Pros / Cons of getting pet bun from a breeder vs. rescue

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HOWsMom

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Help us to make a pro / con list please!

As far as I can tell - when the day comes (likely several months away still), my daughter can get her pet bunny from :
- a breeder
- a rescue organization
- an animal adoption place (humane society, etc)
- an ad on Kijiji

I have absolutely NO idea where to start with the pros and cons of each.
 
My rabbits are bred for personality and health first. I can give a predictable result, guarantee health as much as it's possible to, tell you their size, likely personality, color they will develop, they have been well handled, they have had good nutrition... No other source can give you as much info as a good breeder and all risk bad personalities from genetics or handling and increased susceptibility to disease. Show breeders especially will breed for disease resistance because an oopsy there could wipe out your entire rabbitry after exposure at a show or purchased show stock.

We are of course talking about good breeders. There are plenty of bad breeders and breeders who just don't care about something like personality so long as the rabbit shows well. My first round of netherland dwarf rabbits were nasty critters. Lunging in cages, biting for no reason when out. One of them I had to scruff and swing from one surface to the next because if you tried to hold her in the air for more than a second she'd turn into a ball of claws and teeth. I couldn't find a way to pick her up that kept her from shredding me. One buck I had out on the couch just hopping around. He came across my hand and I don't know what perceived slight he got upset about but he hit the outside of my hand twice before I could react. I was bleeding all over.

So you can do better and worse with breeders over individuals and rescue groups.
 
If you buy from a "breeder" you will likely also have "mentor" who can answer questions and be a resource in the rabbit raising. You may also get a lot more information about your rabbit's background.

If you buy from a "rescue" the rabbit will be spayed/neutered and never be able to reproduce. You may not care about this if you only want one rabbit and never plan to have kits. You will probably not know anything about the rabbit's history. I would hope that the rescue had checked out the health of the rabbit, but who knows?

Ads on line are usually from"breeders" of some sort. How else would they have animals to offer? It is often better to get a referral from someone who has had experience with a particular breeder. I always like personal recommendations. But I have lots of people contact me from my add on Ebay who don't know me any other way... so don't be afraid to ask lots of questions. Someone who doesn't like that may not be the place to go. I would be reassured if the person you contact has written information to give/email you about the care of your rabbit and if they spell out, in writing, what their sales policies are.

If you can find the local 4H club in your area, you can get information from the rabbit leader that may be helpful. Again, ask lots of questions.

These are the things that occur to me. Have fun!
 
My daughter is actually a 4H kid, and has been in contact with the Rabbit Club leaders already.

We spent a fair amount of time asking questions at a local rabbit show just a week ago.

And the rescue we would most likely go with come well recommended, has a vastly informative website, a lengthy adoption form, and yes - does adopt out their rabbits altered. I know that they do provide some vet care to the buns that come into their care, but history is generally sketchy as many of the buns have been dumped roadside :(
 
A good breeder will cull/kill any defective (physically or mentally) rabbit and not excessively treat for communicable diseases like E.cuniculi, Pasturella, Bordatella etc.. so you should be getting a healthy rabbit with no medical issues

A bad breeder will sell off their defective rabbits as pets, be ignorant of common rabbit ailments or too squeamish or cheap to kill or treat sick rabbits and potentially sell you a sickly genetic wreck

Most of the rabbit rescues I have experience with in Southern Ontario do everything the "bad breeder" does but they will pay to treat the rabbits they take in even if it's a chronic illnesses that will recur months after adoption :( Most will disclose if the rabbit has a physical deformity like crooked teeth (maloclussion) but they aren't always honest about a rabbits poor temperament and MOST rabbits in rescues are there for aggression issues. Their quarantine and biosecurity measures are usually lacking so healthy rabbits can become ill while at the rescue or after adoption from being exposed to bunnies being treated

The humane societies usually will put to sleep sickly rabbits but are ignorant of many rabbit diseases so can unknowingly adopt out diseased animals - vent disease is one that is commonly missed

Kijiji is a toss up, the rabbits are less likely to get sick later on as they are not usually exposed to diseased rabbits like those aquired from rabbit rescues but you have to wonder why the rabbit is being re-homed and aggression is often the reason
 
Just being healthy in the rescue doesn't mean they have a good immune system. Accidental litters and rabbits bred just to sell for pets have a tendency for lower disease resistance. They can catch respiratory illnesses easier and some are at minimum not curable if they are even treatable. Pastuerella if it doesn't kill will make the rabbit a carrier for life and any rabbits you come in contact with after handling yours could fall ill too. You will not be able to bring anymore rabbits into the home safely. This is less of an issue if you aren't around other rabbits much and you don't handle rabbits in the petstore. It is still a concern though. It is even worse to lose your pet rabbits. Unable to resist we bought an interesting colored netherland from the petstore who gets from a local breeder that sells for petstores only. She had such a great personality and we were working on making her a therapy animal. After coming home from a show she fell ill and within days was in bad condition and we put her down. I had to keep telling myself you don't treat pasteurella. If you want any other rabbits in your life and to not put others at risk you can't treat pasteurella.
 
Do you (general you) have any suggestions as to questions I could ask the rescue organizer to determine if they are "good" or not ?

This particular organization uses foster homes, so the rabbits are cares for in a home environment.
 
YOU are the only one who can decide where or whom you would prefer to
purchase your Rabbit from! When you decide to make your purchase,
use your head! Think your choices through before you spend a dime.
You will have to live with your decision whether it is the right or wrong choice.
The Rabbit will have to live or die with you. I hope you will make the right choice
for YOU and your Rabbit. What do you believe to be the best choice!
A well informed, knowledgeable "Rabbit Breeder", or an unfamiliar, ill informed
Rabbit Re homer? Take your time, think about it, and make the only correct choice!
Ottersatin. :eek:ldtimer:
 
HOWsMom":2ctyf07u said:
Do you (general you) have any suggestions as to questions I could ask the rescue organizer to determine if they are "good" or not ?

Sure, here's one: "If one of your rabbits comes down with pasteurella, how do you treat it?"

- any answer except 'put it down' is usually the wrong answer.
 
My personal thoughts, (which may be colored by where I live),
is that "No kill" is a huge red flag. Like others have mentioned, there are some highly contagious diseases that rabbits can never really recover from.
Having them in foster homes instead of a crowded room full of cages where one sick animal may infect the rest sounds like an excellent way to increase biosecurity. It's definitely a good place to start.

Another red flag to me is "every rabbit can be worked with(or around)" and the idea that behavioral problems mostly stem from mistreatment and not genetics.

I've raised quite a few baby rabbits. I seem to have been somewhat lucky/unlucky to have stumbled across breeds(or more accurately, lines) that were at the opposite end of the temperament spectrum. :roll: The best are like cuddly puppies that actually enjoy being picked up, which is rather uncommon for a rabbit. The worst were best described as like keeping wild animals in cages.
They bred true, and the kits of the nicer breeds were noticeably more outgoing, friendly even affectionate. The kits of the wild acting breeds were wild. They hated attention, handling, and the presence of humans was just...scarier to them. They were a lot more likely to bite out of fear.

Keeping them inside with the family and fostering them to nicer does did not fix the problem. It was not behavior learned from their mothers. It was genetic.

I type that in past tense, as the wild acting rabbits have been (permanently) removed from the gene pool. (I think bikegurl on here has the last of them actually, but that doe won't be around for too much longer, and for a good reason. I could make friends with those rabbits if I was extremely patient...but put under any stress.. the wild came right back out)
The most docile rabbits here ( velveteen lops) are our personal much-loved house pets. Although I will no longer breed the ones I have due to an apparent genetic issue, they have earned their place as part of the family. It's much easier to love rabbits who really truly enjoy the time and attention you give to them. :lovers:
 
HOWsMom":37rse126 said:
Do you (general you) have any suggestions as to questions I could ask the rescue organizer to determine if they are "good" or not ?
I'd as to see the vet records and would pass on any rabbit that's been on antibiotics, for any reason

I'd also pass on any rabbit that's been adopted before but later returned - temperament/aggression is a likely reason

This particular organization uses foster homes, so the rabbits are cares for in a home environment.
and how many rabbits does each foster home have? I highly doubt it's just one :(
 
There are pros and cons no matter what you choose - best bet imo would be to visit some local rabbitries and rescues and ask your questions. Any breeder/rescuer worth their salt will help you whether you buy from them or not - if they won't or if they're rude...run!
 
I need to keep reminding myself that we have lots of time - no decision needs to be made right now ! <br /><br /> __________ Mon Jun 15, 2015 10:13 am __________ <br /><br /> How do you tell a "good" or responsible breeder from someone more akin to a "puppy-mill" type "backyard breeder"
 
HOWsMom":3tiflzcc said:
I need to keep reminding myself that we have lots of time - no decision needs to be made right now !

__________ Mon Jun 15, 2015 10:13 am __________

How do you tell a "good" or responsible breeder from someone more akin to a "puppy-mill" type "backyard breeder"

In MY (limited) experience, a GOOD breeder will be excited about their rabbits and want to talk about them. They will be happy to share the genetic background information of the rabbits they have for sale. They will know at what age the rabbits 'mature' (some lines mature earlier than others). They won't brush off or shy away from any questions you have, even regarding possible illnesses in their rabbitry. They are willing to talk about (and know about) the personalities of their particular rabbits, they may even ask you questions to help you find the RIGHT rabbit to suit your needs, instead of just being interested in getting money from you as quickly as possible for a rabbit. They will discuss any known flaws the rabbit might have.

Also, I wouldn't buy from a breeder who is willing to sell kits under 8 weeks of age (it's even illegal in many places).

When you go to see the rabbit(s) you are interested in buying, they will look bright, clean and healthy and they will be calm, not freaked out by your presence.

Also, any good breeder will automatically give you 'starter feed' for your rabbit.

That's all I can think of at the moment! :)

Oh, don't be surprised if a good breeder is unwilling to let you visit their 'barn'. Many breeders enforce strict visitor isolation practices to keep their herd safe from possible contamination by outside, diseased rabbits.

Best of luck!
 

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