 Although my goal as a small rabbit breeder is to work on improving a select few colors of the Holland Lop breed, the obvious other task is to find homes for the bunnies that don't fit into my program. I have tried very hard to select good homes for these bunnies so that they are provided with excellent care and love and DON'T end up in shelters. The majority of my customers have been wonderful, caring people whom I truly have enjoyed getting to know. These are the customers who have gone out of their way to research the best bunny enclosures, food, hay, supplies, etc, and effectively communicate with me regarding pick-up date and any questions they might have. Their bunnies' pictures will be posted on the New Bunny Homes page as I receive photos. Unfortunately, things haven't gone so smoothly with one particular bunny, and it truly has put a damper on my holiday spirit and has me questioning my leniency on my sales policy. I won't go into detail, as the situation is ongoing, but it continues to cause me to wake up with a giant knot of worry in my stomach every day for over a week now. I realize that in the greater scheme, this situation is indeed trivial, but how it makes me question my ability to judge someone's character is what bothers me most. In the end, I have learned valuable lessons and will be much more strict with how future litters are sold. To my honest, trustworthy customers who are a pleasure to deal with, I wholeheartedly thank you for the pleasant experiences and quality homes that you provide your bunnies. It is these experiences that I will try to focus upon when debating whether to continue working with these adorable Holland Lop rabbits.  For anyone curious about exactly how much money breeding rabbits generates versus evaporates (when you feed them high quality pellets/hay/greens/water and provide exercise and large cages), take a gander at an average month's profit/loss report:
109.74 - Premium Rabbit Feed/Organic Oats 44.00 - Organic Hay 4.00 - Filtered Water 5.56 - Leafy Greens 21.96 - Bedding 10.25 - Exercise Pen Construction/Repair/Replacement 20.00 - Supplies that need replaced (water bottles, foot rest mats, toys, etc...) 27.50 - Cage Repair & Replacement ___________________________ 243.01 - Total Average Monthly Expense 115.00 - Total Average Monthly Income $-128.01 - TOTAL MONTHLY PROFIT (NONE!) This is why it stings so much when a customer fails to follow through on his/her commitment to purchase a bunny. Sure, I could breed more bunnies, feed cheap hay and pellets, and then I could be profitable...but this is against my philosophy, and this isn't a business. I refuse to "dispose" of bunnies that are pet quality or don't fit with my goals, so dealing with customers is imperative for me. I treat my bunnies with respect and love. They are my pets, and I breed them small-scale and with compassion for their well-being. I breed them to improve upon the type of specific colors for the sheer joy it brings me, for the one or two shows I attend each year, for my son who works so hard in 4H, for other 4H youth who are dedicated to their bunny projects, and for the families who adore their pet bunnies. All I ask is that you PLEASE be courteous and considerate if you are purchasing ANY pet from a breeder, and PLEASE do not judge that a breeder is in it for the money before ascertaining the facts. |
♥ Welcome! ♥ Hook's Hollands is a small hobby rabbitry on our Ohio farm and is operated by me (Diane) with the help of my family. All of my bunnies are pampered pets whom I adore. This blog serves to spotlight various bunny care topics and share a bit about my 365-days-a-year-with-no-vacations experiences raising bunnies. Categories
All
Archives
February 2021
|
RSS Feed
