More and more rabbit owners/breeders are becoming closed rabbitries. What is a closed rabbitry? All the breeders that I have talked with who have a closed rabbitry do not allow anyone on their property to purchase rabbits. The breeders will always meet someone off their property (at a show, parking lot or wherever).

 

I've had folks ask me, What's up with that? What do breeders have to hide? 
 

Generally speaking good breeders have nothing to hide, but they do have some legitimate concerns.

 

There are a few different reasons:

 

1. The desire to not have Animal Rights and Animal Control people in their lives. This is becoming more and more of an issue. Breeders can lose their animals even if the complaint made is unjustified. Many groups target breeders specifically, even if the breeder has done nothing wrong. They know that most breeders are hobbyists and can't possibly afford the boarding fees that animal control charges to maintain their animals until the court case is heard. Sign over your animals or pay the boarding fees. A hobby is not worth risking family's financial freedom.

 

--- To be clear, animals RIGHTS people are different than people who care for animal WELFARE. Animal RIGHTS people alarm me and cause a great deal of damage because they care for animals MORE THAN they care for the people involved with them. They want what fits a particular agenda of care to be more important than the animals themselves or the people involved in the care of them. Whereas for animal WELFARE people what really matters are the animals under care. Are they clean, fed, watered, and housed. That's what matters. Our animals are VERY well provided for in clean, spacious housing and they are given one on one attention by us on a daily basis to keep them tame and to show them love. -----

 

2. The desire to avoid disease. This is the biggest one!!! Rabbits are fairly delicate animals. Bringing in pathogens on your hands, shoes or clothing is a risk to the rabbitry. One sick animal can kill an entire herd. Therefore most breeders are not comfortable with people they don't know well handling their animals or being too close to them. Airborne pathogens are the most dangerous to rabbits.

 

3. The desire to avoid inconsiderate buyers. Did you know that there are some individuals who think that because you have invited them onto your property they therefore have permission to peer through windows, touch or even release animals without asking permission, and wander around commenting on whatever suits their fancy? Indeed there are! This is rather upsetting and disconcerting, and it makes one wonder just how does one handle this? Therefore some breeders choose not to deal with these inconsiderate people and simply don't allow people into their personal space.

 

4. The desire for privacy. Some folks just aren't comfortable with folks they don't know well on their property. Plain and simple.

 

5. The desire for safety and security. Did you know that there are documented cases of people coming to homes to look at a rabbit, saying they aren't interested, then within the week finding their rabbitry or home burglarized. By not allowing people onto the breeder's property, the breeder helps prevent this hassle in his/her life.

 

6. The desire to reduce stress on the herd. Not all rabbits are created equal. Some rabbits adapt well to change and stress, and other rabbits do not. There are some breeders who generally have an open rabbitry, but when they have does kindling or raising young, they will close their rabbitry

 

Everyone is different but we have chosen to have a closed rabbitry. We have a lot of time and money invested in our rabbits and the risks are too high for it to be open.