Joint rabbitry?

[Pepperoni]

So one of my best friends has recently decided she'd like to get into the wonderful world of rabbit breeding/showing. She currently has 3 lionheads who are more pets, but she'd like to try to start a herd with them. Her main problem is that she doesn't really have the ability to keep them at her home. We've been discussing this and since I'm finally finishing up my new "rabbit shack" I offered to keep her rabbits here.

Our basic plan right now is that when the rabbit shack is completely set up she'll bring her buns over and set them up. I am not overly concerned with quarantine at this point because we know one another's rabbits' health. We're planning to split feed costs about 80/20, as I have more rabbits and they are larger breeds and will clearly be eating more. Because I already buy hay for my horses, goats, rabbits, etc I have more than enough and we won't consider that as feed. I know that she does a lot of extra chores at the barn where she boards her horse so I'm not worried about her leaving me to do her rabbit chores. On the other hand, I don't mind taking care of her buns since they'd be with mine anyway and it wouldn't take much time to do. If one of us is out of town the other can "rabbit sit". I figure it will be less work and less stress (on us and the rabbits) to have everyone in one place when we're getting ready to go to shows. When her ARBA membership is official we may consider registering a rabbitry together as joint owners, setting up a joint website, advertising together, etc.

Mainly I'm looking for other people's perspectives on having a joint rabbitry. If you own a rabbitry jointly with someone else are there any lessons you learned during the experience?

 

[Marinea]

I don't have a joint rabbitry (unless you count my hubby), but I am very familiar with going into business with friends. Do yourself a favor- make a contract- NOW. Write down all the details- how we will sell, how the money gets split, whose rabbits are whose, decisions will be made by..., feed costs will be split how, maintenance/expansion will be done how, website will be paid for/maintained by, advertising will be paid for by and put where, etc. Include all the "what ifs" you can think of. And yes, write it all down. Don't say "But we're friends. We will always be able to talk it out."

That way, if something goes awry, you both can look at the contract and go from there, instead of possibly harming or destroying a friendship. Think about losing one of your best friends because of this hobby you love. Do what you can in advance to prevent that.

 

[Secuono]

Yes, always make a written contract with as many details written out as you can think of. Things can go terribly wrong and even the best known life long friend can end up suing you out of everything. Cover your *ss as they say.

I would personally want them to buy or pay for my cages they will be using. They buy feed for their rabbits as well. I don't think I would charge to take care of them, as in feeding/watering and scraping out poop boards, unless they were adding 30+ new rabbits. Then it would take much longer, otherwise, it's not much different to feed mine and then continue to do the same for some more.

 

[skysthelimit]

I know some people who have joint rabbitries/kennels. Contracts are very important.

 

[3mina]

Whipple and I have a joint rabbitry. It's in her backyard, with my cages, my rabbits & her rabbits, she does most of the daily stuff & I buy the feed. We discuss things to death, which is a great thing for me. We process together and usually show together. It works well for us

I should add that while our rabbit share a location Whipple and I each have our own rabbitry name

 

[Peach]

Like the others said above, write a contract!

It's not that they aren't a good friend but one day you both could want different things.

My expectation would be that my friend provide some of the equipment and feed of course....

 

[Miss M]

Just want to say that quarantine is still important. Your rabbits and her rabbits may all be the picture of health, but they could be resistant and susceptible to different things. Your rabbits may carry something they are immune to, which could devastate her rabbits, and vice-versa.

The gradual exposure to each other that quarantine provides allows the immune systems to adjust to new germs.

 

[3mina]

I completely agree with Miss M
The ONLY reason Whipple and I didn't was she got her stock from me except her buck & he was quarantined when we moved the cages

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I also agree with Miss M that you need to quarantine. Although both herds appear "healthy", they may be carriers of pathogens that the others have not been exposed to.

I would be hesitant to join my rabbitry name with another entity. You are bound to have different ideas on what constitutes a "good" rabbit, so having individual rabbitry names would be a better choice in my opinion.

Rabbits tend to waste a lot of feed- especially hay- so it might be best to keep those supplies separate. If her rabbits are feed scratchers and yours aren't you could be paying for her wasteful rabbits, and vice versa.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

I wouldn't go for a partnership at all. Seems easier to just set up a boarding rental type contract. Her stuff is hers, your stuff is yours, she pays for space and care you provide. I would not mix business with a friendship I actually want to keep.

 

[Ralph]

Play it safe keep your rabbitry name to your self. There is nothing worse than developing a good rep just to have it distroyed by a "good frised :twisted:". You can keep your's and her's in the same place but not under the same name.

 

[huntress86]

My younger brother, parents, and I all raise rabbits. I at my house, them at my parents. While we breed together, show together, and work toward the best show quality stock we possibly can, my rabbitry is totally separate from them. We have never disagreed on anything and rabbits have been in our lives since my dad raised meat mutts before I was born. But, family or not, we will never go in as one rabbitry. It would be devastating if something caused us to disagree and we were all sank into everything together. So not worth the heartache...

And yes! quarantine!!!!