Expensive rabbits

[emmachickgirl]

So I was just wondering what the top five most expensive rabbits would be I've looked it up on the internet and all I could find was holland lops can go from $30-$500 and lion heads $20-400 what other breads are expensive the reason I'm looking Is id like to start breeding and selling and also entering in a fair.

 

[Bunnylady]

So I was just wondering what the top five most expensive rabbits would be I've looked it up on the internet and all I could find was holland lops can go from $30-$500 and lion heads $20-400 what other breads are expensive the reason I'm looking Is id like to start breeding and selling and also entering in a fair.

My personal opinion is that anyone that would spend $400 - $500 for a single rabbit is NUTS! Particularly for such extremely popular and common "pet" breeds as Holland Lops and Lionheads.

The lower end of that scale is much more "real world." Pet quality rabbits are worth pretty much whatever you can get for them; in some areas, you almost can't give them away. Purebreds with pedigrees are worth a bit more, but only to a person who is interested in breeding and showing. To the serious fancier, a grand champion out of a well-known breeder's herd might be worth a few hundred, but the breeder has probably spent at least a hundred just getting the rabbit to that point. Good quality individuals of rare breeds like the Belgian Hare or Giant Angora can fetch good prices, but once again, the only people really interested in spending that kind of money are people who particularly want to breed and show that breed - so you need to know your stuff, and your client list is going to be very small and select. The good ones may be worth a lot, but there will always be the not-so-good ones, and what will you do with those? You could always eat them, I suppose . . . .

 

[Zoomie]

You already have a really good answer, I'll add my perspective.

Thinking that you only have to have those kind of rabbits to command those kind of prices... is a little bit going at it the wrong way around. If you're going to be involved in raising a breed, raise one that you love and are passionate about. Raise one that you just can't wait to go out and feed in the mornings, and are excited about giving warm water to when the weather is nasty and cold and all the water in the rabbitry is frozen; rabbits you love spending time with as you shovel out the barn and clean their cages. Then spend a lot of time learning all the intricate ins and outs of the breed. Learn to assess your baby bunnies so that you can see which are worth working with and which should go to bunny heaven. (The freezer, in case my sense of humor is not apparent here.) As you learn your breed you will learn that all rabbits are NOT equal. Some have poor type, the wrong sort of fur and other flaws. You are never going to get high prices for those rabbits... and even if you do manage to fool someone in to paying a high price for that, all that will happen is people will learn they should not trust you.

People who get high prices like that usually have worked really hard to get there. They've spent years breeding the best to the best, culling, working through frustrations and trying again to get the best rabbits. Then they work hard to promote their rabbits, putting up a website, going to shows sometimes far from home, putting advertisements in magazines... and none of that is free or easy.

Just like with showing chickens, showing rabbits takes a lot of work and dedication on your part. Are you willing to do all that hard work? Can you put in all those hours of study, of visiting other breeders of your chosen rabbit breed to learn what you can from them, to travel to the shows and put your best bunnies on the table?

That's what it takes to get good prices for rabbits. Or chickens for that matter. It isn't just a matter of picking the most expensive breed and then the cash starts to flow in... doesn't work like that, sorry.

 

[Pork Pie]

So I was just wondering what the top five most expensive rabbits would be I've looked it up on the internet and all I could find was holland lops can go from $30-$500 and lion heads $20-400 what other breads are expensive the reason I'm looking Is id like to start breeding and selling and also entering in a fair.

I agree with the above sentiments. Maybe it would be an idea to start off with regular rabbits and work your way up from there as your experience increases. My uncle used to breed Lakeland terriers and even used to export them to the states and mainland Europe, but he only got to that stage after 20 years of breeding, showing and building a reputation. It's a labour of love and not a money-making venture.

Ct

 

[emmachickgirl]

You already have a really good answer, I'll add my perspective.

Thinking that you only have to have those kind of rabbits to command those kind of prices... is a little bit going at it the wrong way around. If you're going to be involved in raising a breed, raise one that you love and are passionate about. Raise one that you just can't wait to go out and feed in the mornings, and are excited about giving warm water to when the weather is nasty and cold and all the water in the rabbitry is frozen; rabbits you love spending time with as you shovel out the barn and clean their cages. Then spend a lot of time learning all the intricate ins and outs of the breed. Learn to assess your baby bunnies so that you can see which are worth working with and which should go to bunny heaven. (The freezer, in case my sense of humor is not apparent here.) As you learn your breed you will learn that all rabbits are NOT equal. Some have poor type, the wrong sort of fur and other flaws. You are never going to get high prices for those rabbits... and even if you do manage to fool someone in to paying a high price for that, all that will happen is people will learn they should not trust you. 

People who get high prices like that usually have worked really hard to get there. They've spent years breeding the best to the best, culling, working through frustrations and trying again to get the best rabbits. Then they work hard to promote their rabbits, putting up a website, going to shows sometimes far from home, putting advertisements in magazines... and none of that is free or easy.

Just like with showing chickens, showing rabbits takes a lot of work and dedication on your part. Are you willing to do all that hard work? Can you put in all those hours of study, of visiting other breeders of your chosen rabbit breed to learn what you can from them, to travel to the shows and put your best bunnies on the table? 

That's what it takes to get good prices for rabbits. Or chickens for that matter. It isn't just a matter of picking the most expensive breed and then the cash starts to flow in... doesn't work like that, sorry. 

You do I have a point with how rabbit breed is like kinda like chicken breeding. I've been breeding my chickens for about a year know I've got a nice size 'farm' you could I just figured I'd breed my rabbits and was looking for a good price range but only found those prices

 

[Zoomie]

Rabbits can vary in price from some of the high prices you saw to free.

I used to raise and show these breeds: English Angora, Mini Rex, Silver Fox and Tans. It is so fun... but so incredibly challenging.... to raise good Tans. Actually all those breeds can be challenging but I found the Tans the most challenging for me. Prices on those rabbits, when I was selling them, ranged from $25.00 for a pet up to several hundred dollars for a proven champion breeder. Most of my show rabbits sold in the $75.00 to $150.00 range. But you know I was out there working and I'd been breeding, raising and showing rabbits for about ten years before my bunnies started to get a good reputation as good show rabbits that would win. It is hard work! And believe me, it was always a hobby - I never managed to make more than I spent! I live in a very remote area and have to drive several hours to get anywhere at all. Showing can be real expensive. Not to mention, getting good quality show stock to start with is costly. And of course they must have high quality feed, a good sound rabbit barn... the expense goes on and on.

Because of all this work and expense, I'd encourage you to only do it with rabbits if you love them passionately and want to improve your breed/s. Good luck to you!