How much is a Herd Buck?

[ZachsRabbits]

Since I have started Jersey Woolies two weeks ago and with PASRBA coming up in Feb I have started to look for a herd buck. I inquired about two REW bucks here what's I got.
Herd Buck #1 is a buck out of JW Nationals and Convention winning REW line, looks nice, constantly outproduces himself and is younger.

Herd buck # 2 is a proven herd buck 3 yrs old and constantly outproduces himself and is out of ok lines but is the foundation of a very nice REW line.

Both are priced at $200 are any bucks worth that.
What is the bucks never produce for me? are some my concerns
Thoughts and Opinions please?

 

[ladysown]

I don't know if that is out of line, but unless the owner has a great health guarantee, to me no rabbit is worth $200 as the stress of moving a rabbit from one home to another can be enough to kill some of them.

Just not worth it. For $50 I might take the risk depending on the age of the rabbit... but not more than that.

 

[Zass]

:yeahthat: Some Flemish giants and English angora run that high, but from my experience, Jersey Woolies are usually a bit less pricy.

Outproduces themselves??? Seem like the person selling is saying "Don't mind these bad traits, his offspring will be better.."

If that's the case, and the bucks really are good producers, there should be plenty of these better offspring to sell.

My experience with rabbits has been that higher priced animals tend to be less productive and harder to breed. Rabbits that make lots of healthy and typey offspring tend to saturate the market and drive their own prices down.

 

[Dood]

They may be worth it but I would never pay that much for such a delicate species of animal as that $200 might end up buried in the backyard if the rabbit comes down with something in or after quarantine and needs to be euthanized.

 

[AprilW]

I am friends with the BOB convention JW winner of this year as well as his breeder. Some of her stock sells easily for $100-$300 each. I once paid $100 for a very nice Netherland Dwarf buck who produced well for me. My best Harlequin buck, my current breed, I paid $60 for and have 4 of his daughters in my herd right now. Pricing really depends on the success of the breeder, the individual rabbit, and how popular the breed is in your area.

Before spending that much on a rabbit, you need to decide how serious you want to be. If you are a casual exhibitor or want to breed for pets, then no I wouldn't spend that much. You could get a nice buck for $50-$75. Just because you pay more does not mean you are getting more. You need to know your breed and what is desirable. In addition, research the breeder. It usually isn't difficult to find out an exhibitor's reputation by asking others in the breed. What lines is the buck out of? Can you see some of the "superior" offspring he's produced? If he is such a good producer, the breeder should have kept back several of his offspring that they can show you. Then look at the buck himself. Get second and third opinions from judges and experienced JW breeders.

There is no guarantee a buck will produce or that he will be healthy. Most breeders I know don't offer guarantees even on expensive rabbits. It's a risk some people are willing to take. If you are uncomfortable with the price, the breeder, the risk, or you don't particularly like the buck I would not spend that much.

 

[Random Rabbit]

A quick response is... "a rabbit ( or any animal for that matter) is only worth what You are willing to spend for it."

Many Jersey Woolies of Nice quality are pricey. ( of course some lesser quality are pricey as well ) A Proven animal would have youngsters that show as well if not better than the parent. If the breeder asks a stiff price... that is what it would take to get them to sell it.

Yes... rabbits are fragile... and it bites to lose one that You are planning on improving Your herd with. But that can happen... even with a home-bred that is so promising ! There just isn't the financial loss with a home-bred.

There are animals from Consistent breeders that i willingly would spend the $$$ on. The improvement in the herd can be dramatic.

Only You can decide if the benefits / risks are worth it.

Good luck !! We hope to go to PaSRBA... but for us the weather is the big factor...Maybe This year it will work out.

 

[ZachsRabbits]

Buck # 2 I like him best.[album]3471[/album]

Current Foundation Doe

[album]3475[/album]

Daughters of the buck.
[album]3474[/album][album]3473[/album][album]3472[/album].

I think he could improve my herd greatly but is he worth the price?

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Personally I spend $50 min for my breeding rabbits. I've gotten nothing good for cheaper. $100 is pretty normal spending range. I recently spent $250 total - not including the cost of gas to go get him 6 hours away, or the hotel - on a jersey wooly buck to ship him up from Washington.


The pictures of the second buck isnt very good. I'd ask for better ones, where they're properly posed & taken from a good angle.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I bought a Rex doe at Convention for $175, so my answer would be yes, $200 for a good buck is not out of line.

However, you never know how lines will cross with one another, so if possible I would try to get a related doe as well.

 

[AprilW]

Only you can decide if he is worth that price. It looks like a nice buck. Again, I would ask to see him in person before committing. Seeing in person is much easier to evaluate than pictures.

 

[Random Rabbit]

the #2 buck seems to have a nice high head set... The daughters look very nice as well.
Looks as tho he would help with the foundation doe's head set.
Do You have pictures of the #1 buck for comparison ??

Edited to add..... If You can hold off until PaSRBA and get Your hands On the rabbits You are considering... that would be to Your benefit .
Also... there will be a Huge buy/sell frenzy that goes on there as most people will be looking for stock for Many reasons.

 

[ZachsRabbits]

This is the other buck's offspring and grandson. [album]3478[/album][album]3477[/album][album]3476[/album].
I don't have a picture of the but he can be seen here. He is a GC RH's Playboy. http://www.freewebs.com/rollinghillsrabbitry/selfbucks.htm <br /><br /> __________ Mon Jan 04, 2016 5:03 pm __________ <br /><br /> [album]3479[/album].
This is another I am considering. Nice lines and priced reasonably at 75.

 

[Random Rabbit]

i Am familiar with the Rolling Hills Jersey Woolies
Beautiful rabbits !!!
Playboy stamps his youngsters with Good traits.

That last one You posted is nice as well.

REWs are among my favorites. ( didn't used to be ...but they have grown on me as we have the JWs)

 

[wamplercathy]

Could you take your doe to him and offer a stud fee?

Of course that opens you up to disease. But could save you a little.
I took my stubborn doe back to the breeder to get her breed. Not that it worked out for me, doe refused to lift, but was worth the trip anyways.

Just a thought,
Cathy

 

[TF3]

Gosh, only you can decide.
I paid $90 for my Rex buck (8 months, proven), and due to this and that (no fault of his) I have only a litter of mutts from him 6 months later.
I would consider it for a buck over a doe, but even then, I'd want to see a long line of good stuff across the board from the breeder.

 

[Zass]

Nothing beats another breeder's recommendation.

Most breeders will not allow their rabbits to be studded out, because it exposes the buck, and potentially the owner's herd if quarantine isn't maintained.
I've done it, but only so far as taking does back to the rabbtiry they were born in. That is more risk than some would take.

 

[3mina]

I brought a Rex buck back from Convention that I paid $300 for. I was extremely fortunate that he came through quarantine and he's produced a few litters already. :cheer2: :cheer1:

I doubt he would've been that price if I hadn't bought him at Convention though.
He comes from a breeder that is behind most of my stock and he's got things that my herd needs improvement on. However, I was completely prepared to cull him immediately if he so much as twitched because my herd is worth more than that single rabbit.

The ironic thing is that I discovered a 'new' colour while I was in Portland and he is no help at all in that department. *sigh*

 

[skysthelimit]

I have a spending cap. some of the pricey stuff died quickly or failed to reproduce. Now i only get my stuff from the same breeders but still I don't go much above that cap.

I'd love to get my hands on muffin bite or offspring, but that's way out of my price range.

 

[fhjmom]

I would much rather spend more for one/few higher quality rabbits than spend the same amount to get more quantity and lesser quality. Yes, we have spent that much on a single rabbit from a very well-known, nationally winning breeder, but we have also gotten stock that is just as nice from lesser known breeders for less cost. I guess what I am saying is that you don't have to spend that much to get a nice herd buck but it isn't unreasonable to spend that much either. It also helps to sell the off-spring sometimes if people know your lines have certain well-known lines behind them, if you are producing nice babies.