Could it be this easy?

Started breeding last July for meat for our family. In the fall got a Mini Lop buck to test the pet market. I breed dogs, and I know the ins and outs of advertising and such, so I was following the same protocol with the rabbits. Not getting any bites. I my first Mini Lop litter of only 3. I was advertising in my usual ways, and not getting anything. It was almost Easter and figured SOMEONE would want a bunny. To tell the truth, I was done. What's the point of breeding small rabbits if you don't show and can't sell them? I was ready to find homes for/eat my lops. 2 days before Easter, I was outside doing chores and noticed that was a lot of extra traffic on the road...I thought, "might as well make a sign for the bunnies"....I did. The next day, someone stopped, but they wanted my NZW, not Mini Lops. Told them I'd have some ready in about a month, so they said they'd come back. Easter Sunday: Everyone at church asked if I sold all my bunnies. Everyone saw my sign (no one wanted a bunny though). Later in the afternoon, we are going out the door to my Mom's house for dinner when a lady pulls in wanting to see the bunnies. Sold one. Sold the last one on Monday, and immediately took down the sign. Today, a lady stopped by wanting to know if I sold them all. I told her I did, but I'd have more ready to go soon. She wanted a NZW at first! Geez, the rabbits I couldn't sell before are the ones people want now! Decided a lop would be better size-wise, so she's supposed to be back when I have more lops ready to go. We talked about rabbits and cages and stuff for a while. I showed her all the rabbits.


Is it that easy that I should just have a sign outside? I even took it down and people still come! If this keeps up, at what point should I add another lop doe?<br /><br />__________ Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:16 pm __________<br /><br />Also, I've recently saw like 3 ads on Craigslist in my area looking for young adult does/bucks. What sucks is that with my NZWs, if I don't sell them by 9 weeks of age, they are processed. Would it be wise to always keep one back for a while and try to sell it? It seems those wanting pets want babies, those looking for stock want one about 4-6 months old. I only have one spare cage....

Wow!

I wouldn't think it would be worthwhile keeping back breeding stock unless you're keeping replacements for your own stock. Maybe that's a way to do it, start improving your own stock by keeping outstanding youngsters, and sell off some of the bucks and does you're replacing. That's kind of a win-win.

Otherwise, to figure out whether or not it's worth it, think about how much it will cost you to keep a rabbit to production age in both feed AND labor, and then look at what people are willing to pay for near-breeding age rabbits. Are they willing to pay enough to make it worth the feed and trouble it will take?