If you’re reading this information, you probably have either acquired you’re first rabbit or are considering acquiring one. If so, welcome to one of the finest and most rewarding hobbies that a family can undertake! Rabbits are a LOT of fun, but they can be a lot of hard work also. Rabbits are interactive pets, they are NOT ornamental (ie. Fish) pets. Rabbits, while retaining some of their basic prey instincts, are social animals. They are also all unique and have very different personalities. Some are very affectionate, some are indifferent, some (in rare cases) can even be aggressive. Don’t let this scare you off however, because most rabbits (if handled regularly and properly) are very docile. Rabbits can be acquired as pets, for showing in either ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) sanctioned shows or in the 4H program, and for meat production.
Rabbits As Pets
A rabbit can be a very low maintenance pet (compared to a dog) when you consider that they need a limited amount of veterinarian care, are very clean animals, and can be litter trained! Food for a rabbit can be acquired rather inexpensively, and they love raw vegetables and hay. Pet rabbits should NOT be locked in a cage 24/7 and not interacted with except at feeding time. If you get a rabbit as a pet, let it out of its cage for exercise at least a little bit each day. If you’re bunny trusts you, its very entertaining to watch. Sit down in a caged off exercise area with a few toilet paper rolls and watch it. Your bunny probably will go throw the toilet paper rolls around for a bit, then come up to you and nudge your hand for a little attention. They need to be interacted with to ensure a happy and healthy (and docile) rabbit.
Rabbits as show animals
Rabbit breeders work extremely hard improving their stock of show rabbits. We are constantly looking for the “perfect” rabbit. Although we never get it perfect, we come awfully close sometimes. If you’re interested in breeding show rabbits, there are a few things to consider.
-Good breeding stock… this may be difficult for a new hobbyist to determine because if you’ve never had a rabbit judged, you really don’t know what to look for. If you have a chance, go to an open ARBA show and watch the breed you’re interested in showing. If you like Lops, look at Lop judging. If you like the Rex breed, observe the Rex judging. Most of all, LISTEN to the judges, watch what they do and listen to the comments. If your at a breeder and you’re looking at rabbits, posing the rabbit, stroking fur backwards to look for fly back, or you see a white toenail and point these out to the breeder, they’re less likely to try to pawn their culls off on you. Most breeders are on the up and up, but there are some who are not. Be aware when you buy your breeding stock. Keep in mind most breeders will NOT sell you they’re absolute best rabbits, and you may have to work a little bit to make a show winner.
- Complete pedigrees… This is very important, make sure any rabbit you buy comes with a pedigree, and its complete with variety (color) and weights of all animals. I can’t even begin to tell you how many animals I’ve tried to purchase that the pedigrees are incomplete. I can also tell you that after I tell them their pedigree is incomplete most of them tell me it doesn’t matter… well if you are an ARBA member and want to register your rabbits, it most certainly DOES matter. Mistakes do happen, and a rabbits senior weight may not have been recorded in the software program. Reputable breeders will fix the mistake and get you a proper pedigree. If you trust the breeder, its ok to take the rabbit and let them mail you the pedigree, but if you do not know the breeder, be very wary, you may never get a pedigree and then that animal is worthless.
-Cage space … even if you only have 1 buck and 1 doe (2 is better in my opinion) you are going to need at least 5 cages. One for the buck, one for the doe, one for the weaned kits, one for the young bucks(after the sex has been determined) and one for the young does, and possibly one for the culled animals (not good enough for a show table).
I don’t raise meat animals, so I won’t try to sound like I know anything about them.
Equipment needed for a rabbit
Pet rabbits…. Cage (size appropriate for the animal) with some kind of litter pan if being kept inside, food crock of feeder of some kind, water bottle or water crock, resting board for the rabbit if the hutch is wire floor.
Showing rabbits … All of the above per rabbit housed plus, scale (making sure the rabbits weigh the proper amounts), travel carriers, nest boxes, computer tracking software (we use rabbit register by Evans Software, www.evsoft.com), a tattooing system (we use a handheld tattoo pen the ez-tatt), an ARBA standard of perfection book (a MUST for a showperson, the standards your rabbits are judged against) and a lot of determination and a good work ethic.
If you are considering breeding rabbits, seriously consider joining the American Rabbit Breeders Association (www.arba.net). With your membership you will receive a Raising Better Rabbits and Cavies (guinea pigs) official guidebook and a subscription to the bi monthly Domestic Rabbits magazine. Well worth the minimal registration fee for the ARBA.
I know I could have covered a LOT more information but I just went over bare basics here, I’ll leave it up to you to do your own research. If you have any specific questions feel free to email us at lighthouserabbitry@gmail.com.
