Purchasing Baby Rabbits for Showing

The Pros:

Buying a baby bunny is something that most 4H-ers and people starting out love to do. This can be an amazing experience because you get to raise your rabbit from a young age and watch it grow. You are able to handle your baby in the same way it will be as an adult which allows for it to get used to the life it will have at a more impressionable age.

People feel very strongly that bonding with a younger rabbit is an easier and faster process. While I definitely agree that bonding with a baby is easier than bonding with a rabbit during puberty, I think bonding with an adult depends entirely on the personality of the rabbit, but it is still a consideration for many people considering buying a baby.

Litter box training may be easier. I know a lot of people, especially starting out really love to have litter trained rabbits and it is reportedly better to start litter training your rabbit before the age of 4 months old for the best long-term success.

Babies are more active. I could spend hours just watching my babies play. They are curious about everything and the whole world is new for them. Babies are great entertainment.

You also get to see firsthand how your breed develops. Purchasing a baby will ALWAYS be a learning experience.

The Cons:

The big con here is that buying an 8 week old rabbit is a gamble. Most babies are very cute and balanced and even when you know what to look for, very few faults are apparent at this age OR you could have one already starting into the uglies and just look a total mess.

This risk is a BIG deal if you plan to show your rabbit. Even out of a champion pair, it is no guarantee that the baby will show well as it grows. You also risk not being able to show your rabbit at all because they could grow too large and be above the weight limit for show. Sometimes a false dwarf Holland is apparent by 8 weeks, but even I have been fooled in my own line, and one of my best does who just happened to be larger and have long ears and limb at that age, grew to be a beautiful, balanced girl under 4 lbs. (*Note that a false dwarf can benefit your program even though it cannot be shown because some of them can be great breeders.)

There are also breeders out there that are not skilled at sexing rabbits at this age and the likelihood of getting a visit from the "sex change fairy' is a lot higher at this age than after puberty when the testes descend.

The Important Takeaway

The big picture here is that you have to do what is right for you and your show/breeding project. There are good reasons to go either way, but we all start somewhere. I just think it is very important that people make an educated decision and know what they are getting into whenever possible.

Personally, I have always bought babies. Some breeders do not handle their rabbits as much as I do and their seniors can be very wild, so I would rather take the gamble on type (though I do my best to assess at the time of purchase) than have a very difficult rabbit in my barn. I think temperament is every bit as important as type.

Realm of Lapine Rabbitry

Dedicated to raising high-quality show rabbits, especially of color.

Purchasing Baby Rabbits for Showing

The Pros:

The Cons:

The Important Takeaway

Realm of Lapine Rabbitry

Dedicated to raising high-quality show rabbits, especially of color.

Purchasing Baby Rabbits for Showing

The Pros:

The Cons:

The Important Takeaway

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