HandledWithCare :: An Interesting Few Days

[HandledWithCare]

You guys were right about the price; I was nuts. I found some 3 1/2 hours away for $80 each! So excited! I don't just want Nigerians for profit I want them because of their personality, ease of kidding and their size which is more compatible with our farm size. Now I can build the enclosure and get their shelter built AND buy them for the money I had saved just to buy a pair. While they're still babies they'll be staying in our empty barn stall which I'm going to wire around with 1/2 wire to keep raccoons out of them.

This will leave me enough money to start working on the rabbit's stuff. We are also skipping the state fair to save $ and only doing the local county fairs. I think I have a better plan now.

 

[HandledWithCare]

A man today on a local forum had rabbits for sale, $10 a piece. A man offered him $3 a piece for ten of them and he refused. Sure it's a pain when somebody offers to "take livestock off your hands" for a hilariously small price, but this guy says "No I'd rather turn them loose for that price. I've already turned some loose."
Now I'm sorry, but if you're so overrun and overwhelmed that you're turning rabbits out, stop breeding! I've seen this guy advertising 100-200 rabbits for sale at a time. They're meat rabbits so why can't he butcher out the excess?! I had to say something. If he's setting them in the woods he isn't getting ANY money, but won't take $3?

I personally think this guy was lying to guilt people into buying. I hate things like this. Underhanded tactics to sell rabbits is why 90% of the urban population thinks you can't keep a pet rabbit alive! Arg!

 

[Wannabefree]

If I was just going to turn them out ya darn tootin I'd sell them for 3 bucks! How does he recoup cost of raising them up to sale age?!?! Some people have fluff between their ears :/

 

[pinkfox]

hes not setting them loose, id put money its a guilt tactic, same as the folks who put "someone needs to take these kittens or im taking them to the shelter" and then trying to charge people $50 for them...eventually theyll go way down on the price but occasionally "soft hearted" people fall for it...

Ill admit to not being all that flexible on the price of my buns...i knwo what their worth both alive and as meat and if i cant make enough to pay for feeding them, to sell point ill keep them to 16 weeks and put them in the freezer... its MORE cost effective to butcher the extras than go too low on them...

but i agree, i hate underhanded teqniques...
ill flat out tell someone offering me way low on a bunny that there worth more as meat...but thats not being underhanded its the truth...

threatening to set them free rather than sell for $3 however is ridiculous and id rather make $3 a peice than just send em off for the coyotes...

 

[HandledWithCare]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one annoyed. I believe he thinks he can manipulate buyers and get his price--and it's a decent price I wouldn't lower! I don't ever have to guilt anyone to get my prices even on the ones I can't eat! I've had someone threaten to eat a Lionhead if I didn't buy it and I laughed and wished them luck finding any meat on it!

 

[the funny farm6]

at the swap i go to a couple of weeks ago i had a chance to buy 30+ new zeland rabbits (all bucks) for $2.00 each if i took them all. and they were butcher size. but i didnt have the cage space or the extra $60.00 or so to put out for them.

i agree that he isnt turning them loose. but you know it is just as easy to say, "im sorry i just cant go that low."

but then again, i would be more than happy to eat them!

 

[Bettacreek]

Who knows, maybe he did set some free. For $3, that's about what you'd get at the auctions here. I know because I started my original group for $3.25 per rabbit (and got four females and one male). He might just be a spiteful person... Thinking that he'd rather cut off his nose to spite his face and release them instead of giving someone else such a good deal on them.

 

[HandledWithCare]

Who knows, maybe he did set some free. For $3, that's about what you'd get at the auctions here. I know because I started my original group for $3.25 per rabbit (and got four females and one male). He might just be a spiteful person... Thinking that he'd rather cut off his nose to spite his face and release them instead of giving someone else such a good deal on them.

Nah the pet scene down here is SO shady. The farmers are starting to take cues. Bad breeders abound and good breeders all keep a ton of secrets from each other lest they give tips to the competition.

 

[Bettacreek]

Who knows, maybe he did set some free. For $3, that's about what you'd get at the auctions here. I know because I started my original group for $3.25 per rabbit (and got four females and one male). He might just be a spiteful person... Thinking that he'd rather cut off his nose to spite his face and release them instead of giving someone else such a good deal on them.

Nah the pet scene down here is SO shady. The farmers are starting to take cues. Bad breeders abound and good breeders all keep a ton of secrets from each other lest they give tips to the competition.

If that's the case, then I don't doubt that he released some of his rabbits. He'd rather lose the $3 per rabbit than lose more potential buyers when you start breeding those $3 rabbits. He's just someone who doesn't think to eat them instead of setting them free.

 

[HandledWithCare]

Had a decent day yesterday, got a lot done. We went to our weekly market and sold some silkie young chickens, eggs, soap and some of our handmade jewelry. All told we made about $60 and I traded my extra male Coturnix for some tomatoes; he was bullying everyone and I don't care for that. Got home and butchered out six rabbits, saved the livers and hides. Mom ate the livers an hour later--talk about fresh and I froze all but one rabbit--4 are sold, 2 are ours. I cleaned the hides and froze them for when I tan in the future; I'm gonna teach my 4Hers with this batch.

I got a call in the evening from a guy who put in a $58 dollar order for hatching eggs--woo! We also have some eggs in the bator that will hatch right at the start of August so those will probably sell quick enough, silkies, guineas, Narragansett turkeys and Australorps. The goat lady called and said she doesn't want to sell the does now so I'm back to square one, but she's asking around to people she knows. As soon as payday rolls around I'm ordering some silkies from Cackle to breed into my flock. We need some improvement on the silkies, especially the roosters.

I'm looking at getting into trapping for furs and also can't find a good stretcher for my rabbit hides. What size do I need? Will the muskrat work? The mink? Arg I wish I knew someone who could answer these questions. Anyway I think I'll mostly be getting raccoon, possum and occasionally skunks here, plan to live trap them in box traps so I don't accidentally trap somebody's dog or cat. We're way out in the woods but the neighbors' six German shepherds visit everyday and try to hassle the rabbits so I'd hate to catch one of THEM.

So what's up with y'all?