Adding Rabbits to our Homestead

I wrestled with the idea of raising rabbits for several years.  We already have chickens and we are not quite ready to move up to large animals yet. So, rabbits seem to be a perfect fit for us.

We purchased our first trio of rabbits almost 2 years ago.  The trio consisted of 2 New Zealand White does and 1 New Zealand White buck.  A few weeks later, we added 2 additional New Zealand White does.  My husband built a beautiful rabbit hutch to house them in and I had a favorite new hobby.

The tarps are rolled up in nice weather and down to block wind or rain

I fell in love with the rabbits and started learning all I could about them.  I learned about various breeds and which were best for different things.  I learned which ones were rare or almost endangered.  I quickly began making a mental list of the different breeds I would like to have.  I didn't share my list with my husband though! :)

Notice the use of feed bags to help block the wind and cold.  Recycle, Reuse!

The beautiful hutch that my husband built turned into a double hutch!

I decided that I would like to add some Silver Fox rabbits to our growing rabbitry.  They are beautifully colored and multi-purpose rabbits.  They are also considered "threatened" by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.  I found a local breeder that had a Silver Fox buck for sale and made arrangements to purchase a couple of Silver Fox does from Ohio and have them transported here. I will make a very long story short and just say that we now have one purebred Silver Fox buck and one purebred Silver Fox doe. I have found that everything I read about them is true.  They are big, beautiful, and have very sweet dispositions.

Cozy Baby Bunnies

In my continuing research I began running across pictures and stories about Rex rabbits.  At first they did not interest me but the more I read and the more pictures I saw, I became intrigued.  I began actively looking locally for a Standard Rex but was having trouble finding one.  I joined Rex Rabbits for Sale on Facebook and found a breeder that it is about 30 minutes from me.  I contacted him and we arranged to meet the very next day and I came home with this beautiful Chocolate Rex doe.

Her fur is thick and feels like velvet.  She is super sweet and doesn't mind being cradled like a big baby.  My next goal is to add a Rex buck so we will have Rex babies.

Coco is my Chocolate Rex