This is only our second winter in operation, I know. I didn't think raising rabbits would be easy, but I also didn't expect it to be this hard.
We entered into our first year doing fabulously. Does would take on their first breeding, they'd throw 3 does and two bucks every time, sales were fantastic! And now, we've more or less farted out into nothingness. I've bred these Lionhead/NZ cross does four times since September, and nothing. Absolutely nothing. I'm having issues breeding everybody now, even the does that took at first breeding this time last year. I even had a virgin two year old take and have twin bucks! But now, I don't think there's a doe in the herd I haven't bred less than 3 times since the end of fall last year. Spring sell kits and fall meat kits, I said. It'd be fun, I said. And now it's looking like not only no fall kits, but no spring kits, either. And you wonder why i'm losing hope? Don't get me wrong; I love these rabbits. I might give up breeding and might consider letting a couple buns go to pet or breeder homes, but there's a handful I'll keep indefinitely. But I really am considering hanging this up until I get a car, a job, and my own house to make everything easier on both the rabbits and I. I'd like to get a nice Amish-built barn to put my stock in, with a heater and an A/C unit. I'd like to do some ground hutches and runs, but I can't do that because my mom's dog will kill everything like she did Sandstorm, so that's totally out of the question. I'd like to build better hutches and runs, another thing I can't do right now because i'm living with my parents on my mom's farm, so i'm really limited even now. I can't really build much and I really can't build anything where I actually want to to make it easier for my animals and I because those places are already "taken" (okay, so there isn't any real plans for these places yet, as projects can take years to get done around here :-/ but yet they're still taken, so.) I'd like to make a really kicking chicken coop, or at least one that isn't outdated, leaky, and tacky as poop. I'd also like to make a coop for rescue birds to keep the roosters separate. I'd like to keep my dog indoors, and my rabbit in my room, and not have to answer to anybody (besides my boss and my farm of bosses, LOL), and to drive a nice little car I'll actually do the maintenance on and have a dang garage for! A decent job would be great so I can feed higher dollar feed to my animals, too. 18% feed for everybody! Wooo! And all of this will probably only happen if I hang it up for now and work with what I can. There's no point in watching out for a herd liquidation. Most of these animals have had 2 previous owners before me alone. I really think 3 owners is enough for anything, be it a car, animal, house, whatever. I'll sell what I currently have for sale and let nature do the rest. I'll keep everything until it passes. I was about done with the birds anyways; predators have me run ragged, waiting on a new coop for a year now has me aggravated and it seems like I'll be the one building it anyhow. Of course, if breeding picks back up and all gets better for me, I'll call off the shut down. Right now, I just don't know how much more I can take. I have these dreams of getting top notch stock, but I have doubts of anything selling, because if I can't even sell these happy, cute pet quality kits at $15, I'm not sure what tells me higher priced stock at $50+ will sell. I guess it's my area, because nobody else around here seem to be selling rabbits well, either. I guess it could be these big, corporate feed stores selling their cross bred rabbits at $12 and killing our profits, because another rabbitry with better stock than ours came to the last Ohio swap, parked right next to us, and didn't sell a thing, either. Maybe that will improve with a break, too. Maybe people don't take me seriously because I'm a teen girl trying to run a farm. Whatever it is, I wish it would wear off already! Either way, continue to follow us to stay informed about future decisions. Maybe even a short break will improve things.
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