Rabbits need a building that can keep the temperature below 85 degrees in the heat of summer and that means insulation. Without insulation you cannot keep the temperature in your barn cool enough in the summer or warm enough in the winter. Keeping rabbits at the proper temperature year round will help allow you to maximize your production and profitability!

Heat, cold, humidity, and ammonia all put stress on rabbits and cause them to stop producing. While insulation will help with the heat and cold, drain tiles under your cages going out of your building work great for controlling moisture. By getting rid of the urine, you get rid of the ammonia. Solid floors create too much moisture and ammonia in the air, which may cause respiratory problems and sick rabbits.

Quality, disease-free breeding stock

As with any animal, if you don’t start off with the right breeding stock you will not be successful. If you don’t already have your stock, we would be glad to put you in contact with someone who has quality breeding stock. It is very important that when purchasing breeding stock you only buy junior does that you can grow out. Most growers find that it is hard to be successful if they purchase older does.

Because of the diseases chickens can pass on to rabbits, chickens must not be allowed in the rabbitry. Pel-Freez Growers must not allow chickens in the barn. Everything possible should be done to prevent rodents or any other animal from entering your rabbitry.

Medications

Pel-Freez will not buy rabbits that have any medications in their systems. If a veterinarian prescribes a treatment that involves medication, you must withdraw those rabbits for the prescribed length of time before they are sold for processing. Pel-Freez prefers a withdrawal time of 30 to 45 days for any medicated rabbits. At the time of sale you will be required to sign a drug disclosure form telling us if you have treated with any medications. This is required before each sale. You will receive a drug disclosure form when you receive your grower number. Also enclosed is a waiver concerning the Caliciviris that must be signed and returned with your application.

Once you become a Grower, on a random basis, Pel-Freez will test the livers of your rabbits. If a problem is indicated, we will send you a warning letter and suggest you get the advice of a veterinarian to clear up any problems your rabbits may be having. After 6 weeks, we will retest your rabbits’ livers. If there is no improvement, we may have to reduce the amount you receive per pound until improvement is shown.

If you are interested in applying for a Pel-Freez Grower Number, please complete

1. Application for a Pel-Freez Grower Number
2. Waiver Concerning Calicivirus
   *A VHD Waiver concerning the Caliciviris must be signed and returned (e.g. faxed, mailed, etc.) following the online submission your grower application.*
3. Return the completed forms to:

Pel-Freez
Attn: Grower Department
219 N Arkansas St
Rogers, AR 72756

Thank you again for contacting us. We look forward to doing business with you. If you have any other questions please call 479-636-4361, ext. 381. You may also e-mail me at dedwards@pelfreez.com.

Sincerely,

Danielle Edwards
Grower Department

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SELLING
RABBITS TO PEL-FREEZ

Q. FROM WHOM DO YOU PURCHASE RABBITS?
A. We only purchase rabbits from growers with a Pel-Freez Grower Identification Number. However, we reserve the right to deny issuing a Grower Number to anyone we feel is not qualified to be a Pel-Freez Grower.

Q. HOW DO I GET A GROWER I.D. NUMBER?
A. Fill out an application form for a Grower Number; you will then be put on a waiting list and we will contact you as soon as we have a spot for you. The waiting list varies and can range in time from 3 months to 1 year.

Q. HOW OFTEN DO YOU PURCHASE RABBITS?
A. We purchase rabbits four days each week. All of our routes are run every other week. We have pickup points conveniently located throughout our buying area where growers meet us to sell their rabbits.

Q. WHERE IS YOUR BUYING AREA?
A.We have trucks that run as far as: Southern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Elizabethtown Kentucky, Perue Kansas, Columbus Mississippi, Dallas Texas area, Stroud Oklahoma, and many points in-between. Most of our routes run in Missouri and Arkansas.

Q. CAN YOU COME TO MY FARM AND PICKUP RABBITS?
A. We wish we could come to everyone's farm, unfortunately that is just not possible. We do, however, try to pickup at the larger rabbitries. Our ability to stop at your farm is dictated by the size and location of your rabbitry in relation to our current routes and the length of those routes.

Q. HOW MANY RABBITS DO I HAVE TO SELL TO BE ABLE TO SELL TO YOU?
A. We have no minimum or maximum number that you must sell. However, to keep your Grower Number active you must sell a reasonable number of rabbits (based on herd size) to Pel-Freez each quarter. You must also make sales on a consistent basis!

Q. IF I HAVE A PEL-FREEZ GROWER NUMBER MAY I SELL MY RABBITS TO ANOTHER PROCESSOR?
A. Except for sales of breeding stock, lab rabbits, or roadside sales, we are counting on our growers to sell us all the New Zealand Whites they are producing. While our business does not allow us to contractually commit to purchase all the rabbits you may produce, we do expect you to sell Pel-Freez all your available rabbits. The only way we can provide a consistent market for your rabbits is for us to be able to count on your supply and the information you provide us in your quarter cards. That information enables us to roughly anticipate how many rabbits will be coming from each of your facilities. If you start selling to another processor, you are endangering our ability to provide a consistent number of rabbits to our customers….and you are putting your Pel-Freez Grower Number at risk.

Q. CAN WE DELIVER OUR RABBITS TO THE PLANT?
A. You may sell your rabbits here at the plant, but the price is the same if we pick up your rabbits.

Q. HOW MANY PRODUCING DOES MUST I HAVE TO QUALIFY FOR A PEL-FREEZ GROWER NUMBER?
A. We are trying to build our business with professional rabbit raisers; therefore within the first year of receiving your grower number each grower must reach a minimum of 25 producing does.

Q. WHAT BREED AND SIZE RABBITS DO YOU BUY?
A. We purchase only New Zealand White and Californian White rabbits that weigh between 4.75 pounds and 5.75 pounds. We do purchase rabbits over 5.75 pounds, but they are considered roasters, and we do not pay as much for them. We do not buy colored rabbits or rabbits that are sick or deformed in anyway, including wry necks. Our buyers have the final decision regarding buying rabbits. If your rabbit weighs 5 lbs, but is bony instead of meaty, they may refuse to purchase that rabbit.

Q. HOW MUCH DO YOU PAY FOR RABBITS AND DOES IT CHANGE?
A. The price you receive from Pel-Freez is based on supply and demand, as with all farming commodities. We do, however, try to maintain a constant price by controlling the number of new growers. Our current price list gives a detailed breakdown of prices.

Q. DO YOU SELL BREEDING STOCK?
A. No, however, we do prefer that you purchase your breeding stock from someone we recommend. It is also very important you only buy junior does that you can grow out for your breeding stock. Older does have a hard time adjusting to new surroundings and most growers find that it is hard to be successful with older does!

Q. AFTER I SELL THE RABBITS TO YOU WHEN WILL I BE PAID?
A. Our buyer will count, weigh, and check the condition of your rabbits and give you a receipt for them when they are loaded on our truck. Your check will be mailed to you no later than Friday of the same week that you sell, although Pel-Freez reserves the right to change payment date at any time.

Q. DO WE HAVE TO SIGN A CONTRACT TO SELL TO PEL-FREEZ?
A. No, you do not have to sign a contract. All that is required is that you have a valid Pel-Freez Grower Number. However, a Grower Number does not guarantee the purchase of any or all rabbits you produce.

Q. DO YOU SELL FEED AND SUPPLIES?
A. No.

Q. SHOULD I APPLY FOR A GROWER NUMBER NOW OR WAIT UNTIL I HAVE RABBITS?
A. You must get a Grower Number before you start raising rabbits for Pel-Freez.

Q. HOW LONG HAS PEL-FREEZ BEEN IN BUSINESS?
A. Herman Pelphrey founded the business in California in 1911. In the forties, after his son and son-in-law joined the business they decided to sell frozen rabbit meat nationwide and the name was changed to Pel-Freez. In 1952 they opened the plant in Rogers AR and then moved the entire operation here. Pel-Freez has purchased rabbits continuously since being in Rogers. In 1977, the grandson of the founder purchased the company when his father and uncle decided to retire. We still sell rabbit meat, both fresh and frozen, to markets throughout the United States.

Pel-Freez Price List

Pel-Freez does not purchase overstressed or unhealthy rabbits. We do not buy colored rabbits or rabbits that are sick or deformed in any way, including wry necks.

An active Pel-Freez Grower Number is required before rabbits can be sold.

After receiving a grower number you will have approximately 6 months to get set up before we will expect you to sell. Failure to sell within a reasonable amount of time may result in your grower number being deleted.

To keep your Grower Number active you must sell a reasonable number of rabbits (based on herd size) to Pel-Freez each quarter. Also you must fill out the quarter cards and return them by the due dates.

We send out Quarter Cards every three months asking how many does you have and how many you are saving. This information is very important to us as we use it in planning our growth and determining when to take on new growers.

Pel-Freez also requires growers to call in the number of their producing does each month; between the 25th and the end of the month you must call 800-643-3002 (this is the same number that you will call to report the number of fryers you plan to sell). The message on that phone will include an option to go into a separate mailbox to report your producing does. It is critical that you make this call each month at the assigned time. If you fail to call in your producing does, your live price will be docked and you will only receive $1.15 for any fryers that you sell the following month.

You will not receive a reminder or notice that it is time to call in your producing does. It is your responsibility to remember and report!

You will also be able to enter your does on our website, or you may write us a letter including your number of producing does, as long as it is postmarked by the 25th of the month. This will allow Pel-Freez the ability to measure the size of our grower base on a more timely basis which is critical in these difficult times.

Failure to comply with these requirements may cause your grower number to be deleted.*

You may apply for a Grower Number by filling out our grower application form.

This price list supersedes all previous price lists.