Rabbit Demand

[andyva]

To the people who have kept rabbits for awhile, how do you see the demand these days? We are relatively new to rabbits, but we have kept milk goats and chickens for many years. It seems that people are coming out of the woodwork looking for milkers and laying hens. I guess part of it is the economy and part of it is the local foods movement.Just wondering if it is the same with rabbits, or are they at the same demand levels (for breeding stock or meat rabbits) as always?

 

[CWD]

I got out of rabbits for a little over a year.
and when I started back,lots of people started asking me about meat rabbits.
I have 3 does due with in the next 2 weeks and all of the kits are sold.
If I do not any for myself.
I also have a friend paying me to manage his doe,when she has her kits, I will raise and process them for him.
He has never raised or eaten rabbit, and if he likes the meat, I will keep managing his doe, if not she will become my doe.
so around here things are looking good.

 

[hillbottom]

have 50 fryers sold in phoenix next weekend - demand is very good.

 

[Miss M]

We have found many people interested, but not necessarily to the point of wanting to get into it themselves. Our neighbor across the street said he might start with them eventually, he just has a lot of projects on the table right now. If he ever does, I will give him his starter rabbits, because I don't know what we would have done without his and his family's help!

We have some people who want to buy or trade our rabbit meat. I don't sell meat, because I don't want to deal with regulations, but if you want to trade rabbits for half of a hog you butchered, I'm interested!

If it's any indication, this forum has seen a lot of growth lately, and so many of our new members say something to the effect of, "Hi! I'm just getting started in meat rabbits. I want to produce meat for my family."

 

[MamaMandy]

I've been selling pet rabbits like crazy. Some are for 4-H, but a lot are just for pets or breeding. I was very surprised at the demand here.

 

[stone soup farm]

Just started rabbits last year. We have sold out so much that I am having a hard time keeping any for our own meat. I agree with the local food movement being part of it. Plus rabbits are easier to process than chickens and less of a commitment to process than the larger animals like pigs and goats. Once you butcher a pig you have to deal with the whole thing. Rabbits you can choose to process 1 or 20 if you want.

 

[grumpy]

I sold 60 head week before last. I stopped advertising dressed rabbits several years ago.
However, I still have customers that faithfully return for their rabbits.

I don't want to paint a "rosy" picture because that's when it usually goes south.
But, overall, my sales are on the upswing along with my profits per unit.
It hasn't always been this way.

Last winter, I basically shut my operation down and began production slowly this spring.
As luck would have it, I've been approached by a fella that
is producing pasture pork and range grown cornish/cross fryers.

As an additional item, he offers the rabbits I raise.
All of these go to high-end restaraunts here in the mid-west,
by-passing all of the middle men. All are USDA inspected.

For years, I kept a 20-doe herd and sold fryers to
end-consumers as quick as they were raised.

It has it's ups and downs.

grumpy.