Yeah!
I wish I knew more about colors so I knew which colors will keep it exciting. That’s why I like the fun colors because it keeps it interesting.
But really my priority is meat and I’m hoping to sell 2 out of each litter to “pay for the work” lol will we ever get into the black on expenses?
There's a great primer on rabbit coat color genetics called
ABC - About Bunny Colors by Ellyn Eddy. You can find it here:
https://www.allthingsbunnies.com/ABC-About-Bunny-Colors-p/bks107.htm
and here:
https://rabbitsmarties.com/product/rabbit-color-genetics-book
It starts with the basics of how Mendelian inheritance works, then works through the five major gene series that produce rabbit coat colors, plus several additional gene series (Dutch, Vienna, Silver, etc.). I like having it in print, so I am not at the mercy of computer glitches, internet connection issues, etc. I also like to know enough to do the computations myself, rather than have an algorithm do them for me.
All of my animals have to pay for themselves, at a minimum, but I admit that at certain times every year I am in briefly the red. I keep pretty detailed records of expenses and income, and I sell bunnies, breeding stock, collect premiums from showing at the Fair, and sell bunny manure for gardens (which keeps me in the black during the early spring and late fall, when I don't have bunnies to sell yet, or don't have any left to sell). You
can operate in the black with rabbits, but you might need to be patient, and may not be able to have everything just the way you want it, at least for a while.
Alaska is a tremendously small market for purebred rabbits, but several of us still manage to keep afloat. I do talks at homesteading expos and 4-H and FFA clinics about raising meat rabbits in AK, rabbit genetics, and showing rabbits, which helps generate interest. In the Lower 48 the rabbit-interested population is much bigger. Try to suss out the market and maybe find a niche you can fill (nice-tempered pets, popular breeds or colors, meat breeders, pet food...?)
Attending farmer's markets with your rabbits (even if you don't sell them there) can also spark interest among potential buyers. Having some attractive flyers to hand out, listing the pros of rabbit raising, can be helpful. I do use craigslist occasionally (no Facebook for me, thanks), but I rely a lot more on word-of-mouth and old-fashioned in-person contact. I find that I'm happier with the destinations for my rabbits that way, ad I usually have a waiting list for my rabbits.
