Here you will find:
At Trickster Hares Farm, we enjoy raising heritage rabbit breeds and keeping these endangered breeds going, and they help us with food. The mandolin typed Beveren rabbits were at one time popular for meat, and were the primary fur breed in the 1940’s. They have been replaced by the mono-culture approach of large scale industry focusing on one or two common breeds. The rare breeds suffered genetic loss as the populations shrank. Many rare breed enthusiasts today work together to help develop genetic strength and viability.
One of the best ways to get established on the map of rare breeds is to show your rabbits. The more points you get for your rabbits, and the more wins, and the more helpful you are to getting others started, the more you are noticed as a reputable breeder. We did a lot of showing in our initial years; the move to a rural area in Colorado, the pandemic, RHD, and being in graduate school put a damper on that. That may be changing as we’ve made it out to the West Coast Classic in Reno and to National Convention in Kentucky in the past couple years.
Rare breed rabbits are often transported around the country, because there often isn’t a local good source from a reputable breeder. We purchased our foundation stock from across the country from excellent breeders and understand that it’s costly. In some rare breeds, its nearly impossible to find a perfect show animal. I’ve experienced getting both fantastic and terrible rabbits from out-of-state. My advice is to see pictures or check out the reputation of the breeder you are getting them from.
I sell live rabbits. They are not cheap. I do not like selling my rabbits as I am concerned about what kind of homes they are going to, but will sell to get someone started with the breed. We sometimes will sell hares as pets.
To truly maintain the breed, occasionally go to shows to make sure you are breeding to standard. The standard helps us keep the breed in line with its heritage characteristics. If you don’t show, you don’t know what you are selling. It might be purebred but your lines bred in a direction that doesn’t match the standard will give this breed a bad name when someone tries to show it. I’ve heard such terrible stories of new bunny owners who love their rabbits go to a show and find out they have rabbits fit for the stew pot. Rabbits multiply rapidly and with litters of 6-12 bunnies, be prepared to either eat them, or to have an outlet at a wildlife rescue facility who needs a food supply. There is no way to find pet homes for all those rabbits.
Know that if you purchase from me, I disclose as much as I know about the rabbit, so it’s ok to ask questions. I provide pictures too, if you are long distance. We are all breeding towards the standard, that doesn’t mean every rabbit is perfect already, especially rare breeds where they have in some cases been brought back from the brink of extinction in the U.S. (Thanks Jeanne Walton, Gene Johnston, and Joe Chess for the Belgian Hare revival! Thanks Kim Calloway and Barbi Brown for helping bring Beveren back!) So please know that going into a rare breed – I may sell you the best I have but that doesn’t mean its perfect. Get the best you can and help us improve the breed to conform to the standard!
PRICES
My prices are usually as follows, but are sometimes adjusted. I do offer a 10% discount on 5 or more:
Belgian Hare
- Black & Tan show quality $250
- Himalayan or White (unrecognized project color) $250
Beveren
- Whites $125 – 150
- Whites at a show $150
For current photos of animals for sale and upcoming litters check my Facebook page Trickster Hares Farm or feel free to contact me.
SPECIAL NOTE: If you have dollar signs in front of your eyes and are thinking you can make money off rare breeds, let me stop you right there. Very few people do. The definition of rare means most people don’t want them. The cost of rabbit raising is going up with inflation.
Belgian Hares can be hard to breed and raise, and that is accounted for in those prices. Making a show quality tan is no joke and it’s taken over a decade for us to be competitive. That’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears before we even felt good about selling our extras.
For Beveren I may have only 2 rabbits a litter with promising show potential, and the rest go in the freezer. Sometimes, it’s the whole litter.
Over the years, people come in and just as fast leave these two breeds. The definition of rare breed means it’s not popular. If it was popular, it would be easy to find people who want to buy them, and you can charge good money. Likewise, these two breeds are not currently the trend for house pets. They are both large breeds and don’t fit the modern day preference for mini rabbits. Plan to eat a lot of rabbit.
Animals are guaranteed healthy the first 24 hours. Beyond that so much depends on the care, the transport, food, water, stressors. I want to know if your animal shows up sick or if there is a problem so communicate with me. Beyond the 24 hours I may give you some credit towards a replacement. I like to discuss with you first what has happened.
At a show or in the van of a transporter, one never knows what a rabbit might be exposed to – and that risk is on the shoulders of the purchaser and the transport they line up. I can’t vouch for your transporter. You can ask your transporter the conditions inside their van. For instance, kenneled next to dogs can be very stressful!
I sell show quality animals. If there is a fault I will tell you. I don’t send off animals with knowing DQ’s without saying so. That said, if you find a DQ on your animal in the first couple weeks of arrival, please notify me ASAP. Please look the animal over when it arrives. If there is something I missed, please notify me for an exchange.
RETURN POLICY. Sometimes life changes happen, or you decide this isn’t the breed for you, I get it. Some of my lines are very rare and irreplaceable for me. I sell rabbits from these lines because I do not have room to keep them all. Sometimes the one I keep doesn’t turn out as good as the one I sold, or maybe something happens to it. I consider sharing my stock as an insurance policy, to be able to get back my lines in the future. I have lost at the show table to my own rabbits! (Beveren Nationals in 2016, for instance, was won by a rabbit I sold a few months prior.) Some of these animals are sold with the agreement that you will give me right of first refusal. That means if you change your mind, give me the option to take back the animal.
And, I will always take back any animal I sell. If you are not needing it anymore or your child is getting out of rabbits, please send the rabbit home.
Thank you.
Hi!
Are you still in Sonoma? I am looking to buy a female Bevarian — do you have any currently for sale? Hope so!
Thanks,
Brook
Hi Brook – I do have some nice Beveren available, now is a good time as I’m downsizing my herd and releasing the last of the ones reserved for my own breeding and showing. I’m in Forestville now, in Sonoma County. Let me know if you would like to come pick up a pair or trio. Thanks, Mardi
Hello, We are in search of a baby lionhead. Any direction you could offer would be appreciated. Thank you for your time!
Hi Kim, I’m sorry but I’ve been out of touch with who breeds lionheads these days. I suggest trying the club page and finding a breeder near you, or join a Lionhead Facebook group and ask. Good luck with your search!
Hello ~
Do you still have any dwarf hotot available? I am interested in having one as a pet(:
They’re so adorable. I rehomed all of mine. Good luck in your search!
Do you have any Belgian hares available? Preferably gray and white.
I thought I responded to you earlier, but don’t see it! We don’t have babies at this time. Hopefully this summer!
Hi Isaac, we have a litter of Belgian hares that will be ready for pet homes in 3 weeks, if you are still looking.
Do you have any pet quality Belgium hares?
I do have a couple pet quality hares, a blue & tan buck and a black & tan doe. Let me know if you are interested.
I am really looking forward to meeting my new friendly Blue Belgian Hare, Buddy! Thank you for finding me exactly the rabbit I am looking for. I am happy to take a Colorado adventure to pick him up. I’ll be seeing you Soon! Thank you for raising such a delicate and beautiful heirloom breed!
Oh, haha! His name is not “buddy” – all the boys get called “buddy” lol. He needs a name of his very own and it hasn’t landed yet. Although you are welcome to call him Buddy, I don’t think that name has been taken in my rabbitry 😉 I look forward to meeting you too!
His name will be Buddy! Lol
Ok to have the transporter pick him up tomorrow evening? Let me know ASAP
Sorry we can’t make it there this time ourselves, but maybe this summer!
Are you still selling Belgian hares?
Yes I still have hares, and occasionally have some for sale. What are you looking for? I have a couple extras.
Can you please contact me back I would like to buy a dwarf lion Hotot 510 517-3984
Sorry I don’t have them anymore. good luck!
Looking for snowshoe here to purchase.
Do you have any or know where I could purchase?
Sorry James, I didn’t get your message. What an interesting idea. Pretty sure they are wild, and wild animals are protected from ownership. The Belgian Hare is a domestic animal that was bred from wild rabbits 200 years ago.
Do you do Transports?
If you arrange a reliable, safe transporter I can and do send rabbits all over the U.S. and Canada that way. Thanks for your inquiry.
I am so happy to hear you send rabbits to Canada! Woo hoo! Now to find a breed quality unrelated blue trio of bereven. Man, did you know rabbit maths are even worse then chicken math!
Hello Tricksterhares,
we are looking to buy two Belgian Hare females, preferably sisters, as pets this summer 2021. Are you still breeding these rabbits and will you have litters this summer? We are aware of and can accommodate their spacial needs.
Hi Dorothy, lovely, I anticipate having some available in a couple months. I have one litter out there born last week and hope to have some more born next month. That puts availability starting in June and July if all goes well. Happy to help you out. Are these for house pets?
Hello, I do agree with your values and I don’t know if you can help or point me in the right direction! I am looking to get started with an unrelated breed quality trio in CANADA! Specifically, the old fashioned lavender beveren. Can you help? I am interested in breed preservation and promotion and yes, do tan and eat a lot of rabbit.
Hi Jani, I don’t know of a transporter at the moment headed into Canada. I have sent some to Canada in the past, I’m sure there must be a few breeders up there. I am sorry I can’t be of more help! National Convention sometimes attracts people from out of the country, but it just passed. Maybe try posting in the Beveren groups on Facebook that you are looking for Canadian breeders, or try the various transport groups looking for someone who can do transport to Canada, as I think there is a customs process, or do an internet search for a pet transporter. Let us know if you find a ride and if we can help you get started.
Hello! I’m interested in purchasing a buck Beveren currently.
Hi Jake – feel free to email or call and let us know if you have a means to come get one. We’re in Western Colorado. We have a few litters at about 10 weeks right now, as well as some young adults.
Im interested in a brood pair of Belgium hares
We’ll have Belgians available in the coming months – watch our Facebook page for updates or reach back out. We only have babies in spring, and that’s happening now.
Hello, just found your website. We are looking to get a Belgian hare, are you currently selling and do you ship?
Hi Kailin, We have litters that will be weaned in a month or two, call, email or watch our Facebook page for photos and updates. Shipping is very expensive, most people find a rabbit transporter or drive over themselves. All efforts to ship in the past have been cancelled by the buyer due to expense, it’s high.