Joe n TN
Well-known member
Anyone have this breed? What are/were your experiences? How well do they handle heat? Know of any breeders in TN or the western half of KY? Thanks,
Joe
Joe
Tell me about Rhinelanders
- Thread starter Joe n TN
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I love Rhinelanders, and had wanted some for a long time.
To my knowledge there are only two breeders in Canada. One is in Alberta, so I sent her an email. She emailed back saying that when she had a litter available she'd let me know.
True to her word, about a year later I got an email from her saying that she did indeed have two litters and would be able to offer me an unrelated breeding pair. I hastily replied, "Yes Please"
On June 18th 2012 my friend and I headed north. It was a long way, but eventually we got there.
I bought a beautifully marked show quality buck, and two unrelated does, one sport, one charlie. They were the most beautiful, and also the most expensive bunnies I had ever bought. They were to be my "special" pets. I was in seventh heaven.
I owned three Rhinelanders and was soon to become the third Canadian breeder of high quality show winning stock - or at least, that was my dream. I had visions of my Rhinelanders being sold all over North America, winning shows, being talked about in the bunny press, their pedigrees would be famous. "That's the Friendly Giant line." People would say as I swept the board at shows.
But it was not to be.
When they were about 4 months old I went to feed them one day and found the sport doe stretched out in her cage as dead as a doornail. The other two were fine though, and continued to grow and fill me with awe and anticipation each day.
Until about six weeks later, when the other doe dropped dead, just like her sister.
Well. I thought, I've still got that beautifully marked buck, maybe I can find some more does.
Not long before an acquaintance of mine that I had brought up some Rhinelanders from the states, and she had a litter available, I arranged to buy two of them.
By this time Davey was ill, and I was spending most of my days visiting him, so time to pick up bunnies was at a premium, but eventually I had a day when I could drive over and pick them up.
That morning I went out to feed my rabbits and horror of horrors, my heart sank as I went in my rabbit shed and saw the inert body of my buck. Just like his sisters, he too had dropped dead. He was just six months old and I was heartbroken.
I never did get the two new does.
Maybe in the future when all my meat mutts have gone I will try again, but not yet.
Sorry to be so longwinded Joe, but you did ask about experiences and this was mine.
Yes Rhinelanders are awesome, can't answer your question about the heat though.
To my knowledge there are only two breeders in Canada. One is in Alberta, so I sent her an email. She emailed back saying that when she had a litter available she'd let me know.
True to her word, about a year later I got an email from her saying that she did indeed have two litters and would be able to offer me an unrelated breeding pair. I hastily replied, "Yes Please"
On June 18th 2012 my friend and I headed north. It was a long way, but eventually we got there.
I bought a beautifully marked show quality buck, and two unrelated does, one sport, one charlie. They were the most beautiful, and also the most expensive bunnies I had ever bought. They were to be my "special" pets. I was in seventh heaven.
I owned three Rhinelanders and was soon to become the third Canadian breeder of high quality show winning stock - or at least, that was my dream. I had visions of my Rhinelanders being sold all over North America, winning shows, being talked about in the bunny press, their pedigrees would be famous. "That's the Friendly Giant line." People would say as I swept the board at shows.
But it was not to be.
When they were about 4 months old I went to feed them one day and found the sport doe stretched out in her cage as dead as a doornail. The other two were fine though, and continued to grow and fill me with awe and anticipation each day.
Until about six weeks later, when the other doe dropped dead, just like her sister.
Well. I thought, I've still got that beautifully marked buck, maybe I can find some more does.
Not long before an acquaintance of mine that I had brought up some Rhinelanders from the states, and she had a litter available, I arranged to buy two of them.
By this time Davey was ill, and I was spending most of my days visiting him, so time to pick up bunnies was at a premium, but eventually I had a day when I could drive over and pick them up.
That morning I went out to feed my rabbits and horror of horrors, my heart sank as I went in my rabbit shed and saw the inert body of my buck. Just like his sisters, he too had dropped dead. He was just six months old and I was heartbroken.
I never did get the two new does.
Maybe in the future when all my meat mutts have gone I will try again, but not yet.
Sorry to be so longwinded Joe, but you did ask about experiences and this was mine.
Yes Rhinelanders are awesome, can't answer your question about the heat though.
AmysMacdog
Well-known member
Hi Joe, here in Georgia the Rhinelander used to be popular back in the 80s and 90s. I saw ads for them all over Georgia in the market buletin. So I'm assuming they did well in the heat and humidity. These days there isn't nearly as many breeds available as there used to be so I would not think that is the reason for them not being here now. Good luck in your search, have you looked on the Rabbits.us site? I checked an Easter issue of the M. bulletin, didn't see any in my neck of the woods. 
Kyle@theWintertime
Well-known member
I saw a Rhinelander at a show once, very pretty animal.
Have you checked out this page? http://www.rhinelanderrabbits.com/main.htm
Have you checked out this page? http://www.rhinelanderrabbits.com/main.htm
