Unfortunately, due to the Covid shutdown, a flood broke out in the rabbit industry. A whole bunch of bored, mostly young and inexperienced rabbit "raisers" flowed in. I won't even call them rabbit "breeders" as all they were interested in was to make money off these mass-produced bunny mills. They weren't trying to improve any particular breed. They mixed breeds together getting as many babies to sell as quickly as possible. What helped create this was the Perfect Storm of lonely and bored homebound folks who decided to get a pet. Not everyone was able or wanted to get a dog or cat. Either housing, cost or degree of responsibility dictated getting a smaller animal like a rabbit.
Suddenly the price of pet rabbits increased threefold or more. I'd even heard of a person selling $350.00 litterbox trained Hollands. The old Supply versus Demand. Misinformation abounded either perpetrated by social media or by each other. Sometimes they'd post on a rabbit Facebook group for advice as simple as providing a nest box for a doe to deliver in. Worse, they often didn't take advice from experienced rabbit breeders, wanting only to hear what they wanted to hear or what they'd already decided in their head.
Raisers were selling much too young baby rabbits because let's face it, smaller and cute sells. Maine State law requires rabbits not be sold prior to 8 weeks of age. People would post photos of 3-week-old babies no matter the breed or what size they will actually mature at. Sure, they are cute as all heck. Cute sells and extremely small sells even better! If these sellers were "reminded" of the 8-week law, they simply pivoted to taking "deposits" (non-refundable) on said 3-week old's. They'd hold them until the 8-week minimum but if you didn't pick them up right then you'd lose your deposit or have to pay for "boarding" with yet another deadline and no refund.
These raisers would mix breeds indiscriminately not caring about a particular breeds physical structure, characteristics or consequences of breeding two totally different breeds together. Some advertised their creations as some special hybrid or teacup bunnies. In the Holland breed in particular they brought in the Blue-Eyed White gene creating mismarked colored rabbits because the mismarks sell even better. It's got crazier. They brought in other unrecognized colors of Harlequins and Tri-color. The photos of their For Sale "Hollands" no longer resembled a Holland Lop. Their long ears and bodies, narrow and misshapen heads no longer held true what a Holland Lop rabbit even was. To a true Holland Lop breeder it was like fingernails on a chalkboard to see these pitiful bunnies listed as a purebred Holland.
Everything sold on this planet has its' "Peak season", whether strawberries in summer, President's Day car sales, pumpkins in October. Pet rabbit sales have always been spring or the dreadful Easter frenzy. Now that we are well past the shutdown, the pet market has been flooded, pet rabbit prices have calmed down, pet owners are relinquishing their Covid time pets, winter is on its way... What is happening?
Suddenly these rabbit raisers are abandoning ship. Not only are they selling what they have at lowered prices, they are giving away for free these animals that they can no longer make money off of. I doubt but a few will even keep one single pet rabbit for themselves after singing the praises of rabbit ownership to the public for the past two years while stuffing their wallets.
Can you tell that I've kept this pent up for quite some time? Sorry to vent but I guess you could say this is a "Pet Peeve" of mine.
To my pet buyers who have been caring and wonderful with their Blackberry Farm bunnies I THANK YOU! This is not directed at you. You've been wonderful to listen to my advice, answered the 10 questions list, visited in person, looked over the bunnies and kept in touch. The wonder of it is that most often the bunny choses you!!
Take care!