Insane rabbit demand

[Baymule]

Our local TSC is swamped with people buying everything they can get their hands on. They have even stood in line to get in. The manager said that she is selling every chick she can get her hands on. She says people have no clue and she feels sorry for the chicks. Plants and seed still seem to be in good supply, but are picked over.

Same thing at the feed stores. All of a sudden, everybody wants to be a farmer.

 

[tonybluegoat]

Has anyone else been experiencing way higher demand in your area?
We live in northern alberta canada in what is called the peace region.

There's a good community of meat rabbits around here and there's normally ads for bunnies through the summer on our craigslist equivalent, kijiji. However this summer demand is so high that there's hardly any ads for bunnies up.

I posted all for litters I was expecting since they are all different variations of mixed breeds. I thought I'd sell a handful to cover some expenses. But it just blew up on me, the demand for does is crazy and bucks isn't far behind. I limited my waitlists for the unborn kits to 3 of each gender for each litter thinking that way we should cover all requests and hopefully put some meat in the freezer. But I've already over filled those numbers requesting does and almost full for bucks!

The first litter arrived a couple days ago and luckily there were 9 so that waitlist should be covered but HOLY COW!
I even had my prices up a bit high so this wouldn't happen and I still got told my prices were too low and I should raise them by one of the buyers getting the most does from me! I also had one guy that hasn't been able to find a buck for his adult does so he is driving FOUR HOURS up tomorrow to breed with my bucks!!! that's one way!!!
One hypothesis I heard is that people are panicking about a shortage of meat if the factories shut down for covid? I think maybe just boredom, everyone who ever considered getting into it has lots of time to get started now.

So let me know:
Where are located roughly?
What's you experience this spring compared to previous years?
What do you think is causing this shift?

I have a homestead blog and the traffic for all my posts that say “rabbit” is way up.

 

[drstratton]

We have 5 acres in the country in WA State! We've kept Banty chickens for years, raised pigs and had pet rabbits for our children! My husband and I discussed what could happen with our economy and decided that we should be prepared in case everything truly does go South! So, we bought pigs, new chicks (16 layers & we have 4 roosters, with one going to a new home, we'll see how the other 3 get along) and we decided to buy rabbits again, a breeding trio! We have a friend that keeps rabbits, so we went over and helped him cull some and learned how to skin and clean them! My husband will do the dispatching and I'm better at the skinning and cleaning. We had to build another hutch as the old hutch my husband built only had two cages! Our animals will be well cared for even if the economy doesn't completely tank. The chickens have been selling out of the feed stores as fast as they can get them in and there are waiting lists for rabbits being offered on Craigslist! I believe a lot of people don't know what they are getting into, but hope that most have done their research and are prepared. I read an article about people on lockdown in the cities adopting dogs, cats and yes rabbits! What are they going to do when they can get back to their busy lives, I'm afraid most of the animals will be neglected or returned to shelters...hope I'm wrong!

 

[mmorris]

So let me know:
Where are located roughly?
What's you experience this spring compared to previous years?
What do you think is causing this shift?

I'm in central Ma., and there seems to be plenty of mixed varieties around. I'm looking for a trio of Californians and I have a couple leads on litters that aren't ready yet. I got on the waiting list for some from one of the litters. I'm a bit of a prepper/homesteader type and raising meat rabbits fits right in with my ideology. When it's time to dispatch I will dispatch but I'm not going to like it! I've thought for a few years now that we were headed for a crash and if I could see it coming, I would raise meat rabbits. I'm not sure the coronavirus is the crash but it might precipitate it. Who knows. I raised Netherland Dwarfs many years back so I'm not new to rabbits, andI really look forward to having them around again. I'm now building an 8x10 shed just for them. I have a really big vegetable garden and fruit bushes/trees and they will really appreciate the little bunny contributions!
Martha

 

[CraftyHen]

I'm in central Ma., and there seems to be plenty of mixed varieties around. I'm looking for a trio of Californians and I have a couple leads on litters that aren't ready yet. I got on the waiting list for some from one of the litters. I'm a bit of a prepper/homesteader type and raising meat rabbits fits right in with my ideology. When it's time to dispatch I will dispatch but I'm not going to like it! I've thought for a few years now that we were headed for a crash and if I could see it coming, I would raise meat rabbits. I'm not sure the coronavirus is the crash but it might precipitate it. Who knows. I raised Netherland Dwarfs many years back so I'm not new to rabbits, andI really look forward to having them around again. I'm now building an 8x10 shed just for them. I have a really big vegetable garden and fruit bushes/trees and they will really appreciate the little bunny contributions!
Martha

Gotta love that rabbit poop. Haha

 

[messybun]

I think it’s Corona 19! Last month I started noticing people asking for laying hens. This month people are obsessed with pigs, meat rabbits and laying anything. I think it’s fear that has started the onslaught of orders. We can’t even get our usual veggie seeds!

 

[Miss mouse]

I have a really big vegetable garden and fruit bushes/trees and they will really appreciate the little bunny contributions!

And the bunnies will appreciate the left overs and twigs!

 

[mmorris]

We can’t even get our usual veggie seeds!

I always buy my seeds in the fall for the following spring. I used to think I was maybe being a bit over the top...

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

I just found this thread, so I’ll chime in too. I agree with the rabbit, chicken, egg, piglet, even goat demands!! Everyone is calling me to buy my everything!! I also have a waiting list for rabbits. Last year, I had to list them on Craigslist..this year I just announce them on Facebook...and waaalaa..everyone is at my door!! Seriously though...we didn’t have a farm page on FB until a little over a month ago. And then...the farm literally blew up with people knocking, calling, texting, etc. we are very happy and Blessed for the business..and far ahead of the feed bills...so that is great!! But, I do wonder, if after the stress of Covid..,will I still need 55hens...and the ones we are still look8ng for because we can’t meet the regular orders? I now have 6 breeds of bunnies...all types for any kind of buyer? I think? Personally, 8 don’t like to think I’m selling them for meat....but, that’s not my business. I do know that, I’ve started reading up on the Gene part, and the information about crossing to get colours....geez...you have to read that stuff at least eight times..and even then my brain feels like it’s fried!!

I had a little girl drive 3 1/2 hours, one way, for a very cute bunny..but that’s as far, as I’ve had travel. We though5 it was nuts!! A $15 bunny...and $60 in gas?

 

[For the Love of Dirt]

I am on a group for Silver fox rabbits for Southeastern US, and they have said the same thing. They have had increased demand for rabbits, and most of them aren't selling because they are, or course, concerned for the animals' well being, and are also concerned that when everything calms down, there will be an influx of unwanted rabbits flooding the market. They are focusing on feeding their own families at this point. And here I was hoping to find a blue buck for my does... I have also definitely seen an impact in TSC. There are NEVER chicks when we go, though they did have ducklings last time, considered snagging a few to be honest, but we already have a ton of turkey poults hatching and a flock of Brahma chicks that just got moved to the coop, so we have enough babies atm... My mom has a cousin coming to by 10 of the turkey poults though, and she is coming from Georgia, and I'm in Columbiana, AL!

I have a page up for my farmstead, but nothing really posted, as I'm not quite there yet, but I have been getting a lot of views on it the last few weeks. I guess people are just searching for farms and they are looking at every page possible in hopes to find something available.

Edit: Also, I work at the warehouse of an essential HOME improvement company, and the amount of gardening supplies we have seen this year is INSANE! It is probably quadruple what we have seen the last 4 years I've worked here, and it is still coming through. Usually at this point it has slowed down. And of course the paper towels, tp, and cleaning products...