So, you've decided to start raising rabbits! Congratulations! You should already owned rabbits as pets before and know the basic needs of them. There is no need to dive head first into something if you've had no experience in it before! Raising rabbits is a fun hobby that you can learn so much from! Below are some things I think any beginner should think about when starting a herd.
First, how many rabbits are necessary to start your herd? The number is quite small and some people are shocked when they learn what it is. A nice trio is all you need. I recommend a proven senior buck that has shown well and has hopefully at least earned a few legs, a senior doe bred to the seller's better bucks (don't expect that they will happily breed her to their best buck because they might not be willing to do that.), and an older junior doe out of similiar lines to the other two. Try to make sure your start stock is all related in some way, like if certain bunnies all appear on their pedigrees at different times. This will help insure genetic consistency.
This next part so many breeders suggest, but you will be surprised how many people don't think it's important and throw this idea out the window! So, I'll say it again. Buy the best you can afford from the best breeders you can. Let's say you have $200 set aside for your starter stock. You could either get a great trio from a competitive breeder or you could get 5-8 from a breeder that shows horribly or doesn't show at all. Hmmm, touch decisions. Not! Quanity does not equal quality. Let's face it, a $20 rabbit won't get you far in the showing world.
How do you find these "Nationally Competitve Breeders?" Look at the National Specialy Club's website for the breed you are interested in getting. For Mini Lops, the link is minilop.org. Look who has been winning at Convention and Nationals, those are the people who have the best bunnies. Also look who is in the lead for Quality Points, those also indicate who the good breeders are. Sweepstake Points are not as important. A good breeder could show 3-4 and get first, BOV, and BOB while a breeder that isn't as good could show 15 and them all barely place top 5, the breeder that showed 15 would get more Sweepstake Points. Once you have found a breeder, call or email them and inform them that you are looking for a nice trio of bunnies and were wondering what they had available. You can request pictures or ask to set up an appointment to see the bunnies. Don't be afraid to get second opinions, this is a very important decision!
Once you get your trio, do not continue to buy nice rabbits whenever you see one. Always buy from breeders that come from the same lines as yours. You don't know if those 'random' bunnies will mesh well with your rabbits or not. The only exception to this is if you need to bring in a trait and can't find a bunny that has it, then I would suggest going to another breeder that is known to be strong in that trait.
Good Luck and I wish you all the best!
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