Brady Curtis

Senior Project

2016-2017 School Year

Breeding and Raising Show Rabbits

I was at the Utah State Fairgrounds and walked into an interesting room. There were long

tables with cages on top and each one had a little rabbit in it. A person with a long red apron

would walk around and carefully examine each rabbit before placing it back into its cage. Turns

out I walked into an ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) sanctioned rabbit show.

Similar to a dog show, the animals are bred in an attempt to hold up a standard of perfection.

My mom and I were curious and talked with other breeders at the show. We quickly made some

friends who offered to give us a tour of their barns where they kept their animals. When we got

there, you could smell it before you could see it. The sickly, pungent smell of ammonia

permeated the air around the barn. Rabbits were being kept in dirty, cramped cages, running

neurotically around the sides of the cages and rubbing their faces and necks on the sharp edges of

the feeding trays. I was very upset by this scene and it lead me to wonder if I could accomplish

the same things as other breeders, while keeping my rabbits happy and healthy. So I set out on a

mission that began with the question: How can I raise competitive, show quality rabbits in a

humane, ethical, and responsible way?

In order to give the rabbits a humane and happy life, the first thing I had to consider was

how much space they needed. Obviously rabbits in the wild have plenty of space to run around

and burrow deep into the ground, so its unnatural and cruel to keep them in tiny cages all the

time. ARBA recommends a minimum 1.5 square feet of space for rabbits under 4.5 pounds
(ARBA). The breed we started was the Jersey Wooly, a small breed with a max. size of about 4

pounds. This still seemed incredibly small and inhumane, so I looked to other breeders and

online for rabbit care guides and care sheets. A cage about two by two feet and a foot and a half

high was deemed appropriate. However, rabbits are very active and curious, so it is crucial to

have some form of larger space for them to exercise in. Getting proper exercise helps a rabbit

maintain its bulk and body shape, thus making a better show animal. I ended up building a run in

the yard, divided into 3 sections so that multiple animals could be out at once. A portion of each

section had a piece of plywood setup to shelter the animals from the sun and weather.

Additionally, interesting structures were added to satisfy their curiosity. Rabbits were let out into

the pen for 3-6 hours a day, rotating between cage and pen so that each animal received plenty of

exercise time.

In addition to being let out regularly, the cages had to be sheltered. Simply placing a

piece of plywood over the top of the cages was not enough, as the temperature would raise up in

the summer and freeze them in the winter. So we built a small barn in the backyard, one that

could be regulated with a heater and AC in order to keep the rabbits happy. The least stressed

rabbits are the ones who keep weight on their bones and who dont randomly molt their coats.

Additionally, several common diseases in rabbits, including the notorious snuffles, caused by

pasteurella, are allowed to breach a weakened immune system due to high stress. Happy rabbits

are healthy rabbits.

The next thing I had to consider was the feeding of the animals. The standard diet for a

show rabbit generally consists of feed pellets with a small slice of apple thrown in every once in

awhile. I thought this was boring and plain sad for the rabbits so I began to feed treats more
regularly. Rabbits can eat all sorts of fruits and vegetables. I experimented with several different

varieties but discovered that they like bananas the most, with leafy green carrot tops a close

second. Every night or so I take a plate of sliced bananas, apples, and carrot tops out to the barn

and give each rabbit a share. Feeding a variety of natural sugars helps to keep weight on the

animals without overfeeding them.

Additionally, many breeders choose to keep their rabbits solitary. Rabbits are a

communal species, creating groups or communities in the wild, living in vast underground

warrens. I figured that the rabbits I kept would be happier with a friend to live with. I could not

house two bucks together as they would fight, however two females could get along nicely under

certain circumstances. If one was pregnant or had babies they would become territorial and

attack the housemate. Sometimes the housemate would kill the babies. So the friend would have

to be removed after the other got pregnant. After the babies grew old enough to be weaned, I left

the does with the mother instead of returning the original friend. A mother and its babies would

form much stronger bonds and were guaranteed to get along. Bucks could not live with does as

they would harass them, biting their fur and chasing them around.

With the living arrangements sorted out, I had one thing left to consider. In order to breed

the best rabbits you can with your herd, You select the best baby or babies from each litter.

Those go on to strengthen your line. The rabbits that dont make the cut have to be dealt with

somehow. I did not want to be giving out free rabbits on KSL or craigslist, but also did not have

enough space in the barn for that many animals. Most breeders resort to culling their animals, to

put it lightly. This means killing the animal in a humane way. I was ok with this for a while, as it

meant that I was in control of the animal and its happiness for its whole life, instead of sending
it off to a potentially neglectful pet home or to become live food for a violent animal. After a

while though I thought that it was too wasteful to live with. I had to come up with a way for the

rabbits lives to have some meaning, even after life. I thought about what happens to them in the

wild. Rabbits are a prey species and anything that can catch a rabbit will kill and eat it. They

make great food for all sorts of creatures. I contacted a friend who runs a local reptile rescue,

asking if he would like to use the rabbits as food for his animals. He explained that he only feeds

his snakes and lizards dead/frozen animals for the safety of both parties. The feed animal has a

humane and painless death and the predator is safe from kicking, biting, and scratching. Once a

month he would come to pick up the rabbits and I was finally content.

I won several prizes in shows after I started breeding, thanks to my careful and

responsible treatment of the animals. I made a lot of friends along the way and have learned a

great deal more than just how to raise rabbits. In conclusion, this experience was a lot of work,

but worth it and one I will never forget.

Works Cited

Arba.net

"How To Care For A Pet Rabbit - My House Rabbit". My House Rabbit. N. p., 2017. Web. 19

Apr. 2017.

"Snuffles (Pasteurellosis) In Rabbits: Cause, Signs, Treatment, And Prevention".

Peteducation.com. N. p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

"Wild Rabbits Seldom Live Longer Than A Year And Graze Close To Their Warren".

Rabbitmatters.com. N. p., 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.