Renting Rabbits?

[Mariah's Meadows]

Hello! I've been stalking these forums for quite some time now just absorbing as much information as I could as I entered my rabbit adventure. Please excuse me as I am still learning!

I've been breeding meat rabbits for about two years now at a very small scale (1 doe for the first year, now 2 does). I offer my rabbits up for sale before visiting the freezer camp, and usually sell one or two from each litter to locals who want to join our wonderful rabbit world. Last week, I was approached by an elderly snowbird who was wanting a rabbit just for the summer for her grandchildren to play with and learn how to be responsible. I've checked out her set up and have no real concerns to even sell to her, but I'm hung up on the renting idea. I know there are people locally who rent out rabbits, chickens, and other livestock to people to let the children have the experience, so it's not a totally foreign idea. They usually provide am enclosure and all the food, and are typically for one week at a time. The average price I have found for a "rent-a-rabbit" programs is $30-50/day or $100-150/week.

That being said, I haven't seen anything for a price for a full month. I was thinking of providing 5 months worth of pellets, one months worth of hay, and the rabbit for just $200 -- and even that seemed so expensive for me!

So what are everyone's thoughts on this? Has anyone rented out a bunny before and have advice? What about the price? That's just the cost that I'd charge normally for that amount of food/hay/rabbit if I were selling it, only now I am getting the rabbit back in the end. It's an odd situation for me and would love any input!

Thanks, all!

 

[ladysown]

figure out what you'd normally charge for a rabbit. Double that. then give half back when bunny is returned.


That guarantees you get the bunny back. but with everything else you are providing.... sounds reasonable to me

 

[hotzcatz]

If you rent them a young meat rabbit that's not quite big enough to eat but is fully weaned, won't it come back freezer sized? Plus you've got the price of the bunny and the bunny back later. Seems a win-win to me.

The $30 to $50 a day rental prices seem more like a rental price for an event like an Easter party or something?

 

[Mariah's Meadows]

figure out what you'd normally charge for a rabbit. Double that. then give half back when bunny is returned. That guarantees you get the bunny back.

Thanks! I think if I do day rentals, I will do that for sure! I was thinking if I was willing to sell it anyways, I'd just do the normal price. However, having a deposit gives more of an incentive to return and makes it seem "less expensive" since they get money back. I appreciate this idea for sure!

but with everything else you are providing.... sounds reasonable to me

Awesome! I happened to find another person a couple of hours away from me who offers summer rabbit rentals for the same price. I thought it was expensive, but it makes me feel better to hear you thinking it is reasonable as well as the other rabbitry charging the same.

If you rent them a young meat rabbit that's not quite big enough to eat but is fully weaned, won't it come back freezer sized? Plus you've got the price of the bunny and the bunny back later. Seems a win-win to me.

Yes, I was also thinking this. Frees up some space for me and I still get meat in the end. Definitely a win-win so long as they treat them properly, of course! I do ask a bunch of questions and get virtual tours of the area they keep them in, so I'm sure they will but you never know.

The $30 to $50 a day rental prices seem more like a rental price for an event like an Easter party or something?

Yep, the day rentals are for photoshoots and birthday parties and whatnot. Never really thought about it until now, but it is a really good idea! The weekly rentals are for parents to let their kids have a bunny for a week only to realize how much work it is and then the kids never ask for a bunny again hahaha. Or they then know that they totally can handle rabbits and opt to buy one as a forever pet. Super cool ideas.


I appreciate your replies!

 

[hotzcatz]

It may be a good idea to have a separate quarantine area to sequester returning rabbits until you're sure they're healthy. I loaned out a rabbit to a needy person who wanted a rabbit while she was waiting for the young ones to get old enough for new homes. That loaner rabbit came back all covered in fleas and I'd not noticed them until it had already spread them around. Total PITA to get rid of the fleas in the whole herd.

Bio-security is no joke. There was a very young bunny who lost it's mother - I'd thought it was a dog attack but I later found out the mum had just up and mysteriously died. I let the baby foster with a doe here who had a litter and within two years, the whole herd was down to zero fertility. I'm pretty sure that foster was the vector for Vent disease (rabbit syphilis). It took a shot of penicillin once a week for five weeks to cure them all. Times twenty some odd rabbits, that's a lot of rabbit shots.

There's also now that rabbit virus running around, so it might be worth figuring out some procedures for returning rabbits to keep the herd safe.

 

[Mariah's Meadows]

It may be a good idea to have a separate quarantine area to sequester returning rabbits until you're sure they're healthy.

Very great idea! Whenever I got new breeding stock, fleas and any apparent vent disease would be the first thing I checked. I don't have designated quarantine anymore since I'm set in my stock, but if I continue down this path of "renting" rabbits, I definitely will add a permanent quarantine!

The woman ended up declining because she thought $200 was too expensive for 5 months LOL. So I have plenty of time to figure stuff out if I do rent in the future.

I appreciate your input!

 

[Rabbite3r]

Very great idea! Whenever I got new breeding stock, fleas and any apparent vent disease would be the first thing I checked. I don't have designated quarantine anymore since I'm set in my stock, but if I continue down this path of "renting" rabbits, I definitely will add a permanent quarantine!

The woman ended up declining because she thought $200 was too expensive for 5 months LOL. So I have plenty of time to figure stuff out if I do rent in the future.

I appreciate your input!

I would just sell the rabbit, to them with enough food for 5 months. (That’s literally such a tiny amount of food for one rabbit, hay included) If they want to give it back let them know they can.