What Does a Closed Rabbitry Mean?
A closed rabbitry (or farm) is a facility that does not allow visitors onto the property or inside of the area where the animals are kept and maintained.
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Does this mean that the breeder has something to hide?
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No, this means that the breeder cares about the animals at their facility and that they are doing what they feel is necessary to protect the health and safety of their animals. Many websites and books suggest to potential buyers to visit the breeder's facilities to see how the animals are maintained and also to view the parents. Many of these sources imply that any breeder who does not accommodate this request has "something to hide." Of course there are always exceptions but usually breeders who operate closed facilities take great care of and great pride in their rabbits.
Our rabbit enclosures are larger than the recommended sizes and are cleaned and maintained daily. They are protected from the weather and natural predators. Our rabbits have constant access to clean water and fresh hay, and are fed high quality pellets every day. They are inspected daily for overall health. We have no problems at all with bringing rabbits out to the buyer for inspection, they are more than welcome to view and touch the parents when we bring them out. We ask that the rabbits are touched with hands only, after using hand sanitizer which we provide for you. We do not allow our rabbits to be picked up for the health and safety of both our rabbits and the humans that are interested in them.
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For what reasons does a breeder close their rabbitry?
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There are many valid reasons why breeders would deny people access to their rabbitries. The following are a few of the reasons why we maintain a "closed" rabbitry.
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Disease, parasites;
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This is our big fear here at R3. Unfortunately, we as breeders have no control over where a buyer has been and what infectious agents they may be carrying on them. Allowing someone into a rabbitry has the potential to put every rabbit at risk.
Viral Hemorrhagic Disease is a foreign animal disease that will kill every single rabbit on the property if just one rabbit becomes infected. This disease is so virulent, that here in the USA it is considered as a Mandatory Reportable Disease. That means that if we suspect a VHD outbreak, we have to contact the Center for Disease Control to report it. The CDC will come out, confirm the outbreak, and then force us to destroy every animal in our herd, as well as every piece of equipment that came in contact with the rabbits, all in an attempt to stop the outbreak.
There is also a risk of Pasteurella which is extremely contagious, Snuffles, Wry neck, the list goes on and on. A rabbit that has recently become ill may not be showing symptoms yet, and some diseases don't always show symptoms, so the buyer may have come in contact with an infected animal without even knowing it. In addition to VHD and Pasteurella there are many other diseases that can be transmitted via shoes, clothes, and hands. Some of these diseases can be spread from other animals, including dogs to rabbits. In addition to diseases there is also a risk of parasites such as fleas, ticks, lice, mites, etc. which can also be transmitted in the same ways.
The risk is simply too great for us to allow anyone near our rabbits home. It is our job to keep our herd happy and healthy. The only way to make sure, is to keep visitors out.
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Unruly children, disturbing the peace, liability;
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I'm sure that your children are the sweetest and most well behaved kids on earth but even the best behaved children can quickly become disruptive in a rabbitry. Rabbits are timid animals by nature and are easily spooked by strangers, loud noises, and sudden movements. A spooked rabbit can easily injure or even kill itself. If kids (or adults) are running, jumping, making noise, or poking their fingers in the cages it can be very stressful on the rabbits. This is especially frightening for our does that are pregnant or have new kits. Our rabbits are used to us but they can easily be frightened to death by strangers.
In addition to the health & safety risk for the rabbits there is also the liability of having people in the rabbitry. Out of control children can fall, get cut or scratched, or even bit. Denying public access to the rabbitry eliminates this possibility altogether.
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Strangers, dishonesty, animal rights activists;
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No matter how much correspondence or how many conversations take place between a breeder and a potential customer via phone, text, email, or in person, the fact remains that the customer is still a complete stranger. Would you allow a complete stranger onto your property or into your home to "inspect" the premises? Letting strangers onto your property is a serious risk. Dishonest people may not be interested in a rabbit at all, they could be a thief or even something much worse. There have been reports of "buyers" coming back and stealing rabbits and/or rabbit equipment, or even general merchandise.
Then there are the animal rights activists who have been known to pose as a potential customer only to return later to "set all of the animals free." Which actually does more harm than good. The world is becoming a very dangerous place, and buyers should be able to understand why breeders are becoming more and more reluctant to allow people onto their property and into their rabbitries. We have heard stories from other breeders that did allow people into their rabbitry. Some of these visitors then decided to return at a later date, unannounced, with multiple children in the car just looking to "show the kids" or "let the kids pet" something.
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We are not a petting zoo;
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Sometimes “buyers” aren’t actually interested in purchasing a rabbit, they just want to use the facility to entertain themselves, or their children. Raising rabbits requires a surprising amount of time and hard work. Rabbits have to be fed, provided with water, given hay, have their ears and fur inspected for mites, have their nails inspected and trimmed, and have their teeth inspected and cared for if applicable. Kits have to be inspected for overall health. The rabbitry must be cleaned and maintained, pans emptied and cleaned, water bottles kept free of debris, feeders cleaned, etc. On top of all of that, we are also busy attending shows and dealing with other potential buyers. Then there are our "regular" jobs, and of course we all have families and friends that we enjoy spending time with, too. We are not here to serve as a free petting zoo, nor do we have the "spare" time to do so. Besides, as already mentioned, this could actually be dangerous for both our animals and to you.
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