Sales

Here you will find:


WHAT WE SELL

At Trickster Hares Farm, we enjoy raising heritage rabbit breeds and keeping these endangered breeds alive by using them for food production. 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typed Beveren rabbits were at one time popular for meat, and were the primary fur breed in the 1940’s. They have been replaced by the mono-culture approach of large scale industry focusing on one or two common breeds.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, the more you are noticed as a reputable breeder. We did a lot of showing in our initial years; the move to a more rural area, the pandemic and RHD has put a damper on that.

For the rare breeds, rabbits are often transported around the country, because there often isn’t a local good source from a reputable breeder. We shipped our stock in from out of state from excellent breeders, ourselves, 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. There is nothing more disappointing than spending all that money getting a rabbit transported to discover its so-so or sick.  My advice is to see pictures or really know your breeder you are getting them from, their reputation, and how long they’ve been breeding. That still isn’t always reliable.

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 when I have some that are just too good to eat and would prefer they went out to help the breed. I suggest helping maintain the breed and 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. I will occasionally sell to good non-breeding pet homes or home food production too, however, don’t try to sell those offspring as purebred show stock. 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. I provide pictures too, if you are long distance. I don’t want anyone to be surprised or disappointed by your purchase. I don’t have to sell rabbits, but it does help with the feed bill, so I do. When its not show season I just fill up the freezer. We are all breeding towards the standard, that doesn’t mean every rabbit is perfect already – otherwise we wouldn’t really have a problem with the rare breeds being rare. So please know that going into a rare breed – I may sell you the best I have and that I like, but that doesn’t mean its perfect, and I adjust prices according to faults, etc.  

PRICES

My prices are usually as follows, but are sometimes adjusted for show quality, 4-Hers, or because I feel like it:

Belgian Hare

  • Black & Tan show quality $250
  • Black & Tan brood quality $175
  • Black/Blue & Tan Pet quality $125

Beveren

  • Show Whites $100-125
  • Brood/Show Whites $75
  • Blues & Sports $65

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 attracted to these breeds to make money, let me stop you right there. I spend way more money than I ever make on these breeds. I am glad for the sales putting some money back in the feed and show cost coffers, to help the buns pay for themselves. The only time I exceeded breaking even was the year I sold off most of our stock to move the farm. 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. For Beveren you need a reputation and show record (such as winning BOSB at National Convention, in 2015) to charge much more than $50 per rabbit. 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. I have seen 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. It’s hard to try to make money off pets on these two breeds. They are both large breeds and don’t fit the modern day preference for small mini (and high strung) rabbits. Plan to eat a lot of rabbit.


SALES POLICY

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. All animals are healthy to my knowledge at the time of sale. That said, 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. I can suggest to you to ask for special treatment and pay your transport extra $$ to take the rabbit out of the carrier at night and put it in an x-pen to exercise each night, drape a towel to keep other rabbits from sneezing on it, and other tips to help. This will ensure more safe arrival by keeping the bunny’s immune system healthy and strong, by reducing stress.

I sell show quality animals to the best of my knowledge without fault. If there is a fault I will tell you. Ask my buyers – I don’t send off animals with knowing DQ’s. 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 share my stock as an insurance policy, to be able to get back my lines in the future. Not all competitive breeders do. I have lost 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 or are done with an animal, you let me know first, and 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.

29 comments

  1. 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

    1. 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

  2. Hello, We are in search of a baby lionhead. Any direction you could offer would be appreciated. Thank you for your time!

    1. 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!

    1. I thought I responded to you earlier, but don’t see it! We don’t have babies at this time. Hopefully this summer!

    2. Hi Isaac, we have a litter of Belgian hares that will be ready for pet homes in 3 weeks, if you are still looking.

    1. I do have a couple pet quality hares, a blue & tan buck and a black & tan doe. Let me know if you are interested.

  3. 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!

    1. 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!

  4. 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!

    1. Yes I still have hares, and occasionally have some for sale. What are you looking for? I have a couple extras.

    1. 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.

    1. 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.

      1. 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!

  5. 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.

    1. 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?

  6. 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.

    1. 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.

    1. 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.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.

Robot Check! *