Urgent Advice Needed

[Her Farmstead Rabbitry]

There is a rabbitry for sale here is the link
https://tricities.craigslist.org/grd/d/greeneville-rabbit-set-up-and-silver/7690393467.html
The downsides are it is 2 hours away
The plus sides the rabbits are pedigreed and proven.
The original price is $800 but the person said $580 (really hoping it is not a typo) and it comes with 4 nest boxes and 4 nest box warmers
Should I get it?

 

[kusanar314]

I wouldn't take my advice... But if I were closer and had a building prepared, I would be really really tempted.

 

[Alaska Satin]

There is a rabbitry for sale here is the link
https://tricities.craigslist.org/grd/d/greeneville-rabbit-set-up-and-silver/7690393467.html
The downsides are it is 2 hours away
The plus sides the rabbits are pedigreed and proven.
The original price is $800 but the person said $580 (really hoping it is not a typo) and it comes with 4 nest boxes and 4 nest box warmers
Should I get it?

On the one hand, the rabbits look healthy enough (you'd have to get your hands on them to ascertain that) and seem friendly, and the set-up looks pretty clean. $580 is a decent deal, although you'll probably have to invest in some trays or some other arrangement to divert waste if it only comes with the two trays pictured - the top rabbits will be dropping waste onto the bottom ones. The nest boxes in the photo have seen better days, but you could probably hammer them back into shape and replace the bottoms.

I would be a tiny bit leery if you really want high-quality pedigreed silver fox; whether or not these are a good deal really depends on what your purpose in breeding these rabbits is. I cannot even guess from the photos what the quality is. But at least these look like well-cared for rabbits.

Having learned from experience, I'd insist on examining each rabbit, to get an idea of temperament, as well as to check teeth (worth doing, especially on the juniors!), vents, and get a feel for the overall health and type of the rabbits. If you are inexperienced at handling large rabbits, have the seller pull each rabbit out and show you teeth and vents, and pose the rabbits on a table to let you run your hands over them. You should not be able to feel the spine or ribs. If the seller doesn't want you to handle them or to show them to you, that would definitely give me pause.

If you want to breed silver fox, my suggestion is to go look at them, but go with the firm intention of only buying them if they are what you are looking for. Be prepared to go home empty-handed if they are not (if the rabbits look unhealthy, underweight, aggressive, etc.). Cages etc can be fixed/changed, but that's a lot of little lives to be responsible for if it's not a good fit. And have a plan for dealing with them, if it turns out that's too many rabbits to handle when you're just starting out.

A side note on nest box warmers - rabbits shouldn't need those if they're good mothers. Our does routinely have and care for kits at temps well below freezing. A nest box warmer just tends to make our rabbits want to sit in the nest box, which isn't a good thing for several reasons.

 

[Her Farmstead Rabbitry]

On the one hand, the rabbits look healthy enough (you'd have to get your hands on them to ascertain that) and seem friendly, and the set-up looks pretty clean. $580 is a decent deal, although you'll probably have to invest in some trays or some other arrangement to divert waste if it only comes with the two trays pictured - the top rabbits will be dropping waste onto the bottom ones. The nest boxes in the photo have seen better days, but you could probably hammer them back into shape and replace the bottoms.

I would be a tiny bit leery if you really want high-quality pedigreed silver fox; whether or not these are a good deal really depends on what your purpose in breeding these rabbits is. I cannot even guess from the photos what the quality is. But at least these look like well-cared for rabbits.

Having learned from experience, I'd insist on examining each rabbit, to get an idea of temperament, as well as to check teeth (worth doing, especially on the juniors!), vents, and get a feel for the overall health and type of the rabbits. If you are inexperienced at handling large rabbits, have the seller pull each rabbit out and show you teeth and vents, and pose the rabbits on a table to let you run your hands over them. You should not be able to feel the spine or ribs. If the seller doesn't want you to handle them or to show them to you, that would definitely give me pause.

If you want to breed silver fox, my suggestion is to go look at them, but go with the firm intention of only buying them if they are what you are looking for. Be prepared to go home empty-handed if they are not (if the rabbits look unhealthy, underweight, aggressive, etc.). Cages etc can be fixed/changed, but that's a lot of little lives to be responsible for if it's not a good fit. And have a plan for dealing with them, if it turns out that's too many rabbits to handle when you're just starting out.

A side note on nest box warmers - rabbits shouldn't need those if they're good mothers. Our does routinely have and care for kits at temps well below freezing. A nest box warmer just tends to make our rabbits want to sit in the nest box, which isn't a good thing for several reasons.

Thanks for the input. I own several New Zealands for meat. They are pedigreed which is better than when I started out with my New Zealands. If I go I am definitely buying them since it is 2 hours. If they aren't good quality then I can sell them and buy a different breed or other rabbits. I am fine with almost any breed but since these are silver fox and they are for meat it really works out.
Also I have never used nest box warmers too.

 

[CedarRidge]

I’ve got much more than $800 in my set up for 5 plus 2 grow outs, and I pretty much built 2/3rds of it myself. Price is very good.

 

[freelady96]

We were starting from scratch and we found well cared for cali's on craigs list. 2 cali does, 1 cali buck and a Flemish giant. We had a really good feeling once we got eyes on the operation.
We got a 3 cage hutch and separate hutch, all food containers, 2 grow out cages, plus spare parts plus extra for 600. We didnt talk them down any. We even helped them butcher the last growouts and took everything home that day. All were proven. He gave me all the breeding records. The meticulous records is what sold us and the cleanliness of the operation. Also ask why they want to part with them. Ours were getting more into chickens.

 

[freelady96]

I wanted to clarify we brought everything home that day except the grow out cages because they needed to wait till the growouts were ready. We went a few weeks later to help process then took the rest. The fact that they had a recent kiddling of 16 kits with the two does was evidence that it was very productive. They even gave us meat to try in the deal.
Go with your gut.