Raising Rabbits

You see rabbits at Easter. Kids love them...but do you know how to raise them?

Have you ever walked into a hardware store or a farm and home supply company with your kids, during Easter season, and suddenly be confronted with pleas of "Please, can I have a bunny? Please, please, please, please, mom, dad?" I have and it's not easy to say no to a cute little cuddly, long eared 6 week old bunny. Until this year.

Many years ago, my in-laws bought my youngest son a white baby bunny for Easter. My mother-in-law, Sue, had raised rabbits before and said there was nothing to it. She went and got a male bunny, a buck, for a few dollars and we cleaned out and set up the old hutch for her again. My son didn't have much to do with it but it was an interesting experience, 20 years ago. We never had live babies, (kits), because the momma, (doe), wasn't settled enough with all the dogs and cats and kids running through the yard. And the litters never got past a few days old. (gross story)

But this year, my mom got my daughter and her boyfriend started in the rabbits to give him something to do since he couldn't find a job. (few and far between in our small community) Mich and P. had one given to them and the rest were bought on payment plan until they could start selling to pay for the starter rabbits and feed.

I fell head over heels in love with a little white male rabbit with silver grey ears and tail, his name is Gremlin - a little brown and tan female, who had a funny texture to her coat, her name is Punkin. The last female is a dark gray with a tan tummy and a sweet disposition, her name is Fumper. If I don't watch myself I'll be buying more than I need to start my little business. Each rabbit is a mixed breed out of the same mother but that doesn't make any difference if you want to raise rabbits for meat. As long as they come from good stock.

Starting at the local library, where there were only 2 books on raising rabbits. Both were by the same author, Bob Bennet, Storey Publishing. (storey.com) Both had the same information, so I read both, and took few notes, much to my dismay. I had'nt the foggiest idea of what I was getting into, so thus started my hobby of raising meat rabbits.

There are many breeds of domesticated rabbits. About 50 is what the ARBA is stating at the time of my membership.

There is a definite difference between rabbits and hares. They both give live birth to multiple babies. The big difference is that baby rabbits are born without fur and blind, with their eyes closed. Baby hares are born fully furred, eyes wide open and within a few hours ready to leap into the world. Hares have longer legs, longer bodies and can leap farther than rabbits.

Main uses for rabbits are for pets, as a hobby, for meat, fur and some rabbits produce wool. Ever heard of Angora wool, well, it doesn't all come from a sheep, it comes from many many rabbits. Rabbit wool is finer than sheeps wool and is more comfortable to wear.