Favorite reasons for keeping rabbits?

[funnies50]

One evening I decided to try something. I sat on the bench, poured a little pile of milo on top of each shoe, then filled both hands with milo and bent over, holding my hands about a foot off the ground. Within minutes the cottontails started gathering. I used to have a photo my wife took... Seven cottontails eating, some off my shoes, some standing on their hind legs with their paws on my hands and arms as they all ate. And these were WILD rabbits. That was a hoot!!

Thanks for reminding me of that funnies50!

Haha, np. I didn't think wild rabbits would come so close to humans!!

 

[rtower]

Haha, np. I didn't think wild rabbits would come so close to humans!!

funnies50, I think the reason they did is because we were so far away from any sort of "civilization" the cottontails hadn't had any exposure at all to people. They just didn't know to be afraid. Our property is in the middle of about 180,000 acres of government-owned grasslands and, at that time, there was just nothing out here but us.

However, my Mother and younger sister live in town and this year they have cottontails in their fenced-in yard! Apparently there's some kind of local cottontail "explosion" in their little town of around 1,100 people. My Mother has commented several times how she'll walk within four or five feet of one of those rabbits and it will just sit and watch her walk by.

 

[Easy Ears]

Profitable, Cute, adorable, fluffy, cute, cuddly, fuzzy, cute, fun to watch, beautiful, and did I mention cute? :lol:
I like what katiebear said about bunny therapy! <3 AND THE BABIES! Nothing can compare to the cuteness of a baby rabbit! Talk about CUTENESS OVERLOAD!!!!!

 

[HansenHomestead]

My husband, and I had always talked about homesteading when we bought a house. He used to work on his Grandfathers horse ranch, and I grew up raising livestock with my grandparents, and wanted to raise our daughter the same.

When we bought our house 2 years ago we got chickens, and 3 gardens. We had always talked about wanting rabbits for meat, but didn't know where to start, and didn't have the time, at the time with all the other projects we were working on. So last month our neighbor told us he knew a lady that had rabbits, and we were all over it in heartbeat. Building hutches, buying 6 rabbits, lol.

We have our rabbits for meat right now, and once we can find more cages at a decent price I want to get a few different breeds, and start showing.

 

[DBA]

Becca, watch Craigslist closely for cages over the next month or two. As 4H fairs are ending, a lot of kids will be liquidating. I am now seeing that some of these kids want to show rabbits in 4H, so they buy a rabbit, buy a cage, etc. After the fair is over they don't want to mess with it any more so they sell their rabbits cheap, and if they decide to not show rabbits next year, they will be selling their cages too.
Otherwise, I know a super cool guy, with awesome rabbits who also builds cages.....

 

[funnies50]

Our property is in the middle of about 180,000 acres of government-owned grasslands and, at that time, there was just nothing out here but us.

Wow. :shock:

Profitable, Cute, adorable, fluffy, cute, cuddly, fuzzy, cute, fun to watch, beautiful, and did I mention cute? :lol:
I like what katiebear said about bunny therapy! <3 AND THE BABIES! Nothing can compare to the cuteness of a baby rabbit! Talk about CUTENESS OVERLOAD!!!!!

:yeahthat:

 

[Preitler]

Well, for me the Rabbits are therapy. I've some inherited issues with depressions and listlesness, after a little breakdown some years ago I got a medical therapy that wasn't working, and I had no intention or energy to be subject for a long try-and-error treatment with lots of side effects like lifelong dependency on drugs.

So I needed some reason to get up in the morning and not just keep staring at the ceiling til noon. I always wanted animals, but I have not enough time for a dog and a cat simply wouldn't do it. My grandparents had meat rabbits, and after I harvested :roll: 2 wild rabbits in my garden I thought since I love beeing outdoors that raising my own meat buns would be a good idea.

Well, it works, they keep me occupied and going and give so much in return, they are so much more than lifestock (which is kind of a problem sometimes :? ). I simply need something to care for to be happy and unlike a dog rabbits aren't too dependent on me and live their own lives.

Got rid of my TV too, rabbits are better

 

[imajpm]

I agree with rabbit therapy. I love having my morning coffee with the bunnies. I find myself sitting with them at various times of the day. So calming I just enjoy bunnies in general. I like rabbit meat and I like that I can raise happy bunnies and feel that I respect them more for feeding the family. I have angora, Satin, and NZW. The NZW pay the bills, the angora give me lovely wool, and the Satin's were originally for show and sales but they have so much wonky un-showable colors in them that they ended up my personal meat producers. They also are loaded with nice personalities and have the official entertainment positions too.

I guess I just love how versatile rabbits are, and how many different functions they can serve.