When you wean the litter you'll be looking
to choose which ones you will keep for show, for breeding stock, and which ones
you will sell. Every breeder needs to develop a plan for how to market excess
stock, and it's generally true that babies are easier to sell than adult rabbits
due to the "cuteness factor". However, baby rabbits are fragile
creatures, and we have our own set of guidelines for when, where, and how we
will sell them, for the best interest of the bunny.When: Although some buyers (especially pet stores) want baby bunnies as young as possible (5-6 weeks of age), we feel that it's necessary to wait until the baby is at least 8 weeks of age and has been weaned for at least two weeks prior to considering sales. The weaning period is extremely high-risk for development of enteritis, and every effort should be made to limit any excess stress to the animal.
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| The only time we will even consider selling
at less than eight weeks is when the animal is going to another experienced
breeder who knows what they are doing and knows how to take the necessary steps
to protect and/or treat the bunny should problems arise.
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| Where:
Most of our sales are carried out through rabbit shows and our web site, and our
stock goes mainly to other breeders. Our pet stock is sold directly to
individuals from word of mouth (from our vet and other pet owners). We prefer
not to sell bunnies as pets for children under the age of six as it is not in
the best interest of either the animal or the child. We do have one pet store to which we occasionally sell, and we are satisfied that they are extremely knowledgeable, provide excellent support to their clientele, and screen prospective buyers to be sure they are prepared to take on the care of the bunny.
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| How:
Every baby you sell needs a "going away" package consisting mainly of
the feed that the bunny is presently on. Provide at least a few days' to a
week's amount of feed. The new owner should keep the baby on the regular feed
for the first couple days, then gradually mix it with the new feed to help
safeguard the digestive system and limit stress. We often tell them to mix in
some rolled oats with the feed, just to be on the safe side. If the new owner does not have grass hay immediately available, we also give them a few days' supply to carry them over until they can purchase some. Unless we are selling to another experienced breeder, each baby goes with explicit instructions on housing, feeding, and precautions about overhandling or overstressing. (It's nice to have a brochure or written instructions to hand out to new owners, so they can be confident that they have the info they need.) We inform the new owner about what to watch for concerning complications (like diarrhea) and what steps to take should problems arise. They are given our contact info and encouraged to let us know promptly if they have any concerns or questions.
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| We try to provide as much support as possible for the sake of the bunny and the success of the new owner. |
