What breeds to consider...

[enggass]

My daughter has interest in raising, possibly breeding some rabbits. What are some good cold weather breeds to consider? Would the Netherlands Dwarf be one to consider? We would be building a nice home/shelter, but plan on keeping them outside year round.
Thanks,
Steve

 

[TAH]

Are you looking to raise small or big rabbits?

 

[LukeMeister]

Hm, I don't know if Netherland dwarfs would do well or not, as I've never had any.
I think large breeds like American chinchilla rabbits or Flemish giants would do well in a cold climate. And also fluffy breeds like Angoras.
Also, try keeping them (not the males though) in groups so they can huddle together when it gets really cold.
As long as they're together, they can even survive (not healthily though) temperatures down to -15 to -20 degrees!

 

[enggass]

Medium size... @LukeMeister... What do you mean "not the males though"?

 

[LukeMeister]

Medium size... @LukeMeister... What do you mean "not the males though"?

Well, if you put males together they will fight. I have a buck that got out and got in a fight with another male through the wire, and now he has a hole through his ear.

 

[promiseacres]

As long as a rabbit can stay dry and out of the wind they do ok. High summer Temps are more of an issue than the cold. They need water also, my rabbits are outside in a unisulated shed, I do have heat lamps, 1. to keep water available and 2. I had two litters born end of January. As a newbie I would avoid keeping rabbits in the same cages, it can be complicated knowing which rabbits will get along, they can be very territorial. Also if she wants to show them you don't want them getting scars, wounds.
If you're wanting a tiny breed the nether land is that, be sure to find a breeder who doesn't keep agressive rabbits. (Any rabbit can be agressive,but some are worse than others.) I got my 4 yr old daughter a polish which is small like the nd but easier going in disposition imo. The nd also can have "peanuts" when bred as they have a dwarfing gene. Polish do not. My ultimate favorite is velveteen lop, a breed which is in the process of becoming a arba breed. The vlops all seek attention and do not spook easily. All bunnies need careful handling or can scratch. I have also had dutch, mini rex and California, most were easy to handle. Though some were not. For a child I think #1 concern should be disposition. I would look at arba s website and see if there are any shows near you to meet and talk to breeders. There's also good info on the different breeds.

 

[63redtudor]

As promiseacres says the summer heat is usually more of an issue. So far all of the rabbits we've lost were during the summer. Our meat rabbits (silver foxes) are outside, while the angoras are in a temp-controlled building. The outside rabbits are under a lean-to. During the winter we put tarps around them and when it gets really cold we'll put a heat lamp up, but thats it. Summer we open up the whole place and if it gets really hot (over 100) we'll run a fan or two.
There's people here (and a few friends of mine) who have tried the rabbit colony, with mixed results. Not sure I'd recomend if for a first timer. Much easier to have each rabbit have its own cage.
If this is the first time with rabbits, I'd go on craigslist and just get a couple of Californians or NZs (many areas the going price seems to be around $15-25 per rabbit). If this seems to work fine then settle on a breed you'd like and transition over. Getting started is where you'll spend the most money (cages, feeders, waterers and etc.), why spend $100 each on a rabbit to say 'heck with it' in a year?

 

[chiques chicks]

Agreed, the equipment investment is the big point.

I think that might be true for almost any animal. Except maybe dogs and cats.
My initial investment in coops, fencing, cages, shelters, feeders, waterers for all animals have been the biggest thing. Once the initial investment is complete, it gets much easier cash-wise. Breeds can be swapped out rather easily.

 

[TAH]

We have four Netherlands Dwarf rabbits and they do great in the cold. They only weigh about 4 pounds sometimes 5. We also raised Blue American rabbits they weigh about 9-11 pounds. Our Netherlands Dwarfs get a really thick coat in the winter and shed in the summer.

 

[Bunnylady]

With a maximum showable weight of 2 1/2 pounds, the Netherland Dwarf is the smallest of the rabbit breeds. Though our winters aren't terribly cold, I have lost them during the winter. Water is the critical resource; a rabbit needs water to process its food, and if it can't drink, it won't eat. Food is the fuel that keeps the body warm, and such a small body can freeze to death fairly quickly if it isn't eating enough. Some rabbits will eat ice, but liquid water is always better; whatever measures you take to keep water available at all times for your rabbits become even more important the smaller the breed.