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Thursday, May 31, 2012

Ignorant Thinking- No, we don't make money.

I recently had to delete a comment off the blog- of course, it was from someone who didn't use their real name, but it was something like "Now breeders will have to go out and get real jobs", in response to the blog about California passing the law prohibiting animals being sold in lots of areas.

Wow- could you possibly be any more ignorant and still be alive?  I've been sitting here trying to think of a breeder I know that doesn't "have a real job".  I'm sure there are some out there that are retired now- you know, after a lifetime of working, now they are show breeders. 

It still amuses me that the general public thinks we make so much money off breeding rabbits.  Especially show rabbits! They don't realize the cost of equipment- cages, carriers, brushes, grooming tables, feeders, water bottles, etc. etc.   They don't realize the cost of show entries- as "low" as $3.50 per rabbit per show and going up as high as $17 per rabbit per show.  They don't take a look at what it costs to put gas in a vehicle that can haul carriers of rabbits hours away.

My barn has electricity- certainly not an extra cost at all- not to mention feed and supplements, toys- etc. etc. etc. The commenter clearly has not read one of the first blogs I ever posted about why you don't make money selling rabbits.

Rabbit breeders are not "bunny mills".  We breed to a standard of perfection.  I'd be perfectly happy to get 1 baby per litter, if it was the best "type wise" that it could be.  Not every rabbit is going to fall close to that and even if it does, we keep those who fall the closest- we don't sell them.  So yes- we keep our most valuable rabbits. We sell those who would be helpful to someone else's herd, true. Not everyone does pet sells.  I find it hard to find suitable homes for pet woolies, so often those go to someone who takes them for free as meat.  I get ZERO profit off any baby that goes to him- despite having put feed and hay in to them.  Some people disagree with rabbits for meat- that's your choice, but I prefer that to having them go to someone who took it because it was free and neglects it until it dies.  That's a different soapbox for a different day.

So in short- no, we don't make money.  My real job helps pay to make sure that my hobby is something I can afford to do.  I have spent more money than I'll ever hope to recoup on the rabbits, whether we are talking about building their dutch barn or specially shipping in their feed- or something entirely different.

-Kristen

3 comments:

April @ Scrambled Eggs said...

I hate it how people on the "outside" think they know so much about our HOBBY. There's no way I'll ever make back the money I've put into my rabbits - I didn't start breeding & showing with the intention to make a profit.

Keep said...

I know! It irks me to death, especially when I think of the shear amount of money I've put on the line to make sure the rabbits are as comfortable and happy as they can be!

Unknown said...

Probably just another ARA trying to start trouble. Those people need to get a life and mind their own business. Hobbies are not meant for profit, they are something for someone to enjoy doing. Nothing more.