How to purchase rabbits

[ruralnurse]

Not sure where to put this or if it is already someplace

I have tried to search this forum for this but did not find it. I would think that with all the amazing experience on this forum there could be a thread specifically on "How to purchase rabbits".

I (like lots of others that come here I m sure) are in the process of getting ready to purchase. There are so many things that would be helpful to know. Perhaps some of you have made mistakes that others could learn from. And much of the info and advice you experienced folks would have could be used if it is a person looking to buy a pet for a child, wanting to get into 4H, to buy rabbits to start to show or to get some meat rabbits.

If there is a thread please direct me. If not, maybe one could be started. I am sure there are a million tips from different points of view that would be so helpful.

As a person wanting to purchase rabbits for eventual meat some of my questions:

Is it best to purchase all initial stock from the same breeder?

Should one try to get unrelated rabbits from different breeders?

Should I start with adults? Should they be proven? If I'm not in a hurry is it better to start with youngsters?

Should I consider paying more for a pregnant female (meaning how likely would she be to lose her litter in the stress of the move)?

What to look for in a healthy adult? Healthy younger rabbit?

How long to quarantine?

If I get a buck and a doe from the some breeder (and they don't need quarantined from each other) how long should I wait before I breed them?

What is the youngest I would take from a breeder? The oldest?

What are good questions to ask the breeder?

For breeders that allow you into the rabbitry (I know some don't), what to look for and what to be concerned about if I see?

I am sure there are a lot of other good questions I have missed.

If I were your sister and wanted to start in rabbits what advice would you give me specifically related to purchase of new stock?

Thanks and please move this if it is in the wrong place.

 

[Ramjet]

Is it best to purchase all initial stock from the same breeder?

Yes , I'd get them all from the same breeder , no need to quarantine then.

Should one try to get unrelated rabbits from different breeders?

No , lots of complications here , starting with quarantine periods and unrelated stock is over rated. Related stock , so long as it is free from genetic disorders is the way to go.
The more genes in the pool , the more potential for problems ...

Should I start with adults? Should they be proven? If I'm not in a hurry is it better to start with youngsters?

Start with juniors.
Breeders don't sell quality adults .... too much time and effort for no return , more often than not you buy an adult , its someone else's headache.

Should I consider paying more for a pregnant female (meaning how likely would she be to lose her litter in the stress of the move)?

Be patient , start with juniors - see above.

What to look for in a healthy adult? Healthy younger rabbit?

Clean cages , water & food.

No snot or sneezing anywhere in the rabbitry.

Check the alignment of the teeth and for pinched hips - back feet should be parallel , not angled when you flip them over.

Make sure their eyes are clean and clear.

Check ears for signs of ear mites , check the fur for dandruff that moves (fur mites).

Look at adults checking for sore hocks which are generally genetic in they don't have enough fur on their feet - Rusty cages can cause it too as the surface is rough , almost like sand paper.

How long to quarantine?

If you get them all from the same breeder .... no need to do so. Otherwise at least 30 days.

If I get a buck and a doe from the some breeder (and they don't need quarantined from each other) how long should I wait before I breed them?

I'd give them a few days at the least just to be sure there are no complications from the move , and especially changes to feed. If they show no signs of stress in a week or so and they are mature .... any time she will cooperate.

What is the youngest I would take from a breeder? The oldest?

Youngest - 8 weeks. Oldest .... most breeders don't keep rabbits they don't intend for themselves beyond 12-14 weeks which is just prior to breeding age.

What are good questions to ask the breeder?

Probably the biggest one is what / how they feed .... changing their feed can really cause them a lot of problems.

For breeders that allow you into the rabbitry (I know some don't), what to look for and what to be concerned about if I see?

Any dirty , sickly looking critters , sneezing , snot , filthy cages , dirty water , dirty feed / hay or resting boards with waste on them .... Run away.

If I were your sister and wanted to start in rabbits what advice would you give me specifically related to purchase of new stock?

Its so much easier to start with related stock from a reputable breeder .... be patient and start with juniors between 8-14 weeks.
Don't over do it .... start small. A trio to begin with , if you decide you want to expand you'll have plenty to choose from in short order.

 

[Marinea]

My personal perspective (advice I would give to my "sister"):

For me, it would start with the knowledge that the rabbits one starts with are very likely not to be the ones you end up raising. Call them training rabbits, or practice rabbits, or the rabbits you found before you found THOSE rabbits. I have been through three breeds so far, myself. And am contemplating switching to a fourth.

Knowing that, I would suggest she start small- a single breeding trio. I would suggest she get a younger trio of unrelated buns from a single breeder. This allows the buns to be quarantined together, and allows my sister to learn the rabbits' behaviors and activities as they mature.

That would be my general advice. As to specifics, I can tell you what I like to be questioned about as a breeder by a prospective buyer. I like them to touch the rabbit- feel their bodies, look at their ears, feet, teeth, genitals. I like them to look at the parents, look at cage conditions. I like them to ask questions about feed, any health issues, breeding success, litter sizes, grow out weights.

As a breeder, I never sell kits younger than eight weeks of age. I always recommend a quarantine period of at least 30 days (if they have other rabbits already or are getting more from another breeder), and I always provide some of the current feed so they can transition to new feed slowly.

Personally, we fell into raising rabbits by being given two "male" adult lionheads. They turned out to be a male and a female, and we found out when we had kits one day. I think our learning curve would have gone smoother if we had started with youngsters, properly sexed, and prepared for eventual breeding after a season of raising them.

Lastly, if you know anyone who raises rabbits, or even if you are close to one of the RT members, I would recommend you bring a rabbit raiser with you when you go to look at possible rabbits. It is easy to be caught up in the moment and the cuteness, and another pair of experienced eyes can do nothing but help.

Good luck!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I would think that with all the amazing experience on this forum there could be a thread specifically on "How to purchase rabbits".

Great idea! I think you have just created it! :mrgreen:

If there is a thread please direct me.

We have a thread on things to consider prior to purchasing- focusing mostly on housing and equipment- but none specifically on purchasing the rabbits themselves, as far as I know.

post132987.html

Is it best to purchase all initial stock from the same breeder?

Yes. If you want consistency in type, linebred rabbits are best.

In addition, herds have immunity to certain diseases and they all carry something- so bringing rabbits in from other barns carries the risk that they will expose one another to diseases that they are not bred to be immune to.

Should I start with adults? Should they be proven? If I'm not in a hurry is it better to start with youngsters?

Proven animals sometimes will not produce as well in another location.

Additionally, no one is going to sell their best production animals- they are either moving them on because they have out produced themselves or they have not performed as well as expected. This doesn't necessarily mean that you will get inferior stock- you might be getting fabulous starter animals from a top breeder that simply has better stock that is up an coming.

If I'm not in a hurry is it better to start with youngsters?

Yes. That will give you time to get into a care routine and allow the rabbits to acclimate to your situation and feeding protocol.

Should I consider paying more for a pregnant female (meaning how likely would she be to lose her litter in the stress of the move)?

Oftentimes people will buy a bred doe, although usually that is done the day of sale, so you don't actually know if they "took". The best option would probably be to arrange purchase and have the doe(s) bred and wait until the pregnancy is confirmed prior to pickup.

I can't say how likely it would be that the doe would lose her litter- that would depend on the individual rabbit and how it handles stress.

What to look for in a healthy adult? Healthy younger rabbit?

Good body condition, clear eyes, nose, ears, and nether regions, and no matting of the fur on the front paws. No sneezing.

How long to quarantine?

Four to six weeks.

If I get a buck and a doe from the some breeder (and they don't need quarantined from each other) how long should I wait before I breed them?

Pregnancy adds stress, and stress makes them more likely to "break" with any illness they have been exposed to... so it depends on how much you want to challenge them, and if you are willing to cull the doe if she does become ill. Most people wait the 30 days so as not to stress them too much.

What is the youngest I would take from a breeder?

8 weeks.

The oldest?

I personally would not buy an older doe- but if I did, I would make sure she was already proven (if not bred early, some will not conceive at all) and likely would not want one over a year and a half or so.

Bucks can produce well into "old age", but their sperm count will drop as they age. Three years would likely be the oldest I would take, unless it was a really stellar animal and proven producer of excellent show stock. It would also need to be compatible with my lines, so share some common ancestors.

What are good questions to ask the breeder?

How do they house their rabbits? You want to buy from someone that raises in a similar manner to how you intend to do so. For instance, some people raise their rabbits in climate controlled environments. If those rabbits are then going to be exposed to weather extremes at your home, they likely will not fare very well.

How do they deal with communicable disease? Do they simply cull for health, or do they attempt to treat with antibiotics?

What do they feed?

What are their average litter sizes?

Age to reach butchering size?

Weight at maturity?

For breeders that allow you into the rabbitry (I know some don't), what to look for and what to be concerned about if I see?

Soiled cages and or rabbits. Rabbits that are showing signs of illness- tilted heads, goopy eyes, matted paws, hearing lots of sneezing.

If I were your sister and wanted to start in rabbits what advice would you give me specifically related to purchase of new stock?

Buy the best stock you can afford, and if the breeder is not local buy at least two bucks. Find a breeder that fits your purpose and goals.

Some people who breed meat rabbits prefer production of large litters and don't focus much on confirmation, culling instead for milk production and good mothering skills in their does.

The standards for meat rabbit breeds are written with the goal of producing the finest carcass, not a pretty rabbit, so I personally would look for someone that breeds to the standard.

 

[Rainey]

I've only had rabbits less than 2 years so don't have as much experience as many on this forum. As with so many things, there isn't one right way. We started with 2 NZW does, a 1 year old and a 2 year old, and a SF buck, 9 months old. We were told that all were proven. They weren't from the same source and we didn't quarantine (although) I would now if we brought in any new rabbit) We didn't get as much information as is advised or we would have liked, but got what we could find where we are. And we started breeding soon after we got them.
It has worked out well for us. We didn't keep the does beyond the first year, but kept 3 daughters from the better doe and bred them the next year. Kept the better two of those and 2 junior does and a junior buck to breed in 2016. Just did our first breeding, expecting our first litter next month.
We've had no health issues and raised thirty some kits the first season and fifty some the second. We're only raising for meat. If someone was looking for rabbits to show, I would think it would matter more having good quality rabbits at the start. But I think we can develop and improve from the rabbits we started with, at least for our purposes.
I have read the advice over and over about "reputable breeders" and the best rabbits you can afford. But I also have read many posts from people who have bought such rabbits and been disappointed. So especially to start and if you aren't looking to be competitive at shows, start with healthy rabbits and take good care of them and keep breeding the best of what you have without worrying that you don't have some imagined "best"
I think the thread is a good idea. I just don't want people to give up if they can't start with what some consider ideal.
Go for it, Sister, and good luck!

 

[powellanimals]

Just needed to comment on the age - you can't tell the quality of some breeds until about 6 months of age. For example, it can take months for lionheads to shed out their saddle so sometimes they get sold as young seniors. I have bought numerous that age so I can tell if they will look like I need them to. In reverse, I will also be keeping some until their that age before I sell them. Nothing wrong with the rabbits, just can't tell too much early on.

 

[Dwc77]

The first thing you should do is some research on what exactly your looking for. For example if you want a meat rabbit some have bigger bones some are smaller breeds. The more you know about a certain breed the more you can answer your own questions when you see the rabbit for yourself. The few breeders I have dealt with have been very friendly and show you what to look for themselves. I just sold three 17 week old does to a friend and he didn't really ask any questions about them :lol: I told him everything I could think of to do for them. Then told him if he ever has any question about them to call me and I whould try to answer. Any breeder should say call if any questions. The one thing I whould ask is how big of litter did the rabbit come from. (And try to get a guarantee just kidding there are no guarantees in rabbits :lol: ) Good luck!!!!

 

[ruralnurse]

So things that I learned:

Get all rabbits from the same breeder if possible. You will not have to quarantine them from each other.

Most breeders do not sell the best adults (they keep them) so starting with the younger ones (juniors).

Don’t take kits prior to about 8 weeks of age. You may not be able to tell the quality at the young age however.

If you do get an adult, don’t consider an unproven doe over about a year or year and a half. Also be leery of older bucks unless he is really special.

Ask about illness in the breeder’s rabbitry, sneezing, snuffles, pasturella, sore hocks, etc. Ask about number of kits raised by a doe, weights at butcher (and how old they were at that weight), how and what the breeder feeds, how the rabbits are housed (if they were in a shed/barn and you plan to have them outside they may take time to adjust), were they cage or colony raised.

If allowed into the rabbitry – look at the cages and see how clean they look, is there buildup of manure or old food, is the food kept in a clean, rodent free area, is the water clean and plentiful.

Put your hands on the rabbit, feel it’s weight, look in the ears, mouth, check for bite, look at genitals (learn to sex or at least begin to practice), look at the feet for matted fur, sore jocks or if the feet are parallel, look at the fur and skin, look at the eyes and even just how active they are.

You may not finish with the rabbits you start with. And probably along with this is to not be afraid to cull (eat in my case) if the rabbit is not what you want.

If you ever bring in new rabbits or get rabbits from different sources, quarantine. For 4-6 weeks at least.

If you want to change food (from previous diet such as all pellets to some green foods or adding fodder or whatever), do so very slowly and monitor closely.

When you get new ones, if they are of breeding age, give them a few weeks to get accustomed to the new area prior to breeding.

Some advice says purchase the best you can afford when you start out. Some advice is to start with “practice” rabbits to learn on.

I can see the value in both of these statements. It costs the same in food, care and housing for nice quality, pure bred rabbits as it does for cheap or even free meat mutts. And at the same time if you are not totally sure you want or can care for rabbits; if you have any reservations about being able to sell or butcher the offspring; if you can’t afford the higher quality rabbits (or maybe they are not available close to you); then perhaps starting with “practice” rabbits would be a very good idea. For both paths, start with healthy rabbits, regardless of where you get them or how much you pay for them.

This point I came up with myself – don’t purchase rabbits you feel sorry for. If you go to a rabbitry and the conditions are poor and you see these cute little bunnies. You know they may not be healthy but you hate the conditions and feel sorry for them, resist the urge to “rescue” them. Not only are you asking for problems, but you are supporting that breeder to continue to produce ill animals and keep them in poor conditions. If people keep buying, s/he will keep reproducing.

When you go to purchase rabbits, if you can bring a rabbit breeder friend, then do so!

Start small, know the breed or breeds you are interested in. This will also be determined by your eventual goals, pets, show, meat.

Research, research, research! That is what I am doing and you folks are helping!

Did I miss anything?

 

[Stephanie]

The only comment I would make on your summation is regarding your statement, "Don’t take kits prior to about 8 weeks of age." No reputable breeder would allow you to take anything under 8 weeks. In some places, it's illegal to do so. So, if anyone is agreeable to letting you have one younger than that, I'd not do any business with them anyway.

 

[Deer Heart]

Best advice I can give is to at least start with a strong idea of what you hope to achieve. You said your interest was meat; only meat or do you plan to show too? Will you be selling any byproducts like fur or skulls? Are you selling the meat or is it all for personal use? If it's just meat for personal use, you'd get by with any old meat mutts and are free to experiment with breeds and combos thereof. If you plan for more than that though, you need to start a bit more specialized such as meat breeds that cater to your local market or fur breeds if pelts are your primary products or even both if your goal is to supply both quality meat and quality pelts. If you plan to show too, you might want to attend a show and see first hand how it's done and what the breeds look like, how they show, what competition is like at your local shows.

I still suggest meat mutts to start because mistakes happen, especially when starting out, and a $15 mistake is easier to push past than a $100 one. As others said, yes, start small. 1 buck and 2 does is a really good start and adds up very quickly. You want to slowly add on, hold good results back, build the work up over time until you reach your sweet number and stay there.

Nothing ruins good intentions faster than too much too fast. You can always ALWAYS bring in other rabbits later if what you get doesn't appeal or doesn't produce like you wanted.

I started with mini rex which was really just a cute little hobby at the time. After losing my job I got serious and started clean after 2 years of nothing with meat mutts, I got way too many to start with and was quickly overwhelmed and culled heavily for cage space and wound up with a buck and 2 does in the end anyway with a pretty big loss. Because I was overwhelmed and in a hurry, the remaining stock suffered a great deal in quality. I also accidentally culled good producers over poor ones and wound up with 2 does too aggressive to breed.

Slow and steady legitimately wins the race with rabbits. (Ironic eh)

But other than that, yes, one source of stock is best. Check their eyes (open, bright, pupils right size, no crusties goop or hairloss), ears (hairloss or mites), nose (not wet, goopy, crusty, or making noises) , genitals (make sure you know how to sex - and confirm the gender! Always always!), fur (no missing patches, dull, falling out, or mites) and absolutely put your hands on them (you can't tell an emaciated bunny without touching it in most cases, any strange lumps, growths or injuries?). Look at EVERYTHING, even your rabbits toes and especially with rex, the paw pads. Do not buy if the seller wont let you put your hands on your rabbits before leaving - huge warning sign something is wrong. Even with a closed rabbitry there is absolutely no excuse for denying a buyer the ability to look at what they are getting thoroughly.

 

[ladysown]

Is it best to purchase all initial stock from the same breeder?
--- it is often easier to purchase all your rabbits from the same breeder.
is it necessary? No.
Is it easier? Yes.

Why do I say no?
What if one breeder has two does but no available buck?
What if you have the room and time to quarantine them?

Should one try to get unrelated rabbits from different breeders?
-- there are pros and cons to this.
If you get from one breeder you need to
1. find out if they have been breeding long enough to get consistency in their rabbits.
2. ask questions about what problems they see pop up in their herd.

Pros: if breeding long enough to get consistency.... they pass that consistency along to you so you know what to expect with your rabbits IF you feed and house in a manner similar to how that breeder does things.

Cons: if you are buying from a pellet feeder and plan to feed naturalized diet you will see different results.

Should I start with adults? Should they be proven? If I'm not in a hurry is it better to start with youngsters?
Again pros and cons:
My experience buying adults is they tend to do poorly when the weather shifts, and they tend to stress more easily,.... that's ONLY with does. Bucks I have ZERO issues with regardless of age. BUT I know others who do extremely well buying adult rabbits.

If you buy adults it doesn't necessarily mean you are inheriting someone else's problem. For instance I sell off MOST of adults in the spring as I grow out my spring youngsters over the summer and do little to no breeding so don't wish to feed adults who aren't working and have learned that letting them set for the summer often results in does with internal fat and ergo hard to breed. IF i sell a rabbit it means I've had no problems with it, but just don't wish to keep it as it didn't make the cut of the BEST of the years rabbits.

Buying juniors means you are taking the risk that they won't mature into the rabbits they are expected to be.
But they are easier to form a relationship with. And easier to keep them more than one in a cage to reduce the stress of moving.

Should I consider paying more for a pregnant female (meaning how likely would she be to lose her litter in the stress of the move)?

That's a HARD question to answer. Some does will lose the litter, others won't. Breeders tend not to guarantee the pregnancy. I'd do it if the breeder wasn't asking an outrageous amount for the breeding. SOME breeders will throw in a breeding for nothing. You can always ask.

What to look for in a healthy adult? Healthy younger rabbit?

You look for the same thing. Rabbit in good condition, not obviously fat. Clean eyes, clean nose, clean feet. No sore feet, no poopy butt, no missing hair, lice or fleas. no weepy eyes. Ask if they provide any sort of guarantee. Juniors should have some of what I call "heft" to them... a solid feeling (unless you are buying a lanky junior flemmish giant).. but even they have a bit of heft to them.


How long to quarantine?
Minimum of ONE month. Downwind from any other rabbits.

If I get a buck and a doe from the some breeder (and they don't need quarantined from each other) how long should I wait before I breed them?

I would breed them the day after I got them home. No questions. She will be due when she comes out of quarantine and gives you a chance to see if the stress of pregnancy brings anything out in her.

What is the youngest I would take from a breeder? The oldest?

Youngest junior? six weeks. Oldest junior that "I" will take is three months. I find that teenage rabbits stress the easiest of ANY rabbit I buy, so simply don't buy rabbits between 3-6 months of age. Adults. Youngest 6 months.. oldest that I will purchase is two years. I will happily receive gifts of older rabbits that I might have to take a chance on.

What are good questions to ask the breeder?

1. how do they feed their rabbits?
2. what illnesses or problems do they see in their herd?
3. how often do they breed their rabbits?
4. average litter size?
5. how do they deal with illness?
6. what kind of housing do they use?
7. if buying does.. ask what the mother is like... does she use the nestbox well? Is she clean or dirty? Does she wean her entire litter?

For breeders that allow you into the rabbitry (I know some don't), what to look for and what to be concerned about if I see?
1. Don't talk. LISTEN. you are listening for wheezing, sneezing, snot blowing.
2. Ask if you can hold (or see up close) a young rabbit.. watch how mother reacts when KNOWN owner reaches into cage to get it out.
3. general state of cleanliness... are trays basically clean, overall well managed
4. do the rabbits themselves LOOK clean?
5. before you leave STOP again, no talking.. LISTEN closely.

I am sure there are a lot of other good questions I have missed.

If I were your sister and wanted to start in rabbits what advice would you give me specifically related to purchase of new stock?

Take your time. Don't necessarily go with the first good deal you find. get your set up arranged BEFORE you bring rabbits home.

 

[SoDak Thriver]

This is a great thread. So helpful!