Bunny business: Kneir family raises rabbits for competitions

When thinking of animals in competition, livestock usually comes to mind, not fluffy bunnies.

But not for Mark and Brenda Kneir, who started Mo Bunnies Rabbitry in 2014. Brenda Kneir shows rabbits and has started to bring in her grandsons, Carson and Kainen Reker, to the competitive world of bunnies.

Kneir has raised many breeds over the last decade, but Jersey Woolies have a special place in her heart for breeding and showing. A family favorite of the Jersey Woolies is Domino, a 6-year-old buck who Kneir bred and raised. The group took Domino to the 2024 Jersey Wooly Nationals in West Monroe, Louisiana, where he was shown by 6-year-old Kainen. Domino was named 2024 Jersey Wooly Youth Nationals Best of Breed. Mo Bunnies Rabbitry entered eight in the open division and seven in the youth division during the event.

Brenda Kneir and her grandson Kainen Reker with their show bunnies.Alyssa Lunsford ~ alunsford@semissourian.com

Kneir said she enjoys raising and showing rabbits and that has naturally turned their grandkids into wanting to show as well. They now go to shows together, and she lets her grandsons compete with rabbits she has bred and raised.

“I don’t like for them to show up in the open division because I usually cannot beat them,” Kneir said jokingly about her grandsons.

Out of all the rabbits his grandparents have, Kainen said his favorite is Domino. Carson started to show Polish rabbits in 2019 and has had good luck during shows.

Kneir said she enjoys helping youth in the area who are interested in competing with rabbits. One way she does this is by helping with scholarships that can help one or two children enter the hobby. She said that to compete in the youth division, youngsters have to be at least 5 years old and have to put the rabbits on the judging table themselves. The youth division then goes up until they age out at 18, and this is where the national scholarships help the youth.

The Cape Girardeau area does not have a big presence in bunny competitions, but Kneir said that during the SEMO District Fair, she is hands-on and helps kids in 4-H clubs.

“They approach us wanting something and I am always really happy to help them with absolutely no problem,” Kneir said.

The bunnies are not just to compete with but can also help in therapy. Kneir said she took a few of her bunnies to Fountainbleau Lodge retirement community in Cape Girardeau recently and that the residents enjoyed them. She hopes to do it again soon.

“It just did some of them so good. You could see their smiles. One lady told me she had a dog at home and that not having her dog was hard, so getting to cuddle a bunny was a really big thing for her,” Kneir said.

With Easter coming up the subject of buying bunnies for children is a topic of conversation. Kneir said she is not the biggest fan of this.

“I know it is a popular thing to do, but a rabbit can live to be 18 years old. So, this is with any live animal, it’s a big commitment. It’s something they need to be thinking about and be prepared for because you’ve got food, you’ve got housing. It’s expensive in the long run, so it is something people need to consider before buying,” Kneir said.

To see more about Mo Bunnies Rabbitry, visit its page on Facebook.