Rabbit Talk
Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2014 8:06 am
Anyone here raise rabbits or have any interest in them? I used to raise show rabbits, and rabbit shows are one of the things I want to move back to the coast for. There is no decent show circuit out here. When I was younger, I raised Netherland Dwarfs and Jersey Woolies, and my mother raised Mini Rexes. Any rabbits that didn't make the cut for showing could easily be sold to the pet trade, since they were very small. Most of the other rabbits being sold as pets in stores are just mutt meat rabbits, so the small breeds always seem to be very rare, and in high demand. Never had trouble selling dwarfs to the pet stores. Of course, a show quality rabbit goes for a lot more than a pet does, so the preference is to sell for show. Anywho, the point is that there was never a surplus. Nice rabbits sold for good money, non-SQ rabbits went for less money, but still a decent amount. ($20 or $30 is a lot of money for a rabbit that only cost you a few bucks to raise - the dwarfs don't eat much).
But in planning out what I want to raise in the future, I'm trying to think also of what I could use for meat. I am considering raising Angoras (French Angoras weigh the same as a Californian at maturity, Giant Angoras weigh the same as a New Zealand), because then I could also harvest fiber from them, but they are a lot of work compared to some of the other breeds, and I don't know that I'd want to bother with them in the beginning (or dedicate barn space to them that could be used for my other preferences). Of course, it would be nice to have a rabbit that I could raise up, shear, and THEN butcher, so I could get an income from the fiber, and feed my dogs with the meat. So they're still being considered, although not my first choice. I've raised the Woolies in the past (the miniature version of the Angora), so I know how easy they are to care for... I suppose I'd just have to get some Angoras to try out to see if they're worth the hassle... I don't see a lot of places advertising Angora fiber, so there could be a nice market there I just needed to tap into...
So that being said, my breed of choice for standards is the Rex. They have amazing fur, come in a rainbow of colors, and are pretty friendly. I really liked my mom's Mini Rexes, and think I would enjoy the larger counterparts just as much. If there was a market for the fur, I could sell that too... But mostly I'm thinking of the fact that I can show them and make good money off the SQ rabbits, and those who didn't make the grade for showing could be used for meat. I really enjoy working with colors, so the number of coat colors and patterns offered in the Rex is a big draw for me. They've got a few colors that I would like to see that are not currently there too, so the possibility for getting certificates from ARBA for development is there too... No payout there, but fun for the breeder.
So I could have my Dwarfs (and/or Woolies) for showing and selling to the pet trade, and Rexes for showing and meat... and if I had the interest or time down the line, I could also do Angoras.
So... Anyone? Rabbits?
But in planning out what I want to raise in the future, I'm trying to think also of what I could use for meat. I am considering raising Angoras (French Angoras weigh the same as a Californian at maturity, Giant Angoras weigh the same as a New Zealand), because then I could also harvest fiber from them, but they are a lot of work compared to some of the other breeds, and I don't know that I'd want to bother with them in the beginning (or dedicate barn space to them that could be used for my other preferences). Of course, it would be nice to have a rabbit that I could raise up, shear, and THEN butcher, so I could get an income from the fiber, and feed my dogs with the meat. So they're still being considered, although not my first choice. I've raised the Woolies in the past (the miniature version of the Angora), so I know how easy they are to care for... I suppose I'd just have to get some Angoras to try out to see if they're worth the hassle... I don't see a lot of places advertising Angora fiber, so there could be a nice market there I just needed to tap into...
So that being said, my breed of choice for standards is the Rex. They have amazing fur, come in a rainbow of colors, and are pretty friendly. I really liked my mom's Mini Rexes, and think I would enjoy the larger counterparts just as much. If there was a market for the fur, I could sell that too... But mostly I'm thinking of the fact that I can show them and make good money off the SQ rabbits, and those who didn't make the grade for showing could be used for meat. I really enjoy working with colors, so the number of coat colors and patterns offered in the Rex is a big draw for me. They've got a few colors that I would like to see that are not currently there too, so the possibility for getting certificates from ARBA for development is there too... No payout there, but fun for the breeder.
So I could have my Dwarfs (and/or Woolies) for showing and selling to the pet trade, and Rexes for showing and meat... and if I had the interest or time down the line, I could also do Angoras.
So... Anyone? Rabbits?