Hey there! So let’s jump right in to why we started a Rabbitry. First off, let it be known that I was the one who did not like the idea of getting Rabbits. My husband wanted a Rabbit for our little one, but I thought Rabbits would be pointless. However, I came across two facts. One being that they have great droppings for garden fertilizer, and the second, is that they are actually a great meat source as well! The breed that we got is multi-purposeful. It’s the Standard Rex breed. This breed you can even use their pelts because they are so velvety soft. So with being kind of cute to look at in your yard and now having a purpose, we decided why not get some, and why not breed them for others to enjoy as well?
There are actually two Rex breeds, Standard and Mini. We chose Standard mainly because they are a bit bigger being between 7.5 – 10.5 pounds (12” in length) where as the mini’s are only 3 – 4.5 pounds (10” in length). We’ve never had Rabbits before and are having so much fun with them so far! Four will be our breeder Rabbits, three of which are shown below. So far, we have the two does (female Rabbits) and one buck (male Rabbit) with one buck on the way (around September, so excited to get him!). These Rabbits won’t be our meat source, that will be later in the future with the offspring, so we are still preparing for that. Currently, we are just using them as our garden fertilizers and friends to our little one to enjoy!
The name is “Evergreen Rabbitry,” because one, we love our home in the Evergreen state of Washington (hence this blog’s name), and two that name will eventually tie into the name of our (future) farm.
Our Rabbits:
When we do breed them if not this Fall, this coming Spring, we are hoping to send good and healthy, little Rabbits to families who will enjoy them as either a 4-H friend, a meat source, a pet, or even just a garden fertilizer! These Rabbits have so many options it seems like, and that’s why when choosing a breed, we chose this one. I also heard that this Rex breed is the most “cat like.” So, there is a random fun-fact for you. I am looking forward to writing about the whole breeding process with them, so keep a look out for that in the future!
Animal Stewardship, and Young children:
We wanted to start doing animals while we grow our family, and while our little Beatrice is young because we are big advocates of helping our children understand that while animals are cute and friendly, God has given them all a purpose. To teach them that we take care of, and respect the animals that the Lord has provided for us to use as food for the table. It is a true blessing, to be a steward of the earth.
Rabbit Care:
We have researched quite a lot, because we wanted to make sure that any animal we have never had experience with, would be well taken care of when we did become the owners. Luckily, rabbits in general are pretty low maintenance, and easy to take care of. They also don’t need a ton of space! That’s another reason why we decided on rabbits for our next animal. It’s a smaller space in our backyard, so we can do the Rabbits with no problems! We definitely didn’t want to get an animal who would not enjoy life in a smaller space at first. Also, with the gardening we are doing now they can, and will eat any cuts or clippings you don’t want to eat yourself! Beside’s a couple of things, they can eat just about anything in the garden (in moderation of course). I’ll make another post later, about what to feed them!
Rabbitry Info:
We might have one or two more Does later on, but I’ve heard often that It’s easy to find yourself with more rabbits than wanted. So, I’m keeping us limited to just the four breeders right now (two does, two bucks). With the two Does hopefully being bred 2-3 times a year, that will be plenty enough rabbits to have and give to other families!
I post about the Rabbitry on here, but if you are near the Key Peninsula area of Western Washington, and would like one, or a couple Rex Rabbits, head on over to our Rabbitry Facebook page “Evergreen Rabbitry” for further details and updates on the litters. You can also contact me through this blog, or any other social media! (all links at the bottom of this web page).
