Happy New Year everyone!
To kick off this month, I am starting a series of weekly posts related
to getting started in rabbits, as the title suggests. Rabbit raising is an enjoyable and worthwhile
hobby. I began my journey in 2009 raising
and breeding rabbits, and have loved every moment of it. Whether
you are able to begin raising rabbits or not, I hope this series will help you understand
the rabbit business and help you get started in pursuing it as well.
The most important thing to do before you ever get rabbits
is to do your research. What do you need
to know? There are a series of questions
you need to ask yourself so you can realize what your purpose of getting into
rabbits is. I have listed a few to get you started on
considering your situation.
1.)
Are you looking for a rabbit for pet, wool,
breeding, or show purposes?
2.)
Where are you located (city, country, suburbs)?
3.)
What breed or crossbreed would you like to
raise?
4.)
Do you have room to expand if you decided to
breed?
5.)
Do you have enough time and money to invest in
your rabbit(s)?
Your intentions for rabbits will play a large role in your
overall decision. Do you just want a
friendly pet to love and nurture, or are you looking to possibly begin breeding
rabbits for showing, meat, or wool? If
you are looking to breed, be sure to have a goal in mind. Breeding for pets is not considered to be
practical option. There are many pet
rabbits for sale, so your chances of finding them homes will be that much more
difficult. Not every baby you get in a
litter will be suitable for show anyway, so you will end up with some “pet”
kits if you wanted to market in this area.
My suggestion is that if you think there may be a possibility in the
near future that you might be breeding, start out with brood and show
stock. It is much more difficult to work
your way up with lower quality animals than if you had better. Keep the pet quality as pets and don’t breed
them.
Are you located in the country, city, or suburbs? If you are in the city or suburbs, chances
are there are rules and regulations for owning rabbits, so be sure to check the
rules out before you get all your supplies.
There are many breeds of rabbits. It is not difficult to find purebred or crossbred
rabbits. Part of your decision in your
breed will depend on your purpose for the rabbit. For pets, the possibilities are endless. If you are looking to breed to put food on
the table, you should consider the commercial breeds and crossbreeds such as
New Zealands, Satins, Californians, and Florida Whites, to name a few. If the purpose of your rabbits is to supply
you with a supply of wool, then the French Angora, English Angora, German and
Giant, Satin Angora, and crossbreeds can supply you with your needs. The French Angora is also dual purpose (wool
and meat) so it can be a more practical option for some people. If you want a rabbit to be able to put on the
show table and compete in breed classes, there are a variety of options out
there. Make your decision on your
intended purpose and what size rabbit you are comfortable handling. Usually after doing your research on the
breeds you will find you are particularly interested in a certain breed. Explore!
If you did decide that you will be breeding, make sure you
have room to expand. Were you planning
on keeping your rabbit(s) in wooden hutches, wire cages, loose (as a house
rabbit), in a run, etc.? If you are
breeding you need to also consider the space the young ones will use growing,
and housing rabbits that are waiting to be rehomed. The area you choose needs to be sheltered,
well ventilated, and needs to have enough light in it. You also have to make sure you have time to
invest in cleaning and maintaining a sanitary environment.
The last question I mentioned is about costs and time. I will go over this in greater detail in the
next post. Depending on the size of your
rabbitry will depend on how much time you need to invest in your rabbits. If you only have one as a pet, there will be
minimal time invested in cleanup and care.
The more rabbits you decide to own, the more time will come into
play. Wooled breeds and show rabbits
also require additional grooming time to maintain health and quality. There are a variety of supplies needed to
raise rabbits and this can add up. It is
best to view your rabbits more so as a hobby than a business, at least during
the first year or couple years.
My next post in this series will be related to supplies
needed to get started, so please check back again next week!
