Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Can't Sell What I Can't Use???
I've seen people write on various groups that they wouldn't sell a rabbit they woudln't use themselves. It sounds like to me, they are just selling rabbits they could use in their own herds and the rest are worthless to anyone else. I don't happen to agree with this point of view. I will sell rabbits that I can't wouldn't use myself in my herd and I don't feel the least bit bad about it.
First of all, I may sell rabbits that have the very fault I am currently working on eradicating from my herd. A good while back, I sold a number of nice bunnies with narrower shoulders. Despite the fact that they have lovely hindquarters, gorgeous heads, did well on the table, and produce nice offspring, I wouldn't use them in my herd (any more) because I was doubling and quadrupling that fault in my herd with nothing much to balance it out.
Was it unethical of me to sell them? Heck no. I described their faults and strengths to the best of my ability, priced them fairly, and let them go with a full heart. They may have been the perfect bunny for someone not having shoulder width problems but looking for a nice head or butt.
I will also sell bunnies that have the same set of strengths and faults and the majority of the rabbits in my herd, especially if I don't think he or she has something else to offer my herd. In fact, I may keep a slightly inferior rabbit instead, if it has something unique or at least more rare in my herd.
I will also sell rabbits that are nice, but just not nicer than the herd bucks I have already. I wouldn't use it in my herd - why would I need to? - but there's nothing wrong with selling it to someone else.
I might also sell rabbits because I'm narrowing my genetic pool - again. I have a nice line started now that I'm selling completely out of. They are nice bunnies, but it's just not where I'm going to spend my energy. Some of you may remember when I did that with my fledgling Dandy line. What a great bunny! But I decided to put my energies elsewhere.
Also on my for sale list are rabbits that just don't meet the quality of the rabbits in my herd. This may be what some of those folks are talking about. But as long as the rabbit is sound and is described and sold fairly, I see no problem with selling it. Not everyone is looking to start out with $200 does and $350 bucks. A rabbit that might be a couple of steps back for me, might just be several steps ahead for someone else.
I do feel that each rabbit I sell should have solid genetics behind it and have the potential to produce better than itself, though. If a rabbit has nothing to offer its new owners, then it is sold only as a pet. And only then if it has a nice personality.
I think we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that rabbits are bad or good. But rabbits, at least to me, are puzzle pieces. I don't need five corners in my puzzle and neither do I need 45 blue sky pieces of the same shape and color. A piece that doesn't fit in my puzzle may fit nicely in someone else's. Or it may be the start of a puzzle for someone who doesn't yet have enough pieces to even start seeing the picture.
A rabbit does not have to be able to earn legs to be worthy. True, I probably toss aside too many good pieces because of my personal project of working with all grand champions, but for now at least, I'm willing to pay that price.
I'm glad that there are people who feel they can only sell rabbits good enough for them to use themselves. That's certainly a better position than those who will sell anything as long as they can get money for it. But just because I don't find a rabbit useful to me, doesn't mean it's not great for someone else.
Laurie
¶ 6:08 PM
First of all, I may sell rabbits that have the very fault I am currently working on eradicating from my herd. A good while back, I sold a number of nice bunnies with narrower shoulders. Despite the fact that they have lovely hindquarters, gorgeous heads, did well on the table, and produce nice offspring, I wouldn't use them in my herd (any more) because I was doubling and quadrupling that fault in my herd with nothing much to balance it out.
Was it unethical of me to sell them? Heck no. I described their faults and strengths to the best of my ability, priced them fairly, and let them go with a full heart. They may have been the perfect bunny for someone not having shoulder width problems but looking for a nice head or butt.
I will also sell bunnies that have the same set of strengths and faults and the majority of the rabbits in my herd, especially if I don't think he or she has something else to offer my herd. In fact, I may keep a slightly inferior rabbit instead, if it has something unique or at least more rare in my herd.
I will also sell rabbits that are nice, but just not nicer than the herd bucks I have already. I wouldn't use it in my herd - why would I need to? - but there's nothing wrong with selling it to someone else.
I might also sell rabbits because I'm narrowing my genetic pool - again. I have a nice line started now that I'm selling completely out of. They are nice bunnies, but it's just not where I'm going to spend my energy. Some of you may remember when I did that with my fledgling Dandy line. What a great bunny! But I decided to put my energies elsewhere.
Also on my for sale list are rabbits that just don't meet the quality of the rabbits in my herd. This may be what some of those folks are talking about. But as long as the rabbit is sound and is described and sold fairly, I see no problem with selling it. Not everyone is looking to start out with $200 does and $350 bucks. A rabbit that might be a couple of steps back for me, might just be several steps ahead for someone else.
I do feel that each rabbit I sell should have solid genetics behind it and have the potential to produce better than itself, though. If a rabbit has nothing to offer its new owners, then it is sold only as a pet. And only then if it has a nice personality.
I think we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that rabbits are bad or good. But rabbits, at least to me, are puzzle pieces. I don't need five corners in my puzzle and neither do I need 45 blue sky pieces of the same shape and color. A piece that doesn't fit in my puzzle may fit nicely in someone else's. Or it may be the start of a puzzle for someone who doesn't yet have enough pieces to even start seeing the picture.
A rabbit does not have to be able to earn legs to be worthy. True, I probably toss aside too many good pieces because of my personal project of working with all grand champions, but for now at least, I'm willing to pay that price.
I'm glad that there are people who feel they can only sell rabbits good enough for them to use themselves. That's certainly a better position than those who will sell anything as long as they can get money for it. But just because I don't find a rabbit useful to me, doesn't mean it's not great for someone else.
Laurie
¶ 6:08 PM
