Losing the desire to keep going with rabbits

[Blakie83]

I'm 38 I've had rabbits for about 25 years on and off mostly on off during college and mingling out days but have had them for a good 10 years straight. I live in Connecticut and have Standard Rex it took me 6 months to find a breeder ever are non around here. I habpve mine in give butches with the back part they use as a nesting area. I've taught them to poop in the corner where it falls through into a bucket. I also have had BURN OUT BADDDD recently. Case i also had another Doe with a litter of 9 she was a giant chin. Infelt alli was doing was pullingngrass and feeding. I sold everything butbkep my buck and the litter of 3 rex. And after 6 months I found a female. I found 1 buyer dormthe rex made 40$ hopefully the other 2 sell. Havimpng 1nbreesing pair is a load off hourmback. I think animals are trtingntomeat at their feet at nightnsore Vicks takes a long time to develop. Try putringbanresting are in the cage. Good luck

 

[carolsembellishments]

Urgh!! Excuse me while I bang my head into a wall.

I've been back into rabbits since March and have had 3 litters so far of Rex. Out of 9 babies that were old enough to sell I managed to sell 2. Went on a short weekend trip in June and a whole cage of growouts escaped and my mom and brother managed to catch all but 2, they were killed by the dogs. So I have 5 left from the first two litters and they are going on 4 months old and the biggest weighs 4 lbs 15oz. On top of that it looks like all 5 have either the worst case of sore hocks I have ever seen or I have rats or something that is causing sores on the bottoms of their toes and feet.
I advertise on craigslist, hoobly, and going to advertise on ARBA and the NRRC site. Facebook is not an option, which is where I made 95% of my sales a few years ago when I bred and sold rabbits. I also have a rabbitry website that gets a fair amount of traffic.
When I got back into rabbits I wanted to get Flemish but so far haven't been able to find any close enough or within budget. I need more cages and know for Flemish I need hutches but money is super tight and we haven't been able to get building materials.
The 5 I have left aren't going anywhere until they put on weight and I get the sores gone. The sores are my fault because I haven't pulled any out and checked them in a few weeks because it's just been too hot, but none of the adults have any issues. The grow out cage is sitting on cinder blocks, so low to the ground, which makes me wonder if I don't have rats or something trying to gnaw on them.
I just don't know if it's even worth breeding them because I'll end up with babies I can't sell. I don't have local rabbit shows and don't have the money to spend on gas for travelling hours just to maybe sell a $25 rabbit. I missed breeding and selling rabbits but I'm just not finding buyers and don't have the money to get the stock I want or the cages. Husband doesn't want me working right now and it would be very hard for me to work with my dad's health issues, and now my brother's issues. My mom doesn't drive and I do all the shopping and driving and we only have one vehicle. Without me working I know we'll never have the money to fix our own house so we'll be stuck living with my parents and brother forever, which is about as pleasant as a torture chamber. Life in general is looking very bleak.

I went to your webpage which is very well thought out and organized. Good Job! I started raising rabbits again during the beginning of the covid lockdown. Mine are Californians. I, also live far out and have had to sell to the meat man. However, my husband and I have been able to attend shows and our stock is doing well, so have recently been able to sell for breeding. Your stock Looks really good. Snowflake is gorgeous. I think rats may be your problem with your young stock. Is there any way to hang the grow out cage on the barn wall, with hooks or something? They won't make weight if they are being harassed at night. Have your introduced yourself to the 4H leader and the FFA advisor? Maybe they would have some ideas to help advertise your stock. I know you said FB was not an option, but what about joining some of the rabbit show groups on FB so you could link your website? I took care of my mom for 18 years, up until her death, and it was very hard. You need something you enjoy, something that brings you peace, even if only for fleeting moments of time. I don't know if I have helped at all, as I was trying to do, but take a deep breath and know in your heart that this, too, shall pass.

 

[hihobunny]

Not sure if you have a local Rural King Store but where I live they allow people to sell animals in their Parking Lot on Saturdays

 

[Mini Lop Mama]

Keep in mind this is the hardest year to be selling rabbits, like, ever. Sales have been extremely low.

I sold 2 litters through Craigslist this spring.
Here are some tips for raising rabbits people want:

Hand raised kits! Love the kits and handle them daily! It's part of the joys of rabbits keeping!

First impressions matter. Make them double take at the adorable photos of your Mini Rex kits! Photography is key for selling rabbits, create cute set ups, as simple as a basket and flowers! Look at ideas through Pinterest!

Do your rex's have pedigree? That's a seller for sure! Be sure to mention that in the post. Also, be sure to mention that they would be good for breeding, pets, show, 4h, and more! In your ad. That is a key for parents looking of show rabbits for their kiddos!

And finally, key words matter on Craigslist search, so at the bottom of your post have words like:
Key words: rabbit rabbits bunny bunnies show showing pet pets bunnys

Ect

Don't give up!!

 

[rockyhillrabbits]

Since I originally made this post I had sold all the rest of those babies, had a litter and next weekend the last one will be picked up. I have been able to sell them for my asking price and bought a Flemish Giant buck. I still need a doe to go with him and need to add a few more breeders but have also rejoined Facebook just to join rabbit groups and advertise there.
A couple buyers have already said they will buy more babies from me when I have an unrelated litter. Things are looking a little better.

 

[Cosima]

I’m happy to hear it’s working out .

 

[mountainrabbits]

I wouldn't mind eating the growouts, but with these, I'm afraid there just wouldn't be enough to mess with. They only weigh 4 lbs. I wanted to get Flemish and New Zealand and cross the two. Before when I did that I had fast growing grow-outs and never had an issue selling those for meat either. We do have chickens and haven't had to buy eggs in a while. The plan this summer was to grow a large garden but we don't have a tiller that works and the guy who was supposed to come till a place for us never did so maybe by next season we can find one. We have a pear tree and a plum tree in the yard and more pear trees in the pasture but so far none have produced any fruit yet.

At 4lbs live weight I would still eat them, just takes a little bit more to make a meal. Try lasagna style gardening, that way you don't need a tiller. Poop from your rabbitry will help with this for sure!

 

[Big Mac]

Take heart! You have so much to be thank for. You must have faith that everything will work in your favor. If you think it is bad it will get worse, it is a self fulfilling prophecy.
Mountain Rabbits is right , make raised beds you can work with your hands. It takes a very small garden to raise a lot of food. Most people plant too much and it becomes waste or gifts to neighbors. I call it the shotgun approach, plant a whole bunch I am bound to get something. Plant a smaller plot and give it the attention you would a larger plot and you will do well. Peace and blessings.

 

[hotzcatz]

We just did a massive downsize from 38 to 16 rabbits and it's much nicer now. Couldn't find a buyer for them, so they were given to someone who wanted them for fertilizer production although they said they'd also harvest the wool (these are angoras) and sell the wool back to me. If they do, that's just at good as me having the rabbits.

Since they were free rabbits, I was able to clear out everybunny that wasn't a breeder or had any kind of breeding defects such as poor ear carriage, wrong colors, etc. Cut the feed bill way down, too.

Since then, I've had several people ask for bunny manure. Perhaps you'd be able to bag some up and sell it on Craig's List? How much would a 5 gallon bucket of bunny manure be worth? Maybe even have them bring their own bucket and scoop their own?

 

[Big Mac]

We just did a massive downsize from 38 to 16 rabbits and it's much nicer now. Couldn't find a buyer for them, so they were given to someone who wanted them for fertilizer production although they said they'd also harvest the wool (these are angoras) and sell the wool back to me. If they do, that's just at good as me having the rabbits.

Since they were free rabbits, I was able to clear out everybunny that wasn't a breeder or had any kind of breeding defects such as poor ear carriage, wrong colors, etc. Cut the feed bill way down, too.

Since then, I've had several people ask for bunny manure. Perhaps you'd be able to bag some up and sell it on Craig's List? How much would a 5 gallon bucket of bunny manure be worth? Maybe even have them bring their own bucket and scoop their own?

Start sell manure at feed cost per pound, remember manure is about twice heavy as feed. 25$ feed equal 50 cents a pound, so 12.50$ for fifty pounds of manure. Fill a five gallon bucket or use empty feed sacks And weigh them. Might start a little higher you can always go down but can’t come up. Say $30.00 a hundred, you have to cover the cost of the sack. Start high and don’t leave money on the table. Remember you have the highest quality manure on the planet. Just noticed you are in Hawaii that jumps the price under cut what they sell 131313 for in your area, and it will be high.