# Making money from raising Bunnies



## PhilJohnson (Dec 24, 2006)

Just curious how many of you make money from raising rabbits and who you sell to. Lately I have been thinking of getting into raising rabbits, but I am not sure who to sell to in the area. I am not too interested in butchering them and selling them. Too much hassle and paperwork, instead I would like to sell them live if I could.


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## ladysown (May 3, 2008)

last year after all expenses paid (including gifts for the boys in my life) I came out ahead by $250 - might not seem like much but that means the rabbits completely paid for themselves (feed housing and so forth) and made me money on top of it.  This year should prove better as I don't have to buy cages, build racks, purchase pedigreed stock and buy a tent for them to live in. I mostly sell to the pet market. Determine what your market is and sell to that.


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## Beaniemom (May 25, 2007)

I should start keeping track this year, there is bound to be an accounting program someplace online, LOL I may actually enter receipts then if it was on the computer.

I just have a general ballpark idea. Mine pay for their feed, the show fees and travel expenses. They also pay for any rabbitry expansions. I figure they must be paying for it, since I don't have a job and they are not starving, LOL

I am going to try to keep an eye on the bottom line this year and try to tighten that up. On the list, better feeders so they don't waste as much. Better nestboxes to cut down the kitsicles. I could have paid for a months worth of feed, or more, with just the ones I lost so far this winter! Doesn;t seem like a lot when its only one or two here and there, occasionally somone looses the whole batch. Then I added it up! Oh my.

Are you looking to sell meat rabbits or pet rabbits? Pet rabbits can be seasonal, plus it really depends on your area. You can sell live meat rabbits to a processor, Pel Freeze is a big one, There probably is a processor in your area, you'd just have to do a bit of research to see who they were, and where, and how much they're paying. Some processors will only take white rabbits, and Pelfreeze will only take NZW and Cals


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## Bamboorabbit (Jan 22, 2009)

Well.......there is a market for rabbit. In our local grocery store rabbit sells for $11.99 a pound......


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## BobDFL (Jul 7, 2006)

Last year I made a small (and I mean a really small) profit on my rabbits. But I agree with Ladysown, that means that they paid for themselves.

Next year for me should be better since I should be able to breed more rabbits. 

I have a pretty steady pet market (through a couple of pet stores) for rabbits and can sell pretty much every baby I have, though this is at a much lower wholesale price. Starting in August I can sell more to kids who want rabbits for their 4-H projects and I get a better price. I also have an emergency sale point with a local Serpentarium for any deformed rabbits.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

It seems to me that the backyard rabbit raiser can make a "profit" in that his rabbits cost less to raise than comparable quality meat would cost to buy.

And we know there are people raising rabbits commercially who make a living at it. 

The difficult part is the small producer in between who wants to put actual cash in his pocket from sales. There are people who manage this, but it does seem to be more difficult. You're not working with huge volume, so your profit per animal becomes even more important if you want your venture to be viable. Niche markets like a high end pet market for an "in" breed or meat for the upscale restaurant and ethnic market may be the way to go. It definitely helps to be near a large city. A secondary pet-food venture may also help.

Producing for an outfit like Pel-Freez may work for you, if you can meet their standards and if you are near one of their routes. Otherwise, if you are unwilling to do your own butchering, you will need a licensed facility for most meat sales. The ethnic market may buy live rabbits, but I can't see the restaurant trade doing so. Most people buying pet food seem to prefer to have someone else do the slaughtering, although there is minimal processing to do.

In your place, Phil, I'd check very carefully the marketplace demand and preferences, the government regulations for butchering meat in your state or province (and please add your location to your profile!) and the possible pet market within a reasonable drive of your home. Then do some number crunching before deciding what is the best approach for you.


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## KIT.S (Oct 8, 2008)

As far as bookkeeping programs go, I recommend QuickBooks to my clients. You can use QB for free for a limited number of vendors, then if you decide the free program doesn't do enough for you, you can buy the full size program, roll over what you've already done, and just keep going. http://quickbooks.intuit.com/ has the free program on the main front page. You can keep track of each rabbit by itself, and figure exactly the costs, if you want to go that far! I have about 50 clients I do bookkeeping and payroll for, plus my own mini-farm.
Kit
Oregon


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## PhilJohnson (Dec 24, 2006)

I was thinking along the lines of selling them as meat. Someone told me a few year's back about a friend of his that sold rabbits to various ethnic neighborhoods. I guess he would get a good load of them ready and bring them to a large city (I think it was Milwaukee) and sell them. I have a lot of spare time this year and figure raising rabbits could help me earn a little extra money. I am not looking to get rich, just a little extra to help out with bills.


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## waynesgarden (Jan 4, 2009)

When I had my small rabbitry back in the 70's & 80's I had one family that would buy all the rabbits I could raise. Every few months I'd load the van and drive down. The whole family, including aunts and uncles, cousins and assorted others would be on hand for the "processing." I'd get paid, chat for a bit and hit the road before the knives started flying. They more than paid for themselves and the meat we got for ourselves.

Wayne


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## Jesse L (Nov 6, 2008)

To tell you the truth - i dont think I have made money this year/last year. I only started into the rabbits late spring, early summer.

I needed to buy cages, racks, feed, the rabbits, i had to medicate them as I had a case of cocci in my herd a while back...at least that is gone now 

Plus all the gas..and i have only sold meaby 3 or 4 litters of rabbits. 5 litters due in a few weeks...so meaby I will make some out of that. And these are hopfully show litters that are coming so I can charge some more !!

So, im saying, in the begining, or first few months you probably will not make much...but once you get past all the extra needs you are well on you way! Its alot a matter of spreading a word. If one custumer is happy he might tell a friend...and then you start to become well known.


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