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

[murph72]

I've actually been on your sitebefore. I like to look around at websites from PA breeders to see what everyone is up to. I have a friend who also breeds here in PA and she's always saying, "Have you been on this site yet?" She lets me know whose I've been missing.

On my "to do list" this summer was to redo my site, but it hasn't happened yet. My pictures of my tribe are somewhat out of date as many of them are over a year old now. I always have excuses for not taking the pictures though...Right now Reuben is molting like something I've never before seen....but there's always going to be someone whose not looking to photogenic for the day I suppose. For what it's worth, here it is: www.MurphysLionsandLops.com.

The two half-siblings I'm planning to breed are Anoop and Lola. They are both from Spring Lake's What About Bob. Anoop has that huge head of his dad and great bone. His sister is also pretty big boned already for her age. I got her at 10 weeks and she really looked just as big as her brothers. I'm hoping Anoop grows into his ears...I'm assuming he will as he's still quite young and not done growing...however, I like his sister's size and ears a bit better. It really is a game of playing with pieces, isn't it? Anoop has a pretty big head, figuratively speaking though, so I don't think I want to tell him he's not completely perfect. LOL

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Oh, I was just on your site yesterday! I had just found it recently. Do you show much? Maybe we can meet in person sometime.

 

[murph72]

I actually just started showing myself after a friend talked me into it. I had actually raised bunnies for a few years that other people were showing and doing well with. I guess the showing bug never really bit me, but she has now guilted me into it. LOL She said I should be getting credit for my own bunnies, which I suppose is right. I just don't really have that much time to go to the shows. I just recently stepped down as the Student Council Advisor where I teach, so I'm hoping to have a bit more time on my hands. However, I just signed up to get another Masters degree in my "spare time," so I may have also just shot myself in the foot.

It would be nice to meet someone from the forum in person. What upcoming shows are you planning to attend?

 

[BSAR]

DO double and triple check the pedigrees before breeding! You may find they are related if you check again!

This case happened to us, long after we bred Minnie and Sippi but it had nothing to do why Minnie lost the kits and almost died. After going over there pedigrees one day we found that Minnie and Sippi are cousins!

 

[BlueGiants]

It's good to know how closely related the rabbits are before you breed them, but crossing cousins is not necessarily bad. That is what's called line breeding and can be used to emphasize good traits. (As long as you know what you are doing, and watch out for intensifying any bad traits.)

 

[murph72]

BSAR, don't worry, I am very well aware of what is in their pedigree. Both the breeder who theyoriginally camefrom and I agree that the offspring would be strengthened by this line breeding. I am more likely to practice line breeding of parents and thier offspring, but in this case it's a very strong line that I'm looking to strengthen even further. The idea that breeding all"cousins" is bad is not true. I even know some who would argue that breeding "siblings" is also OK...but I haven't found a group of siblings that I think would pair well together, so I can't say that I've found that to be true or not. I know that more of the lionhead breeders are doing breedings of full siblings than what I've heard about in my experiences with mini lops or Hollands...I'd surmise that is because their isn't as much of a gene pool to pull from in Lionheads as their is in the lops. Breedings of siblings is a bit too close for me on the tree, so I can't say I look to be trying that one. But, if it is working for a breeder and they're not getting birth defects or strengthening poor traits, I don't know that I can criticize them.

 

[RAL Rabbitry]

Most of my breeding are line breedings. I do not breed siblings but I will breed 1/2 siblings occasionally. I do outcross the next generation but I got back to my original line in the second generation. Line breeding done properly sets the type of your line of rabbits and increases the percentage of show quality rabbits that are predictable in the way that they develop.

Roger

 

[irishlops]

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.

all im saying is not encouging it unless as you say you know what your doing.
my 2 buns brother and sister unplanned breed at 5months- and i was worried about the kist but i dint need to anymore
there all in the rainbow bridge.
im glad your rabbits is fine and healthy