to breed just to have cute babies or one litter then I would say please adopt or foster a pregnant mamma instead. I have nothing against responsible and ethical breeding to improve the breed, but have no desire to get into it myself. I like working with and supporting Rabbit rescues, but that is just my own preference. It warms my heart to come home to my two bun's that are both rescues.

:bunny24
 
i understand where u are comming from but i do not have any rescure buns near me and i had one bad rescue and got really hurt so i need to say i donate to rescues but am not interested in rescueing for myself.
 
Well-I have a strong opinion but I am not going to get into that..I am just going to say;
You should think about it more before you just do it.
its not all about the baby bunnies.some momma bunnies dont take care of the babies and they could die from that--not only that, sometimes the mom has problems even giving birth to the babies..
It is NOT all fun and games and you should make a mature decision about it.
dont think just about them being cute baby bunnies--think about the cute baby bunnies surviving and what youd do with them..especially if something were to go wrong..

(any other members think im wrong?)
 
here is my advice. and this is comming from a former breeder and 4-Her of about 7 years (with rabbits)

first you need to look at what breeds you find interesting. do you enjoy a certain color? type of fur?

second go to a rabbit show. go to as many rabbit shows as you can. don't buy anything. just handle the animals, learn the breeds, and meet as many people as you can.

second, really understand what you are getting into. breeding has SO many risks, and if properly done, completely worth it, but only if it is done right.

before anyone every suggests breeding, i would consider reading these 2 threads:

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=53539&forum_id=8

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=33217&forum_id=8

the first was written by peg, the second by myself.

so, you still want to breed? okay picking a breed is completely by person as to likes. for instance- i HATE mini rex, i had them when i bred (my brother worked with them) and i cannot stand the breed (with the exception of like 2 mini rexes that i liked), but i loved dwarf hotots. . . a breed many wont touch.

the biggest thing is find what you want to work on. the breed and color. then find someone (doesn't matter if they live 2 miles from you or across the country. . . email works fine) that works with that breed and color that you can ask questions of.

don't buy jr. (sure everyone wants a baby bunny, but you have no idea what they are going to end up like)

and this is big: if you pick a breed and color, and find a breeder close to you that has worked with this breed a long time and they can offer you a proven pair or trio i would suggest going for it. many good breeders will learn what lines go good together. and by selling a good working pair or trio you don't have to figure all this out on your own.

personally if you want holland lops i would work with torts to start with, castor mini rex, black or chestnut nethies, ect. they are the biggest color groups for those animals and will have the best type you can find offered for sale. the setback is they also have more competition.

but this is all just a bunch of my own opinions. . . other will give different advise i am sure.

good luck!
 
Katie Kay wrote:
i understand where u are comming from but i do not have any rescure buns near me and i had one bad rescue and got really hurt so i need to say i donate to rescues but am not interested in rescueing for myself.
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Oh, I'm not saying you have to rescue. It's not for everyone! Just like breeding is not for everyone. :) Just giving my opinion on the matter since that is what you asked.

Hannah you bring up a great point. Another thing to consider before deciding to breed is the fact babies and mothers do die, which is very heartbreaking. Some mothers will completely neglect their kits and I'm sure it's very hard to watch.

It's also a very big commitment and responsibility since when choosing to breed you are bringing lives into this world that depend on you to live happily. This means meeting their individual needs along with daily care. Also, one must take into account lifetime care. Making sure they go to good homes (which are not always easy to find) and also making sure they don't end up at already overwhelmed shelters, which may be having the space to take in any of your babies that the new owners can no longer care for.
 
Thanks Erika for backing up my statement..

If the mom has 7 kits, and you find homes for 2--that leaves you to a possible 10 year commitment to the other 5, plus the mom and dad..
You need to have money stored away in order to take care of all the kits if something is to happen..
 
I breed show rabbits (jersey woolies & thriantas) and I really enjoy the hobby and going to shows.

So before you start breeding, make sure you are ABSOLUTELY serious about it. Only breed the best quality animals you can. Make sure that there is a market for show rabbits etc. near you and that you are able to get to rabbits shows to buy and sell.

Become a member of ARBA (www.arba.net) and learn all you can about the breeds you would like. Buy a Standard of Perfection. Don't pick anything with difficult markings as a first breed. Start with something a little more simple perhaps.

Some cool smaller breeds are mini rex, netherland dwarfs, dwarf hotots, and mini satins. They are 5 pounds and under and are good starter breeds.
 
thank you so much for all your helpful info! i really like breeding i did it once before, but i wabt to take it on more seiously.:)

I have really decided to breed mini rexes. but i don't know if i want to breed them. but i love the breed of rabbit
 
wooly_queen wrote:
I breed show rabbits (jersey woolies & thriantas) and I really enjoy the hobby and going to shows.

So before you start breeding, make sure you are ABSOLUTELY serious about it. Only breed the best quality animals you can. Make sure that there is a market for show rabbits etc. near you and that you are able to get to rabbits shows to buy and sell.

Become a member of ARBA (http://www.arba.net) and learn all you can about the breeds you would like. Buy a Standard of Perfection. Don't pick anything with difficult markings as a first breed. Start with something a little more simple perhaps.

Some cool smaller breeds are mini rex, netherland dwarfs, dwarf hotots, and mini satins. They are 5 pounds and under and are good starter breeds.
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I agree with this.

Also, make sure you have a goal in mind and an outlet for your culls. Are you breeding just for pets? If so, it's best to consider being involved in a rescue instead. Are you breeding for meat? If so, you'll always have a good outlet. Are you breeding for show? If so, do you have a good number of other show breeders in your area or at least a good pet market for your culls? If not, are you willing to sell them for meat?

Making sure that you have a respectable goal, as well as an outlet for culls, are your two biggest decisions when considering breeding.
 
i plan on buying good breeding stock and selling for shows or pets. i will not sell for meat. that is barbaric to do to those little helpless things.
 
Katie Kay wrote:
i plan on buying good breeding stock and selling for shows or pets. i will not sell for meat. that is barbaric to do to those little helpless things.
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:biggrin2:Yeah sometimes I think so too. lol
 
"i plan on buying good breeding stock and selling for shows or pets. i will not sell for meat. that is barbaric to do to those little helpless things."

The diffrence between someone eating a rabbit and someone eating a chicken is what? I have been a vegatarian for a year so eating any animal is horrible in my opinion :p

Personally, when I breed I keep the babies unless someone comes to be for one. I have a friend who breeds on a large scale and I think she is so luckly to have baby bunnies popping out her wazoo but she does not know how they are all treated. No shelter around here takes rabbits so you can only amagine what happens to them. That is what gets me.
 
"Meat breeding" is a topic we don't discuss on here - even in the rabbitry area.

Good luck on your decision - I may be merging your other two threads on breeding with this one later today so that everything can be in ONE topic.
 
bunnybunbunb wrote:
I think she is so luckly to have baby bunnies popping out her wazoo but she does not know how they are all treated. No shelter around here takes rabbits so you can only amagine what happens to them. That is what gets me.
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That is why I only breed like 3 times a year. lol It keeps the numbers down. I never own more thatn 25 rabbits at a timeand I sell them to breeders and very educated pet own owners. They are 4-H members or families that have researched rabbits as pets or have had rabbits as pets before.

I have had some really good luck with pet owners here. Sometimes I do sell them to the feedstore for $10 when I am really desperate. But I have only done that once.
 
Katie Kay wrote:
i plan on buying good breeding stock and selling for shows or pets. i will not sell for meat. that is barbaric to do to those little helpless things.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry, I did not mean to offend you or your opinion by saying that. My point was just that these are things you need to think about and be aware of when you're considering breeding. Sometimes, there is just not a pet market so you have to decide, if that would happen, whether that may be an option for you, or if you're prepared to keep those rabbits for their entire life. You don't have to support that end of the hobby if you don't want to, but being a breeder does mean that you realize that end for what it is.:)
 
I don't have a problem with people breeding but spend at least a few months researching and learning first. You need to know everything that can go wrong and what to do about it before you get into that situation. People tend to get focused on the cute babies and forget that it does not always go smoothly. Here's an example of when it didn't: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqpHe9_kZL0[/ame]
 
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