How difficult is it to find buyers for kits ?

[HOWsMom]

**IF** Bug4H gets a Dutch pair, and was inclined to breed them once or twice a year, how difficult do you experienced people think it would be for her to find homes for the kits ?

Dutch is not a popular breed to find locally at all, I don't know if that would be making it easier or more difficult ?

**** This is PURELY hypothetical at this time - we have ZERO plans for breeding as things are right now *****

 

[Dood]

IMHO the rabbit market in Southern Ontario is already flooded with free or low cost rabbits

http://m.kijiji.ca/pets/ontario/free-ra ... ionId=9004

http://m.kijiji.ca/pets/ontario/rabbit- ... axPrice=30

At least 30% of people who contact me from my Mini Lop ads will ask if a cage is included and/or if the rabbit is already spayed or neutered :shock:

Another 30% want a rabbit, any rabbit, NOW and are not interested in waiting for a litter

I only breed if I've got 3 or more people on a reservation list and in the last litter every one of them bailed on me so I had no homes pre-arranged for any of the kits - I now ask for a deposit to be put on my waiting list but so far no takers :roll:

If you don't want to become bitter towards the pet buying public I suggest you don't expect too much from buyers and be prepared to be the forever home for any kits you produce or euthanize them

 

[ladysown]

It's really hard to tell you.

I know that I don't tend to have problems finding homes for all the rabbits that i want to.

I also know that I have an outlet for any that don't find homes...either in my "I'm going to eat you freezer" or in the "some critters going to eat your freezer".

I am close to two big cities and only two hours from Toronto... to which I sell an amazing amount of animals to considering the distance it takes to get there.

if rabbits tend to go cheap where you are, expect them to sell cheap unless you can "sell well" the product that you produce. If you don't have an alternative outlet for your bunnies (pet store, your freezer etc) then don't breed what you can't house.

 

[Susie570]

Yup, it varies by different areas, but your best bet for selling kits is Easter, unfortunately (and then you have all of the irresponsible people who just want a cute bunny for their little kid, cheap).

If you sell to SHOW breeders, you have to have quality show stock. That means, actually showing (and doing well), then producing kits good enough for breeders to want to buy them. 4-H kids will sometimes buy show stock.

Ultimately, you have to be willing to eat your 'culls', or be swimming in rabbits.

Since we just got 3 (good sized) litters in the last few days, we had a 'conversation' with my son a couple of days ago. We've talked to him about potentially eating rabbits before, but we wanted him to understand that with 19 kits (total), it's very likely we will end up having to send a good portion of them to 'freezer camp'. He was not pleased with this idea, but I just wanted to put it out there right up front.

I also want to solidify it in MY mind... because it's hard for me to designate bunnies for dinner.

 

[Easy Ears]

I've found it just really depends.
Some factors include:

-Price (How much you are selling them for)
-Location
-How you advertise
-Demand (If others are looking for the breed)
-Supply (If there are already a lot of suppliers of the breed)

Location is a huge factor. I live where rabbits are in high demand and there are no rabbit shelters near. I am the only one within a 3 hour drive in any direction that I know of who raises/breeds Dutch. So those who are seeking Dutch in my area often find their way to my rabbitry. (I personally have never had a problem selling rabbits, and even take in free rabbits who people need gone quickly, and resell them to the best home I can find.)
If there are a lot of people selling a certain breed in your area it may be harder to sell, if others have a lower price etc.

I've found that raising my price has eliminated unwanted buyers. For example, I started out $25 each, and had to weed through uncommitted people. I have since then raised the price to $35 a kit, which has helped to gain the interest of only serious buyers.

I have a website, but craigslist is my main source of rabbit ad sales. If you are posting on craigslist, or anywhere for that matter, a very important part is to make sure you have good quality pictures of the rabbit or rabbits you are trying to sell. This is a key factor! If you just have "Text for pictures" a lot of people will find it not worth the time and waiting, and will move on to other posts, or even blurry or unfocused pictures can throw people off. Good pictures are important, as well as quick contact.

 

[Zass]

The pet market is touch and go, and there are TONS of people who seem to think a rabbit is nothing but a disposable toy for small children.

I strongly recommend breeding only the best and keeping your prices up.
That tends to attract more committed buyers, and less of the "disposable toy" crowd, but...You run the risk of rabbits not selling at all.

I personally feel it's kinder to euthanize a rabbit then sell it for $5 or $10 to someone who's going to let their child feed it iceberg lettuce and carrots until it dies of GI problems...

I AM a bit bitter on pet buyers though.
I've had someone kill rabbits I sold as pets with pure neglect (leaving them outside, alone, in a dog crate, on the lawn of an uninhabited property), and then have the audacity to contact me, describe the situation, and then ask for more RABBITS. :evil:

I've seen rabbits I've sold posted for sale when the buyer gets bored of them.

Someone else had their children release them and they were breeding on the lawn..by the highway..
Etc. etc.

 

[TF3]

Great topic!
With out first Holland Lop litter on the way, this is timely.
I am having anxiety about this because I have all the concerns noted above, not to mention culling sweet healthy little lops!

If I were to send them to the freezer-- for snakes they could be whole, but dogs would they need to be skinned etc?

 

[Susie570]

another option, which is very appealing to me (and, believe, was suggested by someone here) is to send culls to a local raptor or wildlife rehab center. They generally want them whole, frozen and any size/age is welcome. I haven't do e it yet, but I've got it lined up for when if I need to.

 

[skysthelimit]

but dogs would they need to be skinned etc?

I feed my dogs whole, fur on rabbits.

I only skin them when I want the pelt, usually when i cull older rabbits.

Rabbits don't sell much here. CL is a crap shoot. Nothing sells much here, everyone wants things cheap or free (someone just emailed me looking for a pure german shepherd for only $100 :angry: )

People want rabbit meat more than they want rabbits.

Show sells are the best outlet for my buns, but mostly they are dog dinner.

 

[Marinea]

I believe, like others, that there are two main factors- local market and how well you sell. The market you have no control over, so you really have to do your homework. Where we live, pet rabbits are popular, but only one type- lops. They sell well, but cheaply. We sell meat rabbits, and they sell very well. We started out with lionheads, changed to Dutch, and now raise New Zealands. For our own needs, but also because researching the market told us that NZ would do the best here.

How well you sell/advertise IS up to you. Again, you need to do your research. We have tried the local newspaper, flyers at local businesses where rabbits would be of interest, and going to local flea markets with a large amount of animal sales. What we have found works the best for us is a combination of Craigslist and flea markets. I put up an ad on Craigslist a few days before the weekend flea market giving all the rabbit info and state in the ad that they will be for sale at the market on X day. I usually get calls and even make some sales before that day even hits.

If you decide on a Craigslist type ad, the info you provide and how you put it together can make a world of difference. An ad saying "babby rabbits for sale" with no pictures or details won't get you much. A well worded, detailed ad with good pictures can make all the difference. With our latest litters, I decided to test the water. I doubled the price we charged for kits, and spent a lot more time putting together the ad, giving a lot more detail and description. I was a bit worried, because the kits were a little late for the "buying" season here, but of 23 kits, we sold 19. Not one question on our new price.

Know your market before you get started, and learn how to market what you have.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

I sell my rabbits for ~$50. They sell well, they sell fast. If I don't take down my ad I always have offers even weeks after I put it up.

These are holland lops. I am looking into my first litter of jerseys woollies. I already have somebody who is interested, and someone who is interested if I get any darker or chinchilla like colors.

 

[HOWsMom]

Thank you everyone !

As I said, this is something for WAY down the road - not now. I was just curious