Dos and Don'ts when selecting two rabbits to breed.

[Flashy]

I know some of these, but the conversation about the colours to cross and not cross made me wonder what you guys consider dos and don'ts when it comes to you breeding your buns (things like colour, type, size, breed, age, etc).

I know you will all have many that are the same but each person may have their own dos and don't that other breeders don't (if you followed that sentence, well done!). Oh, and I know this may be quite extensive for you, so you can add to others lists or just add them as and when you think of them.

I thought it might be a useful resource for anyone whois trying to figure out which two buns to breed.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

DO consider type over color, always. Color mistakes can be fixed, but the goal is always outstanding type. Choose two rabbits that compliment each other's faults.

DON'T choose two rabbits with the same faults. This will only lock those faults into your herd and they will be harder, if not impossible, to breed out.

DO consider color after your type evaluation. Choose compatible colors that will likely produce showable colors.

DON'T be afraid to breed broken x broken or a pair that may produce unshowable colors if the type is there.

DO take temperament into consideration and DO cull any nasty, aggressive rabbits from the herd.

I may think of more along the way.

 

[murph72]

Ok, I'll bite first. And, yes, I did follow that one sentence. LOL

I look first at type if I'm looking to better my show stock (which is usually the case). I look for a bunny that has what my other that I plan to breed it is lacking...or something that is stronger in that bunny than in the mate.

I like my does to be larger than my bucks for safety's sake. However, in some cases they are relatively the same size. I don't like to use a larger buck for fear the kits will be too large for mom to handle.

Sometimes I'll work with special colors. For example, I got a chocolate and a BEW to add to my Hollands. I looked for some that didn't have as long of a face, or as skinny of a face as you see in many of them. I'm looking to cross them into the torts that have a better type and back again to better the type in those two colors.

As far as age, I like to breed around 6 months in does and as early as 4 to 6 months in bucks. The bucks will mature faster than the does. There are does that will have the ability to get pregnant at 4 months, but I personally feel 6 is a safer bet for her.

I personally do not breed full siblings to each other, though I know some that have with no problems. I will breed half-siblings and parents to children though. I've found this to be a safe way to better the line. However, I tend to only do this for a couple of generations before adding in "other blood" to the line. I then look for an addition to purchase that has a quality I think that line could improve upon.

That's probably the most important things for me.

 

[polly]

* always consider the fitness of both buck and doe (but especially doe) before mating.

* Always choose animals that do NOT contain the same fault.

* choose a pairing that will give you what you want out of a litter. ( a lot of nethies and lops have been bred to completely random colours which will screw up what you want in a litter) So always look at the rabbits genetic background of both buck and doe.

*Always breed for type first colour second as more points are given for type in the majority of breeds (not all though!)

 

[j0292]

OakRidgeRabbits wrote:

DO cull any nasty, aggressive rabbits from the herd.

Sorry, what do you mean by cull?! :shock:

A 'nasty aggressive' rabbit's temperament can easily be changed from neutering IMHO.

 

[CKGS]

You can change many things in animals but the basic temperment can't be changed, only controlled and 'tweaked'. I,personally, would rather see truly nasty animals pts than taking up homes otherwise healthy, good natured animals could have. Thats JMHO.

 

[Flashy]

Thanks to all those who have contributed so far The wider the dos and don'ts, the better I think, and it can give more insight to anyone reading the thread.

 

[TinysMom]

I have had 2 truly nasty does and while I would not breed them (with my knowledge now) ....as they got older they calmed down and I wasn't scared anymore.

They really were "attack bunnies" for a long time.

One doe did have a litter here and her daughter FOXY LADY is a sweetie now too.

 

[RAL Rabbitry]

I breed mini-rex and have to consider fur when I decide pairings. I also line-breed and take that into account. Type is first, fur is second, color is third although I wouldn't do a breeding that I thought would give me mediocre color. Condition and temperament are also taken into account. Some breeders will keep a doe on a very tight breeding schedule. I don't like to breed a doe that is still on a litter. I very rarely get an aggressive rabbit because they are handled from birth but if I do they are not bred.

Roger

 

[BlueGiants]

If you really care about a breed, make sure the individual rabbits meet the standard for that breed. Don't breed rabbits that are too far over the standard weight, or in the case of the Flemish (or other giants), don't breed rabbits that don't make minimum weight.

Don't breed rabbits with major disqualifications.

Always consider the condition (health) of the rabbits. An underweight, stressed, sick doe will not be able to support a litter for a 31 day gestation and 6-8 weeks of nursing. Some rabbits can handle occasional back to back breedings, some can't. Know your animals and their history.

Make sure they are disease and parasite free.

Don't breed to early (know your breed and when is optimum age for a first litter). Don't breed too late... (breeding an older doe for the first time can result in a poor outcome for the doe and the babies.)

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

j0292 wrote:

OakRidgeRabbits wrote:

DO cull any nasty, aggressive rabbits from the herd.

Sorry, what do you mean by cull?! :shock:

A 'nasty aggressive' rabbit's temperament can easily be changed from neutering IMHO.

Cull means to remove from the breeding herd.

Also, there is a difference between hormonal and nasty, and breeders can see this difference. For instance, does are given some slack if they're normally a total sweetheart and then they have a litter and are slightly defensive about it. A rabbit like that generally wouldn't be immediately removed from the breeding program. However, a nasty rabbit is one that lunges, attacks, bites, grunts, etc. without warning and without reason. This cannot be fixed by neutering. Hormonal rabbits can, and breeders recognize that difference.

Generally breeders won't face this issue since the rabbits get attention everyday and are specifically being bred for temperament. So when a nasty one pops up, it's definitely not one you want to breed back in.:nerves1

 

[BlueGiants]

I agree with Oakridge... most breeders can tell the difference between hormonal and unmitigated aggressive behavior. A truly nasty rabbit is a hazard and a danger to everyone. I could not, in good concience, sell/give/breed a nasty rabbit. I'd never forgive myself if some unsuspecting child was bitten and traumatized by a rabbit that came from me.

In 11 years of breeding Flemish, I've only run across ONE nasty Flemish... a buck that could NOT be handled under any circumstances. That rabbit weighed 18.2 lbs. and did some really serious damage to several people (including me, veryserious bites). We tried fora year to "gentle" him... he was neutered...no difference in behavior...he eventually went for my throat. He was immediately PTS. (Can you imagine what an 18 lb animal with sharp teeth could do to a kid?)

 

[CKGS]

Kudos Bluegiants. I have never quite understood those who I have heard rehome truly nasty animals to get them out of breeding programs. I LOVE animals but I also know there are so many out there than IMO shouldn't we be saving the good ones and putting more effort into that than keeping and trying to change a temperment.
I am also very glad to see that there are breeders of rabbits who do focus on temperment! Wonderful! Some have seen me as against breeders in general, this has NEVER been the case! I had a problem with breeders who only cared about type and color. They are out there, bybs or not. I am thrilled to 'know' breeders (from here) that are ones I would be happy to purchase a baby from. Kudos guys!

 

[irishlops]

* dont breed siblings
*dont breed without a good reason or idea on how to look after kits or no homes

 

[Bunnymom,K]

Have a solid foundation of knowledge on the breed you are working with and it's purpose- this will help you to better evaluate your own stock.

Always try to match a buck and doe that conform as closely to standard as possible and that compliment each other.

If you are breeding for specific qualities, choose animals that will help you achieve your goal without forfeiting overall type, health and temperament.

Always breed animals that are healthy in good condition.

Never breed siblings. If you are going to line breed (mother x son etc.) be sure you know all the faults in the family line.

Always have a plan as to what you are going to do with the offspring BEFORE you breed (this means that if you plan to sell them- you have a list of potential homes before breeding). You are responsible for the welfare of each kit that you produce.

 

[RAL Rabbitry]

What would you do with an agressive dog that training didn't help? The same thing should apply to rabbits as well.

Roger

 

[Erins Rabbits]

irishlops wrote:

* dont breed siblings
*dont breed without a good reason or idea on how to look after kits or no homes

I have a rabbit that is the result of a sibling breeding, and he is perfectly fine. He's actually the best rabbit I own-, yes, I play favorites, and he is my big ol' lump of a bunny who's developed fine, produced offspring, etc.

Inbreeding is commonplace and from what i've noticed (in my own herd, mind you) it doesn't make a difference in the offspring, so long as you know what you're doing.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Erins Rabbits wrote:

irishlops wrote:

* dont breed siblings
*dont breed without a good reason or idea on how to look after kits or no homes

I have a rabbit that is the result of a sibling breeding, and he is perfectly fine. He's actually the best rabbit I own-, yes, I play favorites, and he is my big ol' lump of a bunny who's developed fine, produced offspring, etc.

Inbreeding is commonplace and from what i've noticed (in my own herd, mind you) it doesn't make a difference in the offspring, so long as you know what you're doing.

Yep, I agree. Personally, I do not/would not do anything closer than parent/offspring breedings. But sibling breeding can take place and will not generally cause any issues as long as they are done correctly. The only reason NOT to do it is because it definitely locks in recessives. So while it can create an awesome rabbit, it can also lock in bad qualities too.

 

[murph72]

I also agree. It is more commonplace to see breeders using half-siblings rather than siblings who share both of the same parents. What they're looking to lock in is usually the strong genetics of the parent that they share, but are looking to better the offspring in some aspects that are present in the siblings. I personally have a buck that I plan to breed with his half-sister when she is of breeding age. They are both from a buck that has close to 20 show legs. They share his strong bone, but the brother has a better head and the sister has better ears. Breeding the two should lock in the great bone they inherited from their dad, but should help me to work on the characteristics that are strong in each of them. Most breeders usually will not do this for multiple generations. Three is usually the number that most will feel safe with before "adding new blood" to the mix, so to speak. Some of your best show stock has come from these kinds of breedings.

I know there are some that are breeding full siblings...I can't say I've gotten that brave, but the half-siblings does not produce poor quality offspring unless you start with poor quality siblings. As OakRidge stated, if they have poor qualities you're going to lock them in...however, if you have strong qualities you also want to lock them in.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

murph, I just realized your from PA! Do you have a website? Just wondering if I "know" you or not. lol!