I'm finally off the ground with my rabbitry after about 10 months. I've learned what quality show rabbits (of my breed) should look like. I've had ups and downs with housing, breeding, feeding and I learn something new atleast weekly. I've made a ton of new freinds and met a few people I would have rather not. I'm going to try to make it back more and keep everyone updated as well as share what I've learned. My current issue is that I'm raising show mili lops and asked a group of breeders how they price or grade the jr.s they sell off, they simply said that anything they wouldn't show at nationsls they put in the freezer and everything else starts at ... (to much money). Well the way I see it I have fair genetics and a feed bill to pay I also am not well know and would rather charge a fair price than feed a rabbit for months while waiting for someone to come along with that kind of money. I don't want to kill animals that have good type or great personalities. Quite the problem in my mind right now, I would like to ave. ~$30 on the Jr.s I sell because although I've caught retirment sales and those wanting to help out a newcomer this is about what I've averaged for my breeding stock. I hope everyone is doing well, any replies and feed back are welcome as always and I wish everyone a happy holiday season.
I'm baack... Random ?s updates ect.
- Thread starter rittert3
- Start date
Help Support Rabbit Talk Forum:
Glad to see you back, ritter3! 
I can't comment on prices for rabbits, but I think you will have to just decide for yourself what constitutes a fair price and try that. Mini Lops have the advantage of being cute as a button... You might want to have one price for "pet quality" and another for "show quality".
I can't comment on prices for rabbits, but I think you will have to just decide for yourself what constitutes a fair price and try that. Mini Lops have the advantage of being cute as a button... You might want to have one price for "pet quality" and another for "show quality".
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
Hi Rittert!
Good to see you again!
I agree with Maggie- sell the kits for what you feel comfortable asking. Personally, I would cull any that had poor overall structure simply so they don't become part of the breeding pool, but even that is up to you.
Welcome back!
Good to see you again!
I agree with Maggie- sell the kits for what you feel comfortable asking.
Personally, I would cull any that had poor overall structure simply so they don't become part of the breeding pool, but even that is up to you.Welcome back!
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
That sounds very fair to me.
Thank you MSD. I think the majority will be $20 (pet) or $30-$45 for show. I will do 20 also for 4H kids and less for culls sold as butchers. Most of the local ML breeders I've talked to won't normally sell a rabbit for less than $75 so I think my prices are more than fair. Plus if I get people out there showing my lines and telling others where they got them I might beable to bump my prices a little someday.
skysthelimit
Well-known member
Hello again
I understand the problem. I don't sell for pets, except the hollands. Everything not breeding or show quality gets culled, so if someone is buying a pet, it's a decent animal. My prices are more local prices than show prices, because just getting started, I don't know any show people who would buy from me at those prices, and locals will not pay that price for a rabbit. Seems like a lot of people want to recoup the money they paid for the rabbits.
I understand the problem. I don't sell for pets, except the hollands. Everything not breeding or show quality gets culled, so if someone is buying a pet, it's a decent animal. My prices are more local prices than show prices, because just getting started, I don't know any show people who would buy from me at those prices, and locals will not pay that price for a rabbit. Seems like a lot of people want to recoup the money they paid for the rabbits.
Welcome back Ritter! You will find that many of the Top Mini Lop breeders are very,very harsh, but it does push their programs forward.
I will sell pets, but their temperament must be nice and I spend a lot of time talking with the family to make sure that they have the understanding that what they are buying is a pet, and that is all. So far, I have had nothing but lovely families buy from me, and they neuter/spay the pets I sell them.
I practice the refusal to sell to someone I feel will be an unfit home or breed something I am telling them not to on occasion and I'm not afraid to.
There are just some people that rely solely on the sales of pets to keep their rabbitry afloat, and I don't think it should be that way! Been seeing too many poor quality Mini Lops posted because it seems that's how they are managing to keep the rabbitry going and they just seemed to have gotten in to rabbits.
When it comes to pricing my show animals, I sell accordingly to how on the fence I am. My prices are fair, and out of excellent lines, but I feel with a harsh culling practice, I've hooked up a lot of the youth and those getting into Mini Lops with nice quality at fair prices that are competitive with one another.
I don't feel the need to make back all that money I put into my stock. Just because I put these two nice, pricey rabbits, does not mean that the babies are worth the same amount.
I will sell pets, but their temperament must be nice and I spend a lot of time talking with the family to make sure that they have the understanding that what they are buying is a pet, and that is all. So far, I have had nothing but lovely families buy from me, and they neuter/spay the pets I sell them.
I practice the refusal to sell to someone I feel will be an unfit home or breed something I am telling them not to on occasion and I'm not afraid to.
There are just some people that rely solely on the sales of pets to keep their rabbitry afloat, and I don't think it should be that way! Been seeing too many poor quality Mini Lops posted because it seems that's how they are managing to keep the rabbitry going and they just seemed to have gotten in to rabbits.
When it comes to pricing my show animals, I sell accordingly to how on the fence I am. My prices are fair, and out of excellent lines, but I feel with a harsh culling practice, I've hooked up a lot of the youth and those getting into Mini Lops with nice quality at fair prices that are competitive with one another.
I don't feel the need to make back all that money I put into my stock. Just because I put these two nice, pricey rabbits, does not mean that the babies are worth the same amount.
I understand what your saying, peach, I've had bucks donated though and paid high prices for a few of my does and have averaged out what I've paid total. With my breeding program setup the way that it is I can easily average the same on my sales while charging fair prices and come out almost exactly to my yearly feed cost and keep enough jr.s to show myself and raise as replacements. That dosn't include my cost for traveling to shows, equipment purchases ect. If I could afford it I would spay/neuter all of my pet quality animals but I've decided instead to tattoo all of my culls in a way to ID them as either a pet or butcher from my rabbitry. I know whole sale buyers also the sell to ethnic butcher market which is an outlet for poor tempered animals. It's bad to say I guess but I do try to make as much as I can off of my rabbits and their by-products, I'm not hoping for a profit though just to break close enough to even to beable to keep enjoying them.
I agree, it's nice to have a sale help lighten the load of all the expenses. I even sell their poop for $5 a 50lb bag, and that's a nice cup of coffee right there lol Strangely enough, we don't have a "meat man" like some people where rabbit raising is a little more popular. I just put them in the freezer and make it for the family and that way we get anti-biotic free meat Sales are nice, I just think when people grow by leaps and bounds to find out that they financially just couldn't do it without the support of sale, then I think it's time to reevaluate. As a full time college student and part time worker ( my BF looks up to me for money management advice all the time LOL), but I don't ever want to have more than I could handle financially. I push it with my 30 or so holes, but I manage things well enough that my parents just let me do my thing My splurging is my lops lol
Sales are nice, I just think when people grow by leaps and bounds to find out that they financially just couldn't do it without the support of sale, then I think it's time to reevaluate. As a full time college student and part time worker ( my BF looks up to me for money management advice all the time LOL), but I don't ever want to have more than I could handle financially. I push it with my 30 or so holes, but I manage things well enough that my parents just let me do my thing My splurging is my lops lol
