Selling to Feed stores?

james dilley · #1 09/26/07, 11:21 AM

Well I stopped at A larger feed store in town this A M just to see what they had, They sell Bunnies for $10.00 each, And were telling me they want the little ones at 4 weeks old, They Pay $4.50 each. I know they need to make A buck. So is $4.50 A decent price for A 4 week old bunny?? They want 10 or more at A time.. Any thoughts??

turtlehead · #2 09/26/07, 12:10 PM

In my opinion, 4 weeks is too young to sell a rabbit. They're not fully weaned at 4 weeks.

I'd sell at 8 weeks.

To decide if $4.50 is a decent price, figure out what the doe eats while she's pregnant and while she's nursing those kits, plus what the kits eat. Add a little bit to your feed costs to cover your time and effort. See if $4.50 per kit will cover those expenses.

Then of course you have to decide if it's worth it to you NOT having that meat on your own table.

MaggieJ · #3 09/26/07, 12:18 PM

I agree with Turtlehead. Four weeks is much too young. I won't sell a rabbit for less than $10... I'd rather eat it myself. And I would not sell rabbits that young to anyone.

SquashNut · #4 09/26/07, 12:38 PM

we sell ours for $5 -$6 our selves; no middle man, from mutt mini rabbits.
I would not sell them that early either. But for me 6 weeks is Ok, if I have weened them well and they are eating good, including some greens.
I want to know that they can handle the greens, just in case a child gives them some.
Now this is from a doe that normally eats only 3 to 5 ounces of pellets a day, and some hay and oats. twice that when she is nursing.
Around here they sell full sized fryers for $6 butchered. i won't be doing that and my full sized breeders are only going to be sold with the pedigrees. I guess you have to deciede what your time is worth.
My mini doe had and saved 10 this time. i am keeping 2 for replacement stock. I am hoping to sell the other 8 for $6 each. $48. That is enough to buy 4 bags of feed. Hopefully enough to raise a full sized litter for my table and maintain the rest of the herd for 2 monthes.
But my freezer comes first. If I needed the meat the mini rabbits would be raised for the table also.

moonwolf · #5 09/26/07, 12:44 PM

our feed store wouldn't sell live rabbits anyway. They allow anyone to put up on their buy and sell bulletin board if anyone is selling or buying rabbits.

Spinner · #6 09/26/07, 01:30 PM

This sounds like a case of the feed store wanting to acquire baby bunnies as young as possible so they can sell them before they outgrown their babyness (is that a word?) They are more interested in making money than selling healthy bunnies that have a good start in life. You might try to educate them on that fact. If they work with you, good, if not then I wouldn't sell to them. That's a cheapo price. They want over 1/2 the profit while you pay all the expenses of keeping the breeders and do all the work. Sounds like they are trying to take advantage of you and the bunnies.

SquashNut · #7 09/26/07, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spinner

This sounds like a case of the feed store wanting to acquire baby bunnies as young as possible so they can sell them before they outgrown their babyness (is that a word?) They are more interested in making money than selling healthy bunnies that have a good start in life. You might try to educate them on that fact. If they work with you, good, if not then I wouldn't sell to them. That's a cheapo price. They want over 1/2 the profit while you pay all the expenses of keeping the breeders and do all the work. Sounds like they are trying to take advantage of you and the bunnies.

I am afraid that is right. Everyone wants these rabbits but they want them cheap. Thank about the price of equipment, even if you make your own, it takes time. The price of rabbit wire is going up too.
Sounds to me the feed store wants to sell so cheap no one will make any money, except he gets to sell feed and equipment to you and the buyers of the rabbits both.

be sure to include the price of worming and other medicines when you calculate what you have into the bunnies.

james dilley · #8 09/26/07, 02:01 PM

What I was thinking, Is The rabbits I have Are almost All mutts. Theres only 1 N Z W in the bunch, And theres no telling about her. My thought was to get A few bucks back for feed. And to get Better rabbits and NEW cages. I told Tito the youngest I would sell would be 6 weeks old if THAT young. Right now NOT counting Time. I only have $90.00 in ALL the rabbits. I will NOT sell All the young this way. Just A litter here and there. IF I do this. I Do welcome ALL thoughts though. You see Rabbits for Meat are not that big here in the Valley..

Bernadette · #9 09/26/07, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by james dilley

My thought was to get A few bucks back for feed. And to get Better rabbits and NEW cages. I told Tito the youngest I would sell would be 6 weeks old if THAT young. Right now NOT counting Time. ....

I will NOT sell All the young this way. Just A litter here and there. IF I do this...

I think you're on the right track, James. Four weeks is too young, but six is more reasonable. I'd see if he'd give you $5 - can't hurt to try. Get yourself sorted out, situated with better cages, and consider purchasing a pair of smaller 'pet' sized rabbits. Raise those to sell to the feed store for pets (smaller rabbits eat less feed). Just a thought.

turtlehead · #10 09/26/07, 02:59 PM

I think your decision to sell at six weeks (or older) is a sound one. Many rabbits do well on their own at six weeks.

You might ask the feed store if they could sell meat rabbits or pet rabbits more easily, and let that help you decide if you want to do this. If they want pet rabbits, you'd need to acquire two or three small breed rabbits.

If you have plenty for your own table, and some in the freezer or canned, and they're still coming out your ears, there's nothing wrong with taking a few bucks to help offset your expenses.

I wont' sell for less than $10 - but then I just ran an ad in the local trader's guide asking $10 for my Californian x NZW rabbits and didn't even get one phone call! That's okay with me, I'll just make room for them in the freezer. But if I were overloaded with rabbit meat then I'd come down on the price.

I think you're weighing all the variables well.

DocM · #11 09/26/07, 03:07 PM

Sell them to the feedstore at 6-8 weeks but tell them they're 4 weeks. If they're so ignorant that they'd sell them that young, they're not going to know. You could make more if you simply listed the rabbits yourself for $10-15 dollars on local bulletin boards or craigslist. I raised commercial rabbits for years and I would still be making a profit selling them at 4.50 - not much, but a little. Depends on what you have into your operation and how much your feed is. Right now, the market price in my area is .95 a pound for 10-12 week old fryers, averaging 5lbs, and commercial raisers are making money, so you should make a profit at 4.50 for 6 week old kits.

SquashNut · #12 09/26/07, 03:27 PM

The feed store guy here sells the 4 week old ones and tells the buyers they are 8 weeks old.

James, didn't you say one of your bucks was some ones pet? how big is he? What does he look like?
If he is a small breed he could possibly be a good sire for some smaller type rabbits.

Dian · #13 09/26/07, 04:19 PM

Selling at 6 weeks is better. As someone else said people around here want dressed rabbits for $6 each. So getting $4.50 (or $5 if you can get it) for the young ones is not too bad. As for what kind of rabbits, most people that buy from a feed store don't ask and don't care. They don't even think about what size the rabbit will eventually be. I think most don't even plan on keeping it that long.
If you are going to have extras, I say go for it. I always like to know I have a way to make money for their feed. Maybe he will buy enough from you to keep you in feed for all your bunnies, or to upgrade your herd. You might decide you like your mutts. I find the mutts usually have better temperaments and are good producers.
Dian

ricky · #14 09/26/07, 05:14 PM

the feed store does not care. see it goes like this i sell you a cute little bunny that is 4 weeks old. your child grows attached to it the week it is alive. it dies and now the feed store sells you another one.
6 to 7 weeks would be about right. watch them you can tell when there ready to eat on there own. i dont know about any one else but i kind of noticed the bigger the kit the earlier the mom cuts them off or they eat on there own due to lack of milk or just survival.

KAM · #15 09/26/07, 05:28 PM

If it is like the pet store. They like them young so they have more time to sell them.
I helped some sell to pet store long time ago. To get them to take the older babies. I said I would buy them back. Only end up with a couple in a couple of years that I did that. Because people want small and cute.
I am not big on selling pets anymore. I keep trying to talk them out of it. If they still want a pet then I sell them one.

Reauxman · #16 09/26/07, 11:19 PM

I am going to be the odd man out, but I am a 4 week weaner. Been that way for years. I loose a few, but so does everyone. I am not raising for commercial pets, so I need to get them off the does as quickly as possible to get my does bred again, as few does will breed with a litter still on them.

I don't send them out until 5-6 weeks, but they are very rarely still with mom past 4 weeks.

SquashNut · #17 09/26/07, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reauxman

I am going to be the odd man out, but I am a 4 week weaner. Been that way for years. I loose a few, but so does everyone. I am not raising for commercial pets, so I need to get them off the does as quickly as possible to get my does bred again, as few does will breed with a litter still on them.

I don't send them out until 5-6 weeks, but they are very rarely still with mom past 4 weeks.

That's how we do it too. I haven't had any problems yet.

Reauxman · #18 09/27/07, 06:37 AM

Sorry, my post should read not raising for meat, but commercial pets.

KAM · #19 09/27/07, 08:32 AM

I have only wean early if the mother is not keeping care of the babies at all. Do you wean a couple at a time. Or the whole litter at the same time.
And who cares what you call the thread. I do not they are all fun to read.

Reauxman · #20 09/27/07, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KAM

I have only wean early if the mother is not keeping care of the babies at all. Do you wean a couple at a time. Or the whole litter at the same time.
And who cares what you call the thread. I do not they are all fun to read.

I wean all at once. 15 years and no problems.

If the last comment was directed towards me, I wasn't talking about the thread, but a mistake I had in my previous post. I didn't edit as it had been quoted.