Do you try to control competition in your area?

[ckcs]

I want to bring english lops in our area. Can't find any around me within 300 miles. Once I get my breeding stocks and have rabbit ready, I want to make it difficult for would be breeders to get a pair. One possibility would be to sell the does and bucks at separate tracker supply swaps. What are some other ideas?

 

[Zass]

eh?
I love it when there are other breeders near by.
We generally keep really close, trade stock and advice, alert each other when we know someone has something really good for sale. Seems like breeders buy more rabbits from me than anyone else. They still need fresh breeding stock, after all, just like I do.

To try and be a bit more helpful answering your question though,
I've seen people selling rabbits with a no-breeding contract, but I don't know how well they actually work.

 

[phillinley]

eh?
I love it when there are other breeders near by.

Yea same here. I'm actual looking for techniques to bring more competition to my area for Lilacs.

 

[Bad Habit]

If you don't want competition, then you should only sell one gender and cull the other.

However, law of averages says that as soon as you get stock, someone else will as well.

I personally love the "competition", as they are quicker to want stock from me.

 

[ckcs]

I figure I'd sell bucks at one location and does and another. I realized other will be breeding in my area but I would like to enjoy competition free selling long enough to pay for start up cost.

 

[Sinnfox]

I agree with the only sure method to control competition be to only sell one gender and cull all the of the other gender(so you can honestly state you don't have any of the other gender available currently)...well the only way that isn't completely underhanded that I can think of anyway...since you could always have people go to both swaps you go to and end up with both genders from you. ..heck I'm pretty sure there is a breeder in my area controlling competition underhandedly by selling contagious rabbits. Since I got one from her she told me to pair with my best buck as soon as I could ..people like her you have to watch out for...since if you want to minimize competition odds are others will to, and some won't be as nice as just not selling both genders. Heck some people want rare rabbits without going to the trouble you did to get them...and might get offended by not being able to get stock from you now that they don't take as much work to get just to compete with you...those same people could try causing all kinds of trouble so be careful

 

[Dood]

English Lops are a niche market, they aren't popular for a reason

The ears are a royal PITA and completely impractical. Their large size is also a minus as they eat more, poop more and need bigger cages.

I wouldn't worry too much about competition but yeah, only sell the bucks and keep/cull the does.

 

[Prisma]

You should be wanting MORE competition in the area not less. I highly suggest you rethink if you are wanting to do show rabbits, while some do follow that practice I can't see how its ethical OR helping promote and better the breed. I have had EL in the past, wonderful breed, BUT they do require a good bit of care and can definitely be a PITA. It is better to have 50 EL breeders near you, competing at shows, rather than 0. You can't get legs, you can't add stock easily, it just doesn't work. To get started, some thing decent is going to run you for a pair of over 400. If you had breeders nearby, wouldn't be so bad. Been there done that. They should be approached just as the others, breed and work with only the best you can afford and keep/breed only the best from your litters. Sell some for pets that aren't close to the SOP, sell some that are to the SOP for broods, or eat the ones you don't want or can't to sell.

 

[dangerbunny]

Sorry to sound pessimistic but I doubt you are going to have people beating down your door for the rabbits, also I think it is weird you want a monopoly. Although if you only have a pair or two people aren't going to buy littermates for breeding pairs anyway.

I live in an area where it is very easy to get nice rabbits of both breeds I have and there are some great breeders who show a lot in the same state. That has made it easy for me to get nice rabbits for my little rabbitry and the breeders have been a wonderful sources for improving the breeds.

 

[Secuono]

I don't think you guys have the same crappy type of market that we have here in VA.
People get the same breeds you got from far away States, they breed willy nilly and sell for cheap.
Very few people want to spend money and worry about quality. They just want the new breed or w/e breed for as cheap as possible.
SF are now $35 for blacks! Last year they were $50, even blue and chocolate which were $80 are now being sold at $50! No one can compete with this, they are dropping prices to sell fast and could care less about quality or even breeding for their own meat.
VA is full of people who breed for $$$$, everything else gets tossed to the wayside. It's disgusting, pathetic and impossible to compete with.

It's why there's no point in me getting NZR, Rex, anything at all. There's now some cruddy NZR for dirt cheap, bad color, small parents, small and slow growing kits for sale in a couple places.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are some wonderful people here that do care and have great animals of quality that are trying not to drop prices or don't even bother selling to people who want a cheap rabbit. I'm no longer actively trying to sell mine, either. Not worth the hassle of dealing with cheapscapes.

I agree with only selling one gender, keep all the does [or bucks] for a year, two years, before you start allowing the market to have them. Force them to drive the distance for quality.

BTW, ckcs, you're Lionheads have amazing personalities! Beats most of the ones I keep seeing and running into. They aren't shy or aggressive, they are bold and still very friendly.

 

[Bad Habit]

Hey, for what it's worth, I have a trio of velveteens, paid 450 to import them, then found out someone 45 mins away imported them from the same person as me .

I had the sr doe bred before she was sent, and of the 2 kits I had for sale, the other new breeder bought one and found a buyer for the other. She's also offered to let me use one of her bucks to cover my doe(my buck isn't ready to breed yet) in exchange for one of the kits, and asked that I show her any sales rabbits before I post them for sale, as she might want them.

Close competition can be a great thing!

 

[bobqdevon]

In all the searching we have done, I am the only one around for at least 30 miles. I have yet to find another rabbit breeder "in the area". I actually wish I had someone else in the area. Be nice to have someone with bunnies to visit.

 

[Dood]

It's why there's no point in me getting NZR, Rex, anything at all. There's now some cruddy NZR for dirt cheap, bad color, small parents, small and slow growing kits for sale in a couple places.

if your clientele dont care about quality there is nothing you can do about it.

If the locals can get rabbits for dirt cheap what are the chances you'll have buyers willing to pay $$$ for a pet rabbit at "tracker supply swaps"

 

[skysthelimit]

True enough. The only people for me to sell to are other breeders, so i breed for them and for myself.

 

[phillinley]

It's why there's no point in me getting NZR, Rex, anything at all. There's now some cruddy NZR for dirt cheap, bad color, small parents, small and slow growing kits for sale in a couple places.

If the locals can get rabbits for dirt cheap what are the chances you'll have buyers willing to pay $$$ for a pet rabbit at "tracker supply swaps"

Yea, that's why you should get the breed you want, not get the breed you think you can make money off of. Because 99% of the time, you're not going to make money at it. Grumpy is probably the only person on here who makes a modest profit and he has a bunch of rabbits a big setup and a common breed.

 

[Zass]

Here, the sale of pet rabbits is totally dominated by people who get two cute pets for their kids, let them breed, and give the kits away for free or next to nothing. Lion-lop anyone? Holland dwarf?
ha
All other types are pretty much purchased by breeders and those who show.

You want a pet type, try V-lops instead of English. They are smaller, their ears generally aren't as long (perhaps because of breed inconsistency, but I don't mind at all!). They might sell better to the pet-only market.

 

[ilovehome]

No, I don't try to control the competition. I enjoy seeing other people succeed, especially if it is with a rabbit I sold them. I wish there was more competition. I just sold some elops locally and I am very happy about it! Hope to see them on the table soon.

I'm surprised you have so few in Va. I just sent three to a breeder in DC and he has been raising vlops and elops for a while.

By the way, the type and ears on the elops has improved substantially the past few years, so I've been told. They don't tear like they used to, and are not much harder to care for the other buns.

 

[Dood]

By the way, the type and ears on the elops has improved substantially the past few years, so I've been told. They don't tear like they used to, and are not much harder to care for the other buns.

Good to know I had mine in the early 80's and we had to be very careful with letting her loose and keeping her nails trimmed and/or coated in glue or she'd shred them and bleed all over. Actually for a few months she had hockey tape lining her ears as she had a bad rip that wouldn't heal. Her personalty was AMAZING but I would never get another for these reasons.

 

[DogCatMom]

By the way, the type and ears on the elops has improved substantially the past few years, so I've been told. They don't tear like they used to, and are not much harder to care for the other buns.

Good to know I had mine in the early 80's and we had to be very careful with letting her loose and keeping her nails trimmed and/or coated in glue or she'd shred them and bleed all over. Actually for a few months she had hockey tape lining her ears as she had a bad rip that wouldn't heal. Her personalty was AMAZING but I would never get another for these reasons.

Wow. Does anyone know whether "Soft Paws" (originally developed for use on cats) work on rabbits, esp. English Lops? I've never used these on my cats, but I make sure to trim kitty nails every weekend.

 

[Dood]

They wouldn't fit properly on a rabbit as the shape is completely different, and much smaller.

The glue was my moms idea, we used nail glue for press on nails, I'm not sure if the stuff is still available now a days