I have not yet held Leanne, Jem (not a misspelling-how her name is really spelled), or Jewel today. Leanne is a very sweet flemish-lop hybrid with a brown coat, round eyes(like a flemish) and ears which sometimes turn down at the ends. She will be bred for meat when she's older. Jem and Jewel are purebred Mini Lops, one brown and one black-and white spotted, intended for breeding show quality rabbits and being shown themselves. They are becoming friendlier, but, unlike Leanne, they were purchased from another breeder and are not as accustomed to being held. I also have another purebred, whom I just purchased, named Ruby, a New Zealand. I try to hold all my bunnies, which are to be used for breeding, to keep them friendly.

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We don't raise our purebreds for meat. The bunnies are sold as pets, breeders, and show rabbits. Our hybrids are sometimes sold as pets, as well. I do need two more purebred Californian rabbits, with which I intend to breed white meat rabbits, which are more in demand because of the white fur, which can be dyed. Not that I have trouble selling my litters now. the few that may be left(we start at 6-8 weeks) are turned into meat for our own use. We rarely get the meat for ourselves. I hope to soon have a sufficient number to eat and sell by increasing my breeding flock.

Raising a large number of rabbits isn't as easy as many people think. One rabbit is easy, fifteen or more, not so much. Each cage or hutch must be cleaned, water replaced(rabbits get sick very easily), fed, fresh hay(very important), groomed, etc. We are always trying to streamline our operation.

Let me make one thing absolutely clear. There is a whole lot of work in raising and breeding rabbits and very little(if any) profits. If you want to breed them yourself, don't let anybody tell you you'll make a lot of money. You won't. You may spend more on feed than you'll make back. But if you're interested in improving a breed, showing the rabbits, or producing delicious, nutritious meat, then WELCOME ABOARD!

If you're just looking for a pet or a companion, visit your nearest animal shelter or breeder. Your local animal shelter has a whole lot of abused and abandoned animals(including rabbits) there. Do not breed them for "something to do" or "for a learning experience" and especially not"because they're cute" Animal shelters are filled with rabbits someone decided to breed for those very reasons. I do NOT condone any form of animal abuse. Breeding for meat is not abuse. Breeding for fun is.

We need more meet breeders and purchasers. Rabbit meat is healthy meat! I would like to see it join chicken and beef in consumption and popularity. It did once and, hopefully, it will again soon.