# Is raising mini rex rabbits profitable?



## horsecrazy (Sep 5, 2013)

Hi I would like to raise Mini Rex rabbits and sell them as pets. But I was wondering if that is profitable? please help.


----------



## ChocolateMouse (Jul 31, 2013)

Well, raising rabbits is not a big bucks industry. Let's be clear; if you're bringing in more money from your rabbits than you spend, I think you're doing pretty good.

What are your outlets for sale? Individual pet buyers on things like Hoobly or Craigslist will be few in number. What happens to the rabbits you can't sell each month?

If your rabbits are show quality you can get more for them and more interest in them but that means showing and having the resources to show and being willing to invest in showing. It's a whole different world than pet breeding, although you can sell non-show-quality rabbits as pets without pedigree and maybe widen your market.

Pet stores will only buy your rabbits for a fraction of what they sell them for. So around here a pet store may pay as much as $10 for a rabbit, but no more than, because they wanna sell that rabbit for $30-$50 and make some serious profit.

What are your feed prices like, especially hay? Some places it's $20 a 40# bale picked up. Some places it's as low as $4 for a 60# bale. That makes a big difference when you use 300lbs a year. What will your medical care be? Will you be paying for vet visits or ordering medication and administering and treating yourself?

Even under extremely favorable economic conditions, raising rabbits will not get you more than pocket change unless you have a LOT of them or are into showing and do it well. It's more of a slightly-profitable hobby than a real income-maker IMO. You'll make more money per-hour doing one of a hundred of no-experience-required office jobs. But raising rabbits is definitely rewarding.


----------



## horsecrazy (Sep 5, 2013)

I Just want to make a little extra pocket money, kind of like a hobby that pays for itself.
I'd like to sell them on kijiji, petstores, etc.
I'm not sure yet what I'd do with the left over bunnies.
I might do some showing.
I have a horse and we make our own hay so that wouldnt be a problem.
A 25 KG bag of feed costs $17-$20 around here.
I'd probably administer my own medication, too.


----------



## Wildfire_Jewel (Nov 5, 2006)

not around here!
Everyone wants a $5 bunny and they want it to have a pedigree and be showable. We have never been able to charge what they are really worth. Even at rabbit shows it is had to sell anything but the very best due to the flood of mini rex in our area. We have some of the big time breeders in our state which helps when you want to get good stock and not have to drive far to get it.


----------



## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

horsecrazy said:


> Hi I would like to raise Mini Rex rabbits and sell them as pets. But I was wondering if that is profitable? please help.


It really depends on your areas' supply and demand. I raised them for a few years and it was profitable, however I grew most of their food, too. I stopped due to time constraints, spending a lot more time with our garden/orchard.


----------



## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

Agree with Chocolate Mouse.That being said is true for any breed of rabbit.
It's something I like to do,at first you'll put more money out than you bring in(shelter for rabbits,quality rabbits,feeders,waterers, winterizing,hay,food,iverm,etc) but eventually you can get into the black, but by no means get rich.

Every breed has a niche, or only certain people who are interested in that breed.
Out of all my mini-rex litters, I had 2 castor bucks who didn't sell at the price I was asking(It was already hot here and nobody wanted to mess with rabbits at that time) and I don't keep bunnies until they are breeding age unless I'm gonna use them for breeders(it costs to much in feed). So we dressed them out just like the NZ.


Right now, I think I've decided I want more meat doe rabbits than I have instead of a large variety of pet type rabbits or some rabbits off the rare breeds list.I want to keep the ND's.Holland Lop Pair and the Lionheads. So, I think the pet type group I'm gonna sell are my Mini Rexes(2 does and 3 bucks)after the does kindle(Tuesday) and wean their kits.


----------



## ChocolateMouse (Jul 31, 2013)

To me the most important thing is where are your unsold rabbits going, no matter what breed you are raising.

If you are filling animal rescues with your castoffs, releasing them into the wild, etc. you are doing it wrong. Not only is it bad for the economy, it's bad for the rabbits, and it's bad for your reputation as a breeder to foist your responsibility off like that.

If you decide to keep them you will spend a lot of money maintaining lots of rabbits you don't sell. If you're showing you're probably growing out a certain number of the rabbits to see if they're showable anyhow, but then you need a market for your show rabbits and it's a very different market.

You could wait to have a litter until you have a certain number of buyers, but you miss a lot of sale opportunities that way.

For me it really comes down to one thing... Breed the best and eat the rest! I think it's the best policy. Lots of pet breeders I know find a food-use for culls. Some feed them to their dogs, some eat them on their own. Mini Rex are supposed to have a great feed conversion ratio.


----------



## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

Wow, I didn't even know animal rescues would take rabbits....
And if you release them into the wild,they'll be another animals food shortly(most have the natural wild insticts bred out or are unfamilar with the wild).

But back to the topic, are they profitable depends on if you have a demand or outlet for them. My first rabbit 32 years ago was a black mini rex(dad & father were state champions of Texas) and I've just lost interest in the breed.

I don't have a meat rabbit small enough to breed to my Mini Rex does without it killing her during kindling and I already have the larger breeds for my meat.

There's no harm in giving it a shot, just formulate a plan that works for you and what your goals are for your rabbitry.Good luck


----------



## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

Raising pet rabbits is rarely profitable and I can't sell mini rex around here so I got rid of them all. Everyone wants small lops or netherland dwarf. I get lots of requests for netherlands. They pay for my rabbit feed but I definitely don't make any profit because I have to sell below the pet stores restricting me to about $20 a rabbit. It's the show quality stuff that can at least let you break even and if you really show a lot and win you can make quite a bit of profit. Show quality netherlands sell for around $100 here. The guy I got my american sables from sells them for double to triple what I do because he goes to every show possible and I don't even though we have the same quality of rabbits. I sell mine for $20-$30 and he sells his for $30-$100. Exact same lines. I just can't get up and drive that early and that far to get to the shows. If I'm selling a sable for pet or meat I can only get $10-$20.


----------



## horsecrazy (Sep 5, 2013)

I would also be interested in lop rabbits... I had holland lops once, they were very sweet. I have a few cages left over from my pet rabbits. I'd be growing all the food myself except for the pelleted feed.


----------



## bassmaster17327 (Apr 6, 2011)

Don't forget that if you sell more than 500.00 worth of rabbits to a pet store in a years time then you need a special license and be inspected


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Raising rabbits is not a money maker. You must have an "outlet" for the rabbits in case the rabbits don't sell. You can't take them to the shelter more than once or the shelter may decide you are a "rabbit mill" and get your rabbits and cages seized for animal cruelty. 

Most of us do it as a hobby. I would say half of us do not break even each month. 

Raising for meat can make a profit if you are close to processor.

I'm curious why did you pick Mini Rex? It is one of the top 3 most popular breeds along with Holland Lop and Netherland Dwarf. But one would need to have winning show stock to get the top dollar for the rabbits. Which means one has to have some show experience which is another expense.

Have a good day!


----------



## horsecrazy (Sep 5, 2013)

rabbitgeek said:


> Raising rabbits is not a money maker. You must have an "outlet" for the rabbits in case the rabbits don't sell. You can't take them to the shelter more than once or the shelter may decide you are a "rabbit mill" and get your rabbits and cages seized for animal cruelty.
> 
> Most of us do it as a hobby. I would say half of us do not break even each month.
> 
> ...


I picked the mini rex because I like that breed for it's soft fur and I would also keep them for pets partly.


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Then raise the Mini Rex for the pleasure of it. Have fun with it. Enter some shows. If you can figure out how to make a couple of dollars at it, even better. Maybe you'll find you have a knack for breeding animals. Maybe making cages and nest boxes for sale. If you can find a way for people to pay you for something you do for fun than that is a measure of success.

Have a good day!


----------



## horsecrazy (Sep 5, 2013)

I would keep them as a hobby/pets but I'd like to at least let the rabbits pay for the feed in the long run.


----------



## horsecrazy (Sep 5, 2013)

how profitable is selling angora rabbit wool? has anyone here tried?


----------



## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

A thought for you... You can sell a person a pet rabbit once every few years, unless maybe they want two pets... You can sell a person a rabbit every week or so if they like rabbit meat... 

Not sure how many people live in your area, but if you have 10 pet rabbit customers in your area, I don't see a profit, but if you have 10 rabbit eaters in your area, then the chances are much greater for a profit.


----------



## horsecrazy (Sep 5, 2013)

I hope you mean selling meat rabbit live, because i couldnt get myself to kill them. :'( 



Is selling angora rabbit wool profitable?


----------



## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Most people who buy meat rabbits want them cleaned... I used to deal with a lot of rabbit raisers to feed my snakes with. They mostly sold to people for cooking and not any wanted them alive. I was their only live buyer..

As far as angora fur being profitable, I don't know. Might be a question to ask the fiber forum to see how many would be interested in buying the fur to get an idea how big a market there is out there for it. 

You might look around the web too to get an idea of places you could sell the fur and see what it's selling for.. .


----------



## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

A smaller market for live meat rabbits(semi-steading is right, mostly snake breeders are the only ones who want live ones and I had a guy call me once for rabbits to train his hunting dogs with and he wanted live ones)and keep in mind, if you sell the "fryers" live some people may decieve you and breed those rabbits not eat them. It's cheaper to buy fryers than breeding stock.

I found my attachment to the "babies" evaporated after they had been in the grow-out cages 5 weeks. The 10-12 week old fryers start acting like teenagers-fighting, flinging pee(not that my teens ever did this,lol),generally annoying when their all kept together. I use this analogue because I have 4 teenagers(2 at college and 2 at home)


----------



## horsecrazy (Sep 5, 2013)

thanks .


----------

