PulpFaction
Well-known member
I've been thinking today about whether or not it's really possible to significantly cut costs when starting to raise rabbits.
The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that there really is no SURE way to do it. You can luck out and find a lot of nice second-hand cages and equipment, but other than that...
And rabbit food. Feed isn't cheap, and it seems the cheaper the feed the worse the rabbits do on it. Even my grain and hay diet is actually proving to cost more than the clumpy MannaPro full of fines. :/ No big deal, they're getting a better product, but I didn't really expect that to be the case!
Furthermore, I've collected a motley crew of cages, and HATE THEM! They cost me a lot in extra time and effort to keep clean, and they're definitely not as good for my rabbits as the set-up I'm lusting after.
I thought about wooden hutches, but with lumber prices the initial cost was comparable to wire cages, and would have to be replaced much sooner.
I've tried to cut costs on buying new crocks when water bottles were freezing up too fast by using tuna cans, as I had read others did. The rabbits thought they were toys! They tossed them everywhere, wasting a lot of feed if I tried putting food in them and immediately dumping their water if I tried using them for water. Off to the store I went for non-tip plastic cat dishes. (Not bad, under $2 a pop.)
When I tried to cut costs on my starter stock, I also got what I paid for. Not worth it. The next time I buy stock, I will save my pennies and bring them back on a trip down South or suck it up and have them shipped. (I got lucky with my Thriantas, but I'm not thrilled about the Silver Fox, or the Rex I previously had.)
Buying the cheaper hay resulted in trashing a whole bale due to mold. Trying the affordable home remedies (for both cost and the perceived health benefits for the rabbit,) simply resulted in no change or the rabbit getting sicker.
Seems this is just one of those hobbies you really can't afford to cut corners, huh?
What about the rest of you? Have you found any fail-proof penny pinchers that actually WORK?!
The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that there really is no SURE way to do it. You can luck out and find a lot of nice second-hand cages and equipment, but other than that...
And rabbit food. Feed isn't cheap, and it seems the cheaper the feed the worse the rabbits do on it. Even my grain and hay diet is actually proving to cost more than the clumpy MannaPro full of fines. :/ No big deal, they're getting a better product, but I didn't really expect that to be the case!
Furthermore, I've collected a motley crew of cages, and HATE THEM! They cost me a lot in extra time and effort to keep clean, and they're definitely not as good for my rabbits as the set-up I'm lusting after.
I thought about wooden hutches, but with lumber prices the initial cost was comparable to wire cages, and would have to be replaced much sooner.
I've tried to cut costs on buying new crocks when water bottles were freezing up too fast by using tuna cans, as I had read others did. The rabbits thought they were toys! They tossed them everywhere, wasting a lot of feed if I tried putting food in them and immediately dumping their water if I tried using them for water. Off to the store I went for non-tip plastic cat dishes. (Not bad, under $2 a pop.)
When I tried to cut costs on my starter stock, I also got what I paid for. Not worth it. The next time I buy stock, I will save my pennies and bring them back on a trip down South or suck it up and have them shipped. (I got lucky with my Thriantas, but I'm not thrilled about the Silver Fox, or the Rex I previously had.)
Buying the cheaper hay resulted in trashing a whole bale due to mold. Trying the affordable home remedies (for both cost and the perceived health benefits for the rabbit,) simply resulted in no change or the rabbit getting sicker.
Seems this is just one of those hobbies you really can't afford to cut corners, huh?
What about the rest of you? Have you found any fail-proof penny pinchers that actually WORK?!