I get asked this question a lot. Frankly, I have answers, but most of them take a little work - or a lot of work. So, let's get started.

1) Make some decisions. What breed or breeds are you considering? What age rabbit do you want to buy? What colors do you prefer? What type of personality are you hoping to get? What is your purchase price range? Male or Female? Inside or Outside? Cage or house rabbit? Short or long hair? Considering these things ahead of time will help you focus your search. When you do get phone time with a breeder, being definitive about what you want will allow them to help you better.

2) Scope out Resources. Where can you find breeders? Here is a list to get you started. If you are persistent, you will find what you are looking for....I say this from personal experience.

* ARBA Best place to start. You can see little pics of the type of bunny you are looking for, and within each type the breeders are listed by state.

* USA Rabbit Breeders Another great site. You can search by state or breed. They have the most complete lists that I have seen.

* Breed Specific Clubs Most breeds have their own club or association. Their websites or Facebook pages often have breeder lists, or contact info.

* Hoobly This online classified is a semi-hidden gem. As a breeder, I preferred to post bunnies on Hoobly because it generated better customers than Craigslist. It also had a better platform for posting a bunny for sale. A lot of breeders feel the same way.

* Local/National Rabbit or Breed Shows The ARBA has a huge convention every year, and most breeds have one as well. If a show is within a couple hours drive, take advantage of it and go walk the floor. It will give you an opportunity to actually SEE the quality of a breeder's stock, meet breeders and make connections

* Google search Here is a tip you likely don't know. The rabbit breeding world tends to have two distinct breeder patterns. The long-term breeders that have been breeding for decades, and the 4 year cycle people. The long-term breeders can be hard to find. Some don't really care about having a website and keeping it up. They are legends in their own right, and sell their stock mostly to other breeders. There are a LOT of short term breeders. Why? Because running a rabbitry is a ton of work, and a big expense. Only a few breeders actually MAKE money. Most lose money, and you can only sustain the losses for so long. The internet is littered with websites for closed rabbitries. I remember drooling over pictures of stock that was long gone or sold. If this happens to you, keep searching.

3) Email and Call Okay, you have your list of breeders and contact info. You have your description of what you want. Now you need to start contacting people. Warning: This can be a real grind. Breeders are not the most communicative people. After all, they breed to perfect the form of their specific breed, and show to make a name for themselves. Matching customers with bunnies is not their top priority. It may take weeks to get a call or email back. Having been on both sides of this fence, let me share a few tips:

* Be patient. Some of the country's best breeders spend MANY weekends at shows, and days before and after prepping and logging wins and judges comments. Be cheerful and don't expect an immediate response.

* If you are hoping to get a rabbit with fantastic form (which are usually the cutest or prettiest or rarest in color), expect to pay $$ and be willing to wait. It's not uncommon for quality stock to go for $150-$400 a rabbit.

* When you do get a call back or an email, try to be direct and prompt. A busy breeder appreciates customers that know what they want and have taken the time to educate themselves on basic bunny care information. If they don't have what you are looking for, they are more likely to pass on a few names and numbers if communicating with you has been easy.

4) Be easy to work with. A breeder may ask you for all kinds of information like: where the bunny will live, if you have experience with bunnies, if you have other pets, what the bunny will be used for - pet or 4-H, or breeding, your full name, your email or phone number, your time table, how much you are willing to spend. This may feel invasive to you. If so, find a bunny on Craigslist and buy it. Breeders ask these questions because they care about their bunnies. They want to make sure their bunnies go to good homes. This is a good thing. You want to get a bunny from someone that takes great care of their bunnies. In addition, be honest. If a breeder is working with complete information, they can help you avoid difficult situations: a bunny not getting along with your other pets, a bunny failing to thrive in the wrong environment, a bunny getting sick, etc.

Try to think about finding a breeder/bunny as a process. You might get lucky and find one right away. You might spend a month or two sending out emails or calling people. You might go through highs and lows of finding and then getting pointed in another direction. The effort is worth it. It took me two months to find this sweet gem when my rabbitry first got going, and an additional month to get her to my house.

How do I find a breeder?