# Raising Rabbits for Pel-Freez



## Ranchhand (Mar 18, 2013)

Greetings, fellow homesteaders!
I live on 900 acres in North-western Arkansas, not very far from the headquarters of Pel-Freez, a company which is the largest rabbit processer and marketer in the nation. Having three hog barns from a commercial hog farm I owned during the 90's, I was contemplating getting into the rabbit business as a Pel-Freez supplier. 
However, as the rabbit 'industry' is small and not very outspoken, I have had few contacts within the Pel-Freez circle and am curious if any of you had any experience (Or know of someone who has had) with this company. With their guaranteed prices (Currently $1.45/lb), raising for them sounds an appealing way to utilize at least part of the barns in a way that makes them a profitable part of the ranch once more. 
If any of you have any other tidbits of knowledge for someone peeking into the commercial rabbit business that are not related to Pel-Freez, please, feel free to comment! I would love to hear from any and all regarding the commercial rabbit industry.
Regards!


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## Pat Lamar (Jun 19, 2002)

Pel-Freez usually has a waiting list which may take up to a year or more before you are accepted, so keep that in mind since you will likely need a market while you are waiting. They do have some restrictions/requirements, such as your barns need to have insulated ceilings, even if the barns are open-ventilated. They do have a web site for their growers and people interested in selling to them... I will need to search for the link. I'll get back to you on this.

Pat Lamar


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## Pat Lamar (Jun 19, 2002)

Here's their grower's web site: http://growers.pel-freez.com/

You may also be interested in checking out other processors by going to: www.arba.net
Click on the link for "Processors." They'll be listed alphabetically by state and will show what prices they are paying for what weights and colors.

Pat Lamar


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## KimTN (Jan 16, 2007)

You might want to find out how much it will cost you to raise the rabbits. That price has remained the same since food was $6 per bag. Now a bag of good rabbit feed can run anywhere from $13 to $18 per bag. I found that I just couldn't sell rabbits to them for what they were paying.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

Just wanted to say that for the past 2 years we have been able to sell all of our rabbits at a small animal auction once a month for more than we could get from pel-freeze. We have sold them for between $7.00 and $15.00 each and sometimes a little more for does close to producing age.

The key is to put them in a cage that is presentable either singles, all does, all bucks, or trio (1 buck and 1 doe) and then tape some gray tape onto the cage with the description that way the ring people can tell the audience what is in the cage. In our experience people like to know what they are getting. We also make sure the rabbits are healthly looking.


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## Big Tom (Mar 2, 2013)

grandma, do you sell the cages along with the rabbits?


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

Big Tom said:


> grandma, do you sell the cages along with the rabbits?


We have before but if it is a nice cage and you want to sell it sometimes it is better to sell them seperately. You just let them know when you drop off the rabbits.


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## Big Tom (Mar 2, 2013)

So when you have the info on the cage about the rabbit in the cage, you are just selling the rabbit, not the cage. Is that correct?


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

Big Tom said:


> So when you have the info on the cage about the rabbit in the cage, you are just selling the rabbit, not the cage. Is that correct?


 
Yep, they will put a blue tape on the cages to sell if you tell them you want to sell it at least at the sale we go to.


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## Big Tom (Mar 2, 2013)

Thanks for clearing that up for me :kiss::kiss:


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## Pat Lamar (Jun 19, 2002)

Looks like they changed the ARBA web site. "Processors" are now found under the link of "Member Resources." 

Pat Lamar


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## SherryB (Oct 10, 2012)

Stumbled across a sad, sad story by accident on the internet about somebody in northern Arkansas who thought they'd start up a commercial rabbit raising business. It was so unprofitable for him that he abandoned them all in their cages. They were found by accident when authorities went to the property for another reason. The local humane society rescued all they could rescue-over 200 rabbits counting what babies that survived or were born shortly after being rescued. I can't get over this story and I share it because I hope you will be absolutely sure you are committed to doing this and to having a plan to humanely get out of the business if it doesn't work out. By reading your questions, I'm confident you will do so.... Good luck and I think it sounds like a dream to be on 900 acres! To give you an idea, I have 14 babies, 4 adults and they come close to eating one of those 50# bags of pellets every week that cost $20 here. Plus hay at $6.50 a square bale but it lasts a month or more.


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## unregistered168043 (Sep 9, 2011)

What I hear, and what seems like common sense to me is that bag feed is simply cost prohibitive. Its that way for chickens, its that way for rabbits, and probably just about anything. People raised rabbits before bag feed was available. My rabbits are healthy and live on good hay and a splash of grain now and then.

People seem to jump from the conclusion that 'bag feed is too expensive', to 'rabbit keeping isn't profitable' as if there is no other possible way to feed a rabbit!


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## KimTN (Jan 16, 2007)

I wasn't saying that bag feed was the only way to feed a rabbit. I feed my rabbits hay and greens. It's just that when you are feeding 100's of rabbits and have to have them to a certain weight at a certain time, you have to feed pellets. You could buy in bulk, but the feed prices have gone way up and the processor is still giving the same price per pound as he was many years back. On a small scale, you can raise rabbits for a decent price.


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## TroutRiver (Nov 26, 2010)

is $1.49/lb what Pel-Freez pays for live weight, or dressed? Either way, it's no wonder no one can turn a profit at that price!


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## Pat Lamar (Jun 19, 2002)

TroutRiver said:


> is $1.49/lb what Pel-Freez pays for live weight, or dressed? Either way, it's no wonder no one can turn a profit at that price!


That would be for LIVE weight. The processor does the "processing." The growers would need to have processing licenses in order to sell them rabbits already processed (e.g., "dressed"). That's what Processors are for.

Pat Lamar


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## TroutRiver (Nov 26, 2010)

Pat Lamar said:


> That would be for LIVE weight. The processor does the "processing." The growers would need to have processing licenses in order to sell them rabbits already processed (e.g., "dressed"). That's what Processors are for.
> 
> Pat Lamar


Thanks for that. I am not familiar with the workings of large scale processors but now that I think about it, it makes sense


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