Any good suggestions?

[PSFAngoras]

Okay, so here it goes.

I love my FA's. They are the main staple of my rabbitry, they are sweet, loving, and all are have a great personality in their own way. I keep doing my best to add another breed to the program, but I have yet to find one I'm pleased with.

I picked up a trio of standard rex a few months ago, and they aren't what I expected. Sure, the plushy coat is nice, but the whole deal with them being susceptible to hock sores and heat stress bothers me. I just don't feel comfortable with them having calluses on their feet all the time. Also, the rabbits I got are less likely to produce show colors, which means the kits that aren't proper colors will be harder to sell. I originally wanted them for the freezer only, but to be honest, I'd really like it if I could find a way to make up some of my food costs.

So, state fair is coming up, and even if I'm not quite ready to throw in the towel I want to be able to talk to some breeders at the show there about what they offer and get their contact info incase I am ready to call it on the Rex. I prefer a heritage medium or large breed (yet not giant, my cages arent big enough for them!) rabbit with a mellow temperament and a decent grow out rate. They would be for meat and to sell some kits for pets and show. I like to tan my hides, so a good coat is a must. My friend and I are always trying to bring new breeds in our area so the 4-H kids actually have a selection past NZ and Cali (not against them, but that's all we see at our county fair) and she's got the Harlequin And Silver Fox breeds covered, so I prefer something else.

Any ideas and suggestions?

 

[ottersatin]

Hello PSFAngoras,
I suggest that you give Satins a try:
They are very personable Rabbits and
they come in a vast variety of Colors.
Another breed you might like is:
American Chins! There are quite a few more
outstanding breeds to choose from but,
I'll let others suggest them.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[AmysMacdog]

Check out American Blues. Several of us on here have this heritage breed and they are great rabbits. They are a nice meat breed usually have large litters and make great mothers and are very sweet natured. They come in 2 colors, blue and white (REW).

 

[Dood]

I recommend Standard Chinchilla. They are a fur breed and should have a nice dense coat that mimics the Chinchilla rodent as close as possible.

If you want to go a big bigger there is also the American Chinchilla and the Giant.

 

[skysthelimit]

Well, I'm partial to chins, so I would say Am Chins or Standard Chins. I really do like Satins as well. The thing about rare/heritage breeds--being careful where you get them. Because the are rare/heritage, they are often hard to get, and hard to get good quality. Frosted Rabbit's been waiting on a good pair of Am chins for several years.

 

[PSFAngoras]

That's why I'm looking right now as the state fair is timed just right. It seems like that brings out most of the breeders that hide out all year round and don't advertise. I haven't seen one add for a F lop all year, but there's one breeder who only takes their stock to the fair and sells them there, they always have about 30 there for sale. (Not quite sure that is a breed I want , but they are a good example) Several other breeders do the same. If I get it right and get there the day of the show, I can hopefully get the numbers of some of the breeders that have a breed I'm interested in.<br /><br />__________ Wed Aug 14, 2013 6:29 am __________<br /><br />As far as getting good stock, I have learned to say no when I don't feel comfortable about getting a rabbit. The issues I'm having with the rex I found out after purchase. They really are nice rabbits, they just don't live up to my expectations. I dealt with too many sick and low quality angoras while getting my herd together. I won't put up with that again. I'll probably go to the show with SOP in hand to double check the ones I'm interested in to make sure they are in good standing and I will be very paranoid about every aspect if their health. At least if the breeders are there I will be able to take the rabbits out and handle them and get to feel them and see their temperament (of course, only if they allow me to, though I won't buy a rabbit I can't check out first). I've always gone after the show, and the people who watch the barn are paranoid to people lookinnat rabbits now as some idiots in the past have given the rabbits beer and killed them. If you buy a rabbit after the breeders leave, you can't handle it first. (I understand why and I agree with it, but it doesn't do me any good)

 

[skysthelimit]

I've never been to a fair before. I wouldn't not want to leave my rabbits with someone else for a whole week. I can't imagine I'd find anything there besides the usual popular breeds, Cals/NZ/Holland/Mini Rex, pretty much whatever breeds popular the region. Most Angora breeders I know don't show in the summer. I have to wait for the big fall/spring shows to get stock for Angoras.

 

[PSFAngoras]

Ya, there's almost never any angoras there, and I don't show because this is the closest show to me and I won't leave my rabbits there either. Sucks, but I work with what's around me. I guess that's why I get so ticked off when someone who lives 45 minutes complains that they like my stock, but the drive is too far. I've driven five hours ONE WAY for most of my stock. I don't see how 45 minutes is too much, but I guess they just have a Walmart mentality. They want it NOW, HERE, and CHEAP.

 

[skysthelimit]

Lol, I'm laughing because Walmart is five minute away.

Because I live in the city, everything I want is far away. TSC is 20 minutes by street, and 35 by highway. Sheep herding is 45 minutes away, and that's close in my perspective. My Rex breeder is 45 minutes away, but she's all city driving.

Lancaster, is the farthest show I've gone to, 8 hrs away, and I'v been twice, plan to go again if I can 1. get a good god, 2. be able to take off at that job, 3. get a car that will make the distance, 4. find something to show or sell, 5. get someone to watch my animals. I would go farther is my work/live schedule permitted, or if my vehicle was trustworthy. 45 minutes is the average drive to a rabbit show, or a dog show. 2 hrs one way take a bit more thinking, but that's a couple episodes of America's Test Kitchen, not to far for me.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I looked at the show catalog for the show you are referencing at the state fair. Saturday the 24th is a "Premium Show". I have never been to one of those, and don't really know what they are talking about- it says "Premium money is paid on ARBA SOP breeds", while the 25th is a "Point Show" and "Shows are reported to National Specialty Clubs for Sweepstakes Points"- which I believe is the type of show event I have always attended.

My point is that you want to attend the Fair on one of those two days- hopefully someone will enlighten us about the "Premium Show" versus the "Point Show" and the possible difference in attendance by breeders. If not, you can contact the show secretary and ask which day will be best.

If you decide beforehand which breed or breeds you are most interested in, you could also ask if it is possible to have your contact information passed on to the breeders in advance of the show so they know to bring stock to sell.

The nice thing about buying stock at a show is that you can ask a judge to evaluate prospective rabbits before purchase.

How large are your cages? Mine are 24" x 30" for my Rex does, which in my opinion are the minimum for a doe and kits, although when I was trying to find my starter stock many of the breeders recommended 24" x 24". I wish I had gone a bit larger, but I only have 12 linear feet in the BunnyBarn, and opted for 6 cages per tier per side.

I have been looking over the SOP and found a couple of slightly smaller breeds that I am considering; the Lilac calls for does to be 6-8lbs, and bucks 5 1/2 to 7lbs. The Silver Marten is another with does at 7-9 1/2lbs, bucks at 6-8 1/2lbs.

I have two Heritage breeds- Beveren and American, both in the blue varieties. Both breeds are super sweet, but have the mandolin shape as opposed to commercial type. Since they are larger than Rex, they are housed in a bank of my growout cages.

They are fairly new acquisitions, so I can't say how productive they are. I have only had one litter of Beveren, and the Americans are still Juniors.

 

[PSFAngoras]

I have 30 x 36 cages for my does, like I said, my Angora lines are huge. Momma Rue usually has a litter of 9, and by the time they're three weeks old they're packed in there like a can of sardines with 12 pound momma and all that fuzz that surrounds her.

My bucks live in 24 x 30's, but I couldn't imagine a doe with kits in one of those... My grow out cages are 24 x 30, but that's all their for, juniors.

I am really not sure what breed I want to look for at this point. I did do research for the rex before I got them, and they really are beautiful rabbits, all are amazing show conformation, even if only two of the three are show color. I just don't know why I'm so disappointed with them besides the sore hock. If it were just that, I would probably be happy to deal with it and enjoy them otherwise. I haven't completely thrown in the towel on them since they are a rabbit that TYPICALLY sells in our area, and my friend who went to the county fair said that the other rex there were down right shabby compared to my trio, but I just can't get excited over them. I even had to fight with hubby to get them. (Well, until the point where he actually tried rabbit meat, then he was all on board.) At this point I am holding on to see how well the litter I have now sells (all things considered, one has a pet home with a friend and the other has a scar from momma that will prevent her from ever hitting the show table, even though she's nearly perfect), and the litter that is due Thursday, but if they don't sell, they are all going in the freezer, parents included. That is why I am only looking at this point, and not quite willing to buy just yet. Angoras dont sell around here, so I NEED someway for the rabbits to make up costs. Funny, they never go for nearly what I paid for anything though...

__________ Wed Aug 14, 2013 12:35 pm __________
I am also much more of a hand on person, so looking in the SOP doesn't do much good for me. I like to hear what all of you suggest because you have hands on experience, so that is much more useful to me.

 

[Pepperoni]

What kind of resting boards are you giving your rex? Since hubby always has odd bits of scrap wood I just give them pieces of plywood usually. I know some people complain that their buns tend to use a solid board as a place to eliminate but I haven't had any problems with the boards getting dirty too quickly.

 

[PSFAngoras]

They have slotted resting mats, but they came with pretty severely calloused feet. The older Angora doe I got from that breeder also had calluses. I was pretty shocked when I found them since none of my Angoras have anything like that. The two 8 week old angora does from her were fine. I cant remember if she had anything in the cages for the Rex or not. I think a few cages did, but not all.

If the mats weren't slotted they certainly would be a mess though, that's the 'it' place to go pee!! I'm constantly scrubbing them down in all the cages, rex or not.<br /><br />__________ Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:30 pm __________<br /><br />So far I think the only other breed I've been as pleased with as I was my angoras was my Flemish, but my cages certainly aren't big enough for those, and there is already someone in town who breeds them. She's a crappy breeder (sells them at three weeks and for way cheaper than they should be, so I'd never get anywhere near what they're worth...) but then again, I live where very few adults care about rabbits as quality livestock and the whole 'cheap' thing wins out over quality every time. I don't even bother to advertise my rabbits in town.

 

[Pepperoni]

How about Creme d'Argent? They are hard to find but I'm sure if you found a way to get them then you'd have the market cornered. I got mine from a breeder here in MI who didn't show but used them exclusively as meat rabbits. They really never developed very good silvering, but they did grow fast and were pretty pleasant personality wise. My creme buck was a real lover, liked to be held and petted. I had to liquidate all of my buns a few years ago and I regret it a lot. Someday I'll look into getting some more of them but I'll go with a show breeder this time so they have proper color and I can show mine.

 

[PSFAngoras]

I'd love either cremes or champagnes, but those don't exist here... Like I said, mainly NZ and Cali. If I did come across some at the state fair I'd die of shock. And then promptly turn 'contemplating' selling the rex in to 'come get your free rex!!' So I'd have the cage space when I got them home

Id be proud to cornerstone that market!!<br /><br />__________ Thu Aug 15, 2013 8:48 pm __________<br /><br />UGH, okay, so my mind has been made up for me. I had a home for one of the kits (the little buck) before birth as I promised an angora kit for a friends daughter that I unfortunately had to cull. There was only two in this litter, so I listed the doe kit as a reserve status only, with a two week wait time before they can actually pick up the kit. Within 10 minutes she had a home. I'm still taking other names incase the first falls through, and for the next litter, but holy crap. I've never had one strip of interest in an angora before they're ready! So, I suppose I will just bite it and suck it up for the rabbitry. Perhaps I'll learn to love the breed as they start to pay for the costs of the angoras. I will certainly love them for that!

 

[Honorine]

I did Standard Chinchillas, they have a hyper commercial temperament, I never could just hand one off to my son. Growth rates weren't terrific, and uneven, some made 3 lbs by 10 weeks, at least a third of the litter didn't, and once in awhile you'd get a big one. I had a 'body' line and a 'fur' line, I was trying to combine them. They also had yellow fat when butchered, but it was easy to butcher them because of their lousy temperament. Pet sales of them were always slow. I also did Lilacs, nice temps, pretty rabbits, problems with heat, and hard to keep flesh condition in winter, they ate a lot in the cold. Growth rates weren't exceptional. Creme d' Argents were a fun breed, friendly, never liked being picked up, definitely eye candy, pretty good growth rates. Pals are sweet, calm and pretty, growth rates are good, conformation can be all over like the Cremes. My personal fav has always been Florida Whites, excellant growth rates, very good mothers, thrifty, awesome bodies, downright cute as babies, easy to sell as pets. They gain weight and hold it, their healthy and fertile, and they eat a lot less than other same size breeds. Temperament is active and curious, some have complained about them having a commercial temp, mine don't. Or you could get some more correct color Rexes, and work on it from there. Standard Rexes are getting rare in many parts of the country.

 

[PSFAngoras]

Lots of info, thank you! I will keep what I have for the Rex at the moment since they are selling like hot cakes. Whatever my personal preference is with them, if they sell and bring money into the rabbitry, they've earned their keep. Again on the health/heat issues though, the doe that kindled 5 weeks ago looks like she's got a ******l infection. not happy with sick rabbits. Not 100% that's what it it, but she will be closely monitored the next few days to see how it goes. She may go to FC anyway. Bummer as she's the more show typey one.