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this may sound stupid but...

buddabun

Warren Veteran
why do people breed rabbits? Aren't there enough unwanted ones in the world without adding to the numbers? I could be wrong as I don't really know the process but surely unless you sell them for very large sums it can't even be that profitable...
 
i take it it's a bad thing right? like i say, i'm ignorant so there may be a wonderful side to breeding that i dont knwo about but it seems pretty selfish to me...

one of my friends keeps breeding from her dog and has to keep putting the babies in rescue homes.. it's not expensive to get her spayed compared to the cost of feeding babies until they are old enough to be thrown out. i thought it was really stupid and told her so.. she is not impressed with me lol but i stand by my statement!
 
I have asked this question numerous times and nobody will give me a n answer!!

I did get a lecture once about how wonderful it is for children to show rabbits so as they can win prizes at the shows because apparently that shows a child how to be responsible!! :shock: :shock: :shock:

I think that people breed rabbits through stupidity and greed, but thats my personal opinion, now doubt I will be taken to task for making such a statement but until someone can give me a reasonable answer then....
 
I can see why a rare breed could be bred to stop it from dying out - but I'm against backyard breeding, & I think the number of breeders is worrying considering the number of buns in Rescues.

I wouldn't buy from a Breeder now (I would've before RU), & I won't take Breeder's excesses when they are posted on the Free Ads.

TBH, i don't get how they make money!! My Surprise babies from the Free ad buns cost me a small fortune :lol:
 
Rare breeds, fine. Breeding and keeping all the babies, okay (although rescuing unwanted ones would be better), but breeding and selling?! Pointless.

AMETHYST
 
You could ask parents the same question about their kids :)

Nope, there aren't nearly enough rabbits in rescue to match demand. Even if you assume the average lifespan of rabbits is 10 years and the rescue numbers stay at 30,000 a year (despite no new breeding) there is still a deficit of 70,000 rabbits per year.

Obviously if you want to continue in the long term having rabbits as pets you're going to need some breeding or they'll die out. In which case the question is what sort of breeder do you want. Personally, I want the responsible one breeding in small numbers from good quality (ie. no health problems) rabbits with long established lines. It's the backyard breeders that turn out high numbers or breed for fun from random rabbits that cause the problems. Pedigree rabbits from show breeders are actually a very very small minority of rabbits that end up in rescues.

Tam
 
Tamsin said:
You could ask parents the same question about their kids :)

Nope, there aren't nearly enough rabbits in rescue to match demand. Even if you assume the average lifespan of rabbits is 10 years and the rescue numbers stay at 30,000 a year (despite no new breeding) there is still a deficit of 70,000 rabbits per year.

I didn't realise that...

In that case, small-scale breeders who don't sell to pet shops, and breed specific breeds with proven lineage and no culling. :)

AMETHYST
 
well htat's put my mind at rest.. I just thought there were all these poor bunnies looking for homes. I'm sure people would prefer buns from babies and purebred ones.. I reckon I'll always rescue though (even though my 2 are from shops - not a mistake I'll make again) from now on anyway
 
There are lots of babies and young bunnies in rescues too. Domino was born in the rescue, and Miffy was only 3.5 months old when we got her. :)

AMETHYST
 
Tamsin said:
You could ask parents the same question about their kids :)

Nope, there aren't nearly enough rabbits in rescue to match demand. Even if you assume the average lifespan of rabbits is 10 years and the rescue numbers stay at 30,000 a year (despite no new breeding) there is still a deficit of 70,000 rabbits per year.

Obviously if you want to continue in the long term having rabbits as pets you're going to need some breeding or they'll die out. In which case the question is what sort of breeder do you want. Personally, I want the responsible one breeding in small numbers from good quality (ie. no health problems) rabbits with long established lines. It's the backyard breeders that turn out high numbers or breed for fun from random rabbits that cause the problems. Pedigree rabbits from show breeders are actually a very very small minority of rabbits that end up in rescues.

Tam

Totally agree. I've been to a local breeder of French Lops and her facilities are excellent and she loves her rabbits. I have no problem with this type of breeder. She told me she makes very little money and what she does make goes on vet bills, vaccinating etc. She does it as she loves the breed and there is a demand for it. Her website discusses appropriate accommodation, care etc and the only thing she could do to improve I think is to do homechecks which I don't think any breeder would do.

It's the breeders who supply pet shops who cause the problems in my opinion. Years ago my dad used to breed for petshops, private sales and meat and he did it to make money and also he enjoyed it. Looking back the reason he made money was that he spent no money on them at all, if they were ill he killed them, he fed them mix, no hay or veg etc etc. And I'm sure there are people like him out there who do make some money from it.
 
snowy said:
I have asked this question numerous times and nobody will give me a n answer!!

I did get a lecture once about how wonderful it is for children to show rabbits so as they can win prizes at the shows because apparently that shows a child how to be responsible!! :shock: :shock: :shock:

I think that people breed rabbits through stupidity and greed, but thats my personal opinion, now doubt I will be taken to task for making such a statement but until someone can give me a reasonable answer then....

Im with you Theo. Ive yet to hear a good reason why breeding goes on.
 
mandy said:
snowy said:
I have asked this question numerous times and nobody will give me a n answer!!

I did get a lecture once about how wonderful it is for children to show rabbits so as they can win prizes at the shows because apparently that shows a child how to be responsible!! :shock: :shock: :shock:

I think that people breed rabbits through stupidity and greed, but thats my personal opinion, now doubt I will be taken to task for making such a statement but until someone can give me a reasonable answer then....

Im with you Theo. Ive yet to hear a good reason why breeding goes on.

The French Lop lady breeds a very large quantity of buns and has them all reserved almost as soon as they're born. So there is a demand for them and not that many come up in rescues so you can only hope that the owners provide good homes for them. And I guess French Lops only come from breeders (and rescues :roll: ) so if people didn't breed them they wouldn't be around.

In contrast when Gemma and I rescued our guineapigs the lady there was breeding British Giants and selling them for £10 each, now she surely can't be making money on that and she wasn't providing appropriate care for her buns anyway.
 
i have no problem with breeders providing they treat all their rabbits as pets, dont sell them off for profit (bad stock from show lines or something i suppose is ok on a rare occasion) and keep the ones they breed. i see it the same as many other pet animals. i would love to have a rescue horse, but to be honest i want to do showing, iwant a welsh and i want o be able to compete at a pretty high level in a wide range of things, so my nan bred one for me. he will most certainly be with the family til the end, like all our pets (my nan has had many horses, and never sold one!). our dogs are both from breeders, all registered and checked (have to be hip scored) because the ones in rescues couldnt be guarenteed with small animals and mum adores her setters. its a case of it being done responsibly.
 
mandy said:
snowy said:
I have asked this question numerous times and nobody will give me a n answer!!

I did get a lecture once about how wonderful it is for children to show rabbits so as they can win prizes at the shows because apparently that shows a child how to be responsible!! :shock: :shock: :shock:

I think that people breed rabbits through stupidity and greed, but thats my personal opinion, now doubt I will be taken to task for making such a statement but until someone can give me a reasonable answer then....

Im with you Theo. Ive yet to hear a good reason why breeding goes on.

Ah! that's because there isn't a good reason, the only reasons offered are stupidity and greed, (the later being one of the seven deadly sins :shock:)

And furthermore I think they should ban ALL animal shows!!, they are pathetic and serve no useful purpose
 
Will we ever truly know how many are culled per year as useless stock and don't end up in rescues? I doubt it.

However, following my spa day, I shall leave this topic. Muttering new mantra.........peace to all :lol:
 
snowy said:
mandy said:
snowy said:
I have asked this question numerous times and nobody will give me a n answer!!

I did get a lecture once about how wonderful it is for children to show rabbits so as they can win prizes at the shows because apparently that shows a child how to be responsible!! :shock: :shock: :shock:

I think that people breed rabbits through stupidity and greed, but thats my personal opinion, now doubt I will be taken to task for making such a statement but until someone can give me a reasonable answer then....

Im with you Theo. Ive yet to hear a good reason why breeding goes on.

And furthermore I think they should ban ALL animal shows!!, they are pathetic and serve no useful purpose

:thumb:
 
I think, once again, we have proved our point, nobody has come up with a good reason, even all the breeders that use this forum haven't come up with anything :shock: :shock: :shock: , so with this in mind I think we should ban breeding everywhere and that includes spoilt little brats that come into my shop with their useless parents and wreck my stock :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Anyone agree??
 
snowy said:
I think, once again, we have proved our point, nobody has come up with a good reason, even all the breeders that use this forum haven't come up with anything :shock: :shock: :shock: , so with this in mind I think we should ban breeding everywhere and that includes spoilt little brats that come into my shop with their useless parents and wreck my stock :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Anyone agree??

Do you mean a ban on useless parents producing spoilt little brats? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Bundle said:
snowy said:
I think, once again, we have proved our point, nobody has come up with a good reason, even all the breeders that use this forum haven't come up with anything :shock: :shock: :shock: , so with this in mind I think we should ban breeding everywhere and that includes spoilt little brats that come into my shop with their useless parents and wreck my stock :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Anyone agree??

Do you mean a ban on useless parents producing spoilt little brats? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

That's the ones!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
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