# How much would you pay?



## Gagroundhog (Dec 27, 2012)

Hi everybody, I'm posting a new topic basically to settle a discussion between my dh and myself about prices of rabbits. Today I talked to a lady about NZW and NZB, she has 4 does and 2 bucks available for 25.00 each. The does are 8 m/o, not sure about the bucks. She gave detailed history on her stock, lg litters, dressout wts of 3 to 4 lbs at 8 wks and said she expects her does to breed well for five years. ( bred and cared for properly) I thought that to be a fair price. I can get them closer to home for 10.00 but that guy didn't really talk much on the phone so I couldn't really tell about him. Anyway I was impressed with the first lady. 
 1. Is 25.00 a fair price to pay for good NZ stock?
 2. Is 50.00 for a silver fox?
I haven't found any other breeds I'm interested in so any info you'd like to throw in on your favorite breed would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Dec 27, 2012)

*Like most things it all depends on your area. 

I do all the things you mentioned for potential buyers and I sell females for $40 and males for $20 (Californians).

I would say those prices are fair, especially around here. *


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## Four Winds Ranch (Dec 27, 2012)

It is the going rate around here (Alberta Canada) too!
The lady sounds like she has decent stock! Go for it!!!!


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## DianeS (Dec 28, 2012)

If the information about "her stock" meant the actual lines that those particular does come from - then yes, that is reasonable. I'm just cynical, knowing that someone can talk all day about "her stock" and then sell random rabbits that she just picked up from someone else, or ones she considers "her culls" rather than "her stock" becuase they don't produce as well, junk like that. But if the large litters are in these does' immediate family lines, and the nice dress out weights refer to these does cousins or similar relations, then I'd believe her and be willing to pay the higher price for her rabbits (than the ones the guy is selling). Her rabbits come with pedigrees, right? If she has all that good info she'd better be writing it down, and that means a pedigree. 

If I wanted to breed for meat rabbits, then New Zealands are great. I wouldn't pay more than NZ cost just for a different breed of meat rabbit. But if I wanted to show, then I might choose a more rare breed like the Silver Fox, and then I'd be OK with the higher price for it. 

Around here a NZ from decent lines (but not show champion types) will cost $20-25. The more information a person has, the more they can prove, and the better that info is... the higher the price. Random rabbits without info cost from $0-10. Sometimes those rabbits are just fine , sometimes they're not. It can cost 3 or 4 or more rabbits that cost almost nothing before you have one you're happy keeping, so that the price ends up being about the same in the end. 

Hope that helps!


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## Gagroundhog (Dec 28, 2012)

Hi DianeS, you are right, I've only talked to her once. I don't yet know if that is all one line of rabbits or more than one line.  She didn't mention pedigrees, she raises the NZs for meat and that her NZs average 8 to 10 kits per litter and she expects her does to breed and produce for an average of 5 years. The conversation lasted awhile, she didn't mind me asking questions. She also raises HL, ND,Double mained LH and Himayan. She keeps the little ones on the back porch to keep them warmer. She just seems to care about her buns. The most I got out of the other guy is he has many breeds as well as NZs and Cals and his NZ and CALs have an average of 5 or 6 kits and they sell for 10.00. The conversation with him was longer than that but he just wasn't a good phone person so I couldn't really get a good feeling about him.


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## Hutch (Dec 29, 2012)

I only keep about two out of ten rabbits for breeding.  If this is what you are getting then it is a good price and is probably worth more.  If every rabbit in the litter is that price then you are gambling on a genetic roulette wheel.  Could still be a good deal but I am trying to illustrate a point.

The two of ten are out of rabbits I breed specifically as possible replacement breeders.  I am not counting production rabbits in those numbers.


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## Gagroundhog (Dec 29, 2012)

Hi Hutch, I talked to her again last night to get more info. It turns out she has 2 lines and the does she has for sale are all sisters, same litter. The boys are brothers from a different set of parents. She also lives almost 200 miles away so if I go i'm not sure if I'd get a pair or 2 does and ask that they be bred before I take them home.  Bucks are also 8 m/o there is about a week difference in age. What do you all think? I have an ad in the market buletin. A farm/ag publication for rabbits wanted. Haven't gotten much response yet, assuming its the time of year.


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## brentr (Dec 29, 2012)

$25 for a good NZ rabbit is a good price.  Driving 200 miles one way...I'd check more a little closer to home if it were me.  You could find stock that was even a little more expensive and be better off because you don't have to drive.

It  is not a big deal, but I'd double check her facts about 4 lbs DRESSED weights at 8 weeks.  That means a live weight of ~6.5 lbs.  If her rabbits are reaching 6.5 lbs+ at 8 weeks, then they are indeed great rabbits.  I personally think the seller is "upselling" a little on that variable (or feeding them steroids ).


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## DianeS (Dec 29, 2012)

200 miles away is crazy far for rabbits. In my opinion, of course. Could be a normal day's drive for you.

But if I were contemplating driving that far for rabbits, I'd want a TON of serious photographs first. Photos of the rabbits you're considering buying, photos of the parents, photos of their living conditions, photos of the barn/shed where they live, photos of their pedigrees (she can lay a pencil across the middle of the paper for that one if she's concerned you'd reuse it for something), etc. 

I can't tell you how many times I've driven somewhere for rabbits with all the great assurances in the world, only to end up looking at rabbits that were ... not exactly as presented. I've walked through barns that should have been condemned (and that smelled like it). I've driven 45 minutes for a pedigreed rabbit only to find out she "couldn't find" the pedigree papers. I've gone for an 11 lb rabbit only to find out it was less than 10 lbs. Of course the obvious one is that I've gone for a female rabbit only to find out it was male. I've gone for healthy rabbits only to see that every other rabbit in the barn had ear mites. And so on.

Some of those I've bought anyway. Some I haven't. If I drove more than about an hour for a rabbit and had to leave without it because it wasn't as it was presented, I'd be pretty angry. I've learned some lessons, that's for sure. If pedigree matters to me, I now ask for proof that the person has it in their hand before I leave the house. If litter size matters to me, then I want to lay eyes on all the rabbit's siblings. (Same breed/same size, at least, can't exactly do DNA tests on them.) If fur for an Angora matters to me, then I don't buy a freshly plucked/sheared rabbit - I want to see it in full wool. 

So think about how much of a deal that 200 miles is to you, and the things that would tick you off if they weren't as presented, and decide if there are ways you can be assured of them before you go. Of course there are perfectly polite and business like ways of asking for these things, there's no need to sound suspicious of her as a seller. She hopefully is a perfectly honest one, it's just that there are so many who aren't that your advisors have gotten a little soured when the breeder doesn't have an established reputation among people we can check with. 

Hope that helps you!


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## LadyIsabelle2011 (Dec 29, 2012)

I agree with Diane, especially if you are going that far. If you buy pedigreed rabbits don't leave without that pedigree no matter how honest the people seem. I once drove about an hour and shelled out 30 dollars plus 10 extra for the pedigree that would be mailed to me. They were sweet people and I really wanted those papers so I agreed. Needless to say, I never saw hide nor hair of those papers. :/


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## Gagroundhog (Dec 29, 2012)

Hi Brentr,thank you. We had a chuckle over the size thing too but if she's close to 5 lbs live wt at 8 wks I'd be happy! Thats better than what I have now. But you are right, I was kind of thinking the same thing about the mileage and discussed it with my hubby and he agreed it would have been a fun day trip but not practical. Plus this trip we would have bought no more than 2 rabbits b/c she only had the 2 lines. Living where I do has its disadvantages if you want the rabbit breeds I'd like to find. I mainly want a good meat breed and maybe something special also a meat breed for fun. Later in the spring hopefully more will show up closer to home.
 I really like the cinnamon. Has anybody have or had any of these? There are some fairly close to me. 
I've also seen SF but there is a huge waiting list for those.  
Anyway my seach continues......


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## BYJR1434 (Jan 5, 2013)

all i can throw in is dont settle on your first stock in your herd, get a good quailty bunch or trio of rabbits.
25-40 is a fair price for breedable does in my area, i have no problem with it, and people are willing to pay that much so it works. 
if u can get quailty breed stock for 10? then go for it but dont settle for it just cause its closer and cheaper, as long as its feasable for you, in the long run youll see a better herd stock.
I raise Florida Whites(appropriate name would be-White balls of meat) and NZR's.
my 2 favs
Good Luck N Happy New Year!

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The Backyard jungle
Willamette Valley Oregon


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## Gagroundhog (Jan 5, 2013)

Thank you BYJR1434. My search is on going. I'm going over to look at 2 five month old califorian rabbits tomorrow. He said one is a doe, the other he wasn't sure. They are only 10. but he where I live is very economically depressed so that price is common for the area. All I can do is go see them. I've also emailed someone about some cinnamon rabbits, I hope that pans out, I like them and their history. I'm also hoping to find a couple of NZs. Any color but I see you have red! Thats my favorite NZ color!    Wish me luck tomorrow I really hope he has a buck. I already have a doe but if they look good, I'll go ahead and  buy the two tomorrow regardless. Hopefully a pair.


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## natem (Apr 1, 2013)

That sounds really fair, IF, they are good breeding stock. I recently found a lady that was selling a 7m/o NZ white for $20 , because she needed to downsize. Needless to say I jumped on that opportunity. I have seen some NZ go as high as $40. I wouldnt trust the guy selling $10, they are probably inbred. BTW, i live in NY


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