Needing some input on rabbitry ideas...

Hello!

I haven't been very regular for the last little while here, but am still working happily on the rabbitry with my younger sister. We've run into some set backs- dealing with Vienna carriers, trying to find other reliable breeders to buy from. But it's still been allot of fun (mostly :roll: ), and lately I've been thinking about other ways to expand our little business.

I want to start selling bagged up hay to people- both online and as an option for people when they come pick up a rabbit. Half the time they've never had a pet rabbit before, so if I could sell quality hay at a reasonable price (there are three pet stores here- two are super expensive and one is quite out of the way for most people) then I figure it could be worthwhile.

I was wondering if there's anyone else that does something similar along with rabbits? I know some people tan hides and sell snake food etc., and I'd love to know what you guys have come up with!

You could sell rabbit manure. You could also do vermiculture with your manure and sell fertilizer and fishing worms, it's going well for me. You could also try to make and sell rabbit toys. I don't sell mine, but it sure is a heck of a lot cheaper to make them yourself.

i will put poop in empty feed bags and set them aside in case people want some. every now and then i have someone who wants it for their garden.

i also tan the pelts if my rabbits to sell online as well as cleaning the skulls/skeletons to sell. sometimes people will want rabbits' feet and i'll dry those out for them. i sell almost every rabbit as a pelt before i butcher and it really helps make some of the feed cost back.

Huh, I've never thought about selling the bagged up hay to new owners, I just give them a walmart sack full as well as a weeks worth of pellets with the purchase and a packet with some helpful rabbit care instructions and our sales policy in it. But that is a thought, the feed for transitioning will stay free but I may start charging them a few bucks for the hay. Who am I kidding, I'm not selling rabbits to the public for a long time.

My current project is making rabbit feet key chains / novelty items, I've got 30+ feet in my guest bedroom right now that I have to glue caps/chain/charms onto but just haven't gotten around to it.

shazza":30i7jutc said:

i will put poop in empty feed bags and set them aside in case people want some. every now and then i have someone who wants it for their garden.

i also tan the pelts if my rabbits to sell online as well as cleaning the skulls/skeletons to sell. sometimes people will want rabbits' feet and i'll dry those out for them. i sell almost every rabbit as a pelt before i butcher and it really helps make some of the feed cost back.

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TeaTimeBunnies":30i7jutc said:

You could sell rabbit manure. You could also do vermiculture with your manure and sell fertilizer and fishing worms, it's going well for me. You could also try to make and sell rabbit toys. I don't sell mine, but it sure is a heck of a lot cheaper to make them yourself.

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I thought about selling manure, but our cages aren't the wire kind (though they're sounding better and better now that I'm having to clean our new wooden floored ones!). So in order to do that I'd have to save the poop from their trays... maybe not :x I'll certainly look into it if I every do switch to wire cages though!

What do you make the toys out of, TTB? How long does it take to make them? Pretty much all the people we sell to at the moment are pet people, so that could be a good idea!

2CrazyFools":30i7jutc said:

Huh, I've never thought about selling the bagged up hay to new owners, I just give them a walmart sack full as well as a weeks worth of pellets with the purchase and a packet with some helpful rabbit care instructions and our sales policy in it. But that is a thought, the feed for transitioning will stay free but I may start charging them a few bucks for the hay. Who am I kidding, I'm not selling rabbits to the public for a long time.

My current project is making rabbit feet key chains / novelty items, I've got 30+ feet in my guest bedroom right now that I have to glue caps/chain/charms onto but just haven't gotten around to it.

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We give out little bags of feed to with them too- I certainly wouldn't charge for that. But I guess if it were cheep enough people might think it worthwhile to grab a bag of hay while they're here, too. And maybe then more people would realise how important it actually is for rabbits to eat hay?

I thought of making these little wooden hay racks, but I think it would just be to much time with too little a profit. Hence why bagging hay sounds good

The rabbit key chains sound interesting. How do you market them?

I make my toys out of various things that may or may not be available to you. I make my own Willow balls. I make various hanging toys out of spare paper towel tubes and a natural twine that I can't think of the name of, most if those I make able to be stuffed by hay. I also use Apple twigs and other types of twigs they can eat, and make hangable chewing mats out of them with the same twine. I think I spent at most 10-15 minutes making toys depending on what I make. Longest things to make are the willow balls, and they take about 10 minutes each. Though I haven't done it myself, you could also cut safe wood into various shapes and dye them with koolaid to make them colorful