flexedHollands
Member
LOL...let her try to find a pure bred English Angora on pet finder. LOL..a nice pure bred anything for that matter. Most of the stuff they lable as pure bred is mixes or just really poor examples of the breed
To the rabbit breeders
- Thread starter ilovetegocalderon
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gingers_giants
Well-Known Member
I am a breeder, andI am VERY proud of it too!! 
I breedFlemish Giants.So far I am breeding them again for show,but when I bred them in the past I soldthem for show and for pet. I always tell people that I sell to that if for whatever reason they are unable to care for their rabbit it comes back to me no questions asked, I just want it back.I even enforce this with my own family(my stepsisteris thinking about getting a rabbit from me for her 2 boys)thats how much I care for the welfare ofthe rabbits that leave my home.
I breed them because I love showing them, andI want to keep the breed going. I belong to the National Federation of Flemish Giants Rabbit Breeders, Eastern States Flemish Giant Rabbit Breeders, and of course ARBA. Raising and showing rabbits isntjust a way to make quick cash or whatever(I havent even sold a current litter I decided to keep the most recent one), its a way of life and a passion for me. My rabbits are my children andpeople that are close to me know that.Flemish Giants have been around for over 90 years and I hope that it just keeps going for MANY years to come. Flemish Giant people are also great. They people that I have made friends with thatbelong toEastern States Flemish Giant Rabbit Breeders and other Flemish Giantrabbitclubsare now like anextended family to me and I wouldnttrade that for the world. They are also peoplethat are passionate aboutshowing and raisinggood Quality Giants.I dont just throw 2 rabbits together and hope for the best. Whenever I buy rabbits they have to be what I am looking for to add to my breeding stock, and I like them to be showable as well. I dohaveone that isnt showable but she will make nice quality babies for show.All of my litters are planned and I breed for the best quality because lets face it...winning at shows is fun esp when you are showing your own stock that you have bred yourself..I just love showing rabbits in general whether it be something from my stock or something I have bought.
For the most partwhen people find out I breed and show rabbits they think its really neat and want me to tell them all about it.Sadly I get a great deal of criticism from people I talk to. As soon as the word breeder is mentioned they automatically assume you are running some kind of "bunny-mill" and selling all your rabbitsto pet stores and such. I think its mostly because somepeople dont understand that people really do show rabbits, and raise them for show quality. I get a lot of jokes too about rabbits reproducing so much when I mention that I am a breeder. I just kindly explain to them that Its controlled breeding and it isnt just a free for all. I have even gotten grief about my rabbits from a vet where I take them. This vet treated me like I was a monster when I informed him that no I would not be spaying and neutering my rabbits because I planned on breeding them. I defended myself but allowed him to express how he felt...needless to say though I dont see that vet anymore. I still go to the same practice I just see a different vet that is there that treats rabbits.
I love breeding and showing my rabbits, and I wouldnt change a single thing. People can either like me or hate me for being a breeder, and thats fine by me because Im still going to keep doing what makes me happy.
I breedFlemish Giants.So far I am breeding them again for show,but when I bred them in the past I soldthem for show and for pet. I always tell people that I sell to that if for whatever reason they are unable to care for their rabbit it comes back to me no questions asked, I just want it back.I even enforce this with my own family(my stepsisteris thinking about getting a rabbit from me for her 2 boys)thats how much I care for the welfare ofthe rabbits that leave my home.
I breed them because I love showing them, andI want to keep the breed going. I belong to the National Federation of Flemish Giants Rabbit Breeders, Eastern States Flemish Giant Rabbit Breeders, and of course ARBA. Raising and showing rabbits isntjust a way to make quick cash or whatever(I havent even sold a current litter I decided to keep the most recent one), its a way of life and a passion for me. My rabbits are my children andpeople that are close to me know that.Flemish Giants have been around for over 90 years and I hope that it just keeps going for MANY years to come. Flemish Giant people are also great. They people that I have made friends with thatbelong toEastern States Flemish Giant Rabbit Breeders and other Flemish Giantrabbitclubsare now like anextended family to me and I wouldnttrade that for the world. They are also peoplethat are passionate aboutshowing and raisinggood Quality Giants.I dont just throw 2 rabbits together and hope for the best. Whenever I buy rabbits they have to be what I am looking for to add to my breeding stock, and I like them to be showable as well. I dohaveone that isnt showable but she will make nice quality babies for show.All of my litters are planned and I breed for the best quality because lets face it...winning at shows is fun esp when you are showing your own stock that you have bred yourself..I just love showing rabbits in general whether it be something from my stock or something I have bought.
For the most partwhen people find out I breed and show rabbits they think its really neat and want me to tell them all about it.Sadly I get a great deal of criticism from people I talk to. As soon as the word breeder is mentioned they automatically assume you are running some kind of "bunny-mill" and selling all your rabbitsto pet stores and such. I think its mostly because somepeople dont understand that people really do show rabbits, and raise them for show quality. I get a lot of jokes too about rabbits reproducing so much when I mention that I am a breeder. I just kindly explain to them that Its controlled breeding and it isnt just a free for all. I have even gotten grief about my rabbits from a vet where I take them. This vet treated me like I was a monster when I informed him that no I would not be spaying and neutering my rabbits because I planned on breeding them. I defended myself but allowed him to express how he felt...needless to say though I dont see that vet anymore. I still go to the same practice I just see a different vet that is there that treats rabbits.
I love breeding and showing my rabbits, and I wouldnt change a single thing. People can either like me or hate me for being a breeder, and thats fine by me because Im still going to keep doing what makes me happy.
gentle giants
Well-Known Member
Critisism of breeders all comes from ignorance, when you come right down to it. Of course, AR people push that hype as well, they love for everyone to hate allbreeders. Another thing that kills me is the ignorance you see from people working in and running shelters. I got a forwarded email from a friend today, and she only sent it to me because the bunnies pictured were really cute, but it kinda set me off. Here is the first part of it:
"Sid and Nancy (Petraits attached) are a pair of healthy, happy
two-year-old docile, sweet, gentle and friendly rabbits looking for a
loving home together. Nancy, the brown rabbit, is a Dwarf Silver Martin
Rex; her significant other Sid is an English Spotted Mini Rex. These two
are a bonded pair, love each other, hang out together, eat and snuggle
together."
I wonder when the English Spotted Mini Rex and the DwarfSilver Martin Rexwill be accepted by the ARBA? Wouldn't you love to have the COD on those babies!It goes on to tell people that you shouldn't feed pellets at all unless your rabbit is old or sick. How many of your average rabbit owners are going to be able to keep the proper weight on a rabbit with no pellets at all?
"Sid and Nancy (Petraits attached) are a pair of healthy, happy
two-year-old docile, sweet, gentle and friendly rabbits looking for a
loving home together. Nancy, the brown rabbit, is a Dwarf Silver Martin
Rex; her significant other Sid is an English Spotted Mini Rex. These two
are a bonded pair, love each other, hang out together, eat and snuggle
together."
I wonder when the English Spotted Mini Rex and the DwarfSilver Martin Rexwill be accepted by the ARBA? Wouldn't you love to have the COD on those babies!It goes on to tell people that you shouldn't feed pellets at all unless your rabbit is old or sick. How many of your average rabbit owners are going to be able to keep the proper weight on a rabbit with no pellets at all?
I thought the first page of replies were an interesting discussion about breed integrity vs. overpopulation. I'd be interested in reading more from breeders about why they breed and how they justify it. I'm a pet owner who adopted a rescued rabbit and this other side of rabbit raising is informative and thought provoking for me. (I'm sorry that some of you have been hurt by ignorance. I wish it hadn't happened. I understand the need to vent. But there are pet owners and rabbit rescuers who read these boards and some of the comments on here are starting to turn hurtful.)
RAL Rabbitry
Well-Known Member
I breed and show rabbits because I enjoy it! The rabbits are great stress reducers and nothing is more fun to me than to get home from work and spend time with them. I love going to shows and seeing friends and showing my rabbits win or lose. I don't worry about finding homes for pets or selling show quality rabbits. I have waiting lists for both. I also take back any rabbit that someone can't keep and rehome them. My rabbits are friendly and people oriented because they are handled from the day that they are born and the show quality ones are all across the country. I get at least a dozen emails a week at certain times of the year for show rabbits and usually have to turn many of them down because I can't supply them. I don't breed for the money because there is definately no profit to be made from breeding rabbits. My breedings are planned well in advance sometimes generations in advance. A buck and doe are not just thrown together to make babies. I strive for quality breedings and not quantity and have a high show quality ratio in very litter.
Quite franklyI really don't care what other people think of breeders. I know my rabbits are well cared for, fed twice daily, have plenty of toys to play with and most are just about falling out of the cages to get scratches on the head. If they were not well cared for they would not do as well as they do on the show table. Overpopulation is not an issue around here. The last time I was at the shelter there was not one rabbit there.
I get very sick of antibreeders using overpopulation as an excuse to target breeders. The last time I looked it was not against the law. What is against the law is not taking good care of your animals and I will take a stand against that. Everyone has a right to their opinion but once the point is made then they should respect the rights of people to other people and not harp on it.
Roger
Quite franklyI really don't care what other people think of breeders. I know my rabbits are well cared for, fed twice daily, have plenty of toys to play with and most are just about falling out of the cages to get scratches on the head. If they were not well cared for they would not do as well as they do on the show table. Overpopulation is not an issue around here. The last time I was at the shelter there was not one rabbit there.
I get very sick of antibreeders using overpopulation as an excuse to target breeders. The last time I looked it was not against the law. What is against the law is not taking good care of your animals and I will take a stand against that. Everyone has a right to their opinion but once the point is made then they should respect the rights of people to other people and not harp on it.
Roger
Dublinperky
Well-Known Member
I am part of 4-H and I am planning to breed my rabbits. I think that if the breeder is trying to improve the breed and his breeding on a small scale it is okay. I personally have already set up an interview system to make sure that the person that buys my bunny will know how to take care of them. I even have a page on my website talking about what it really takes to be a rabbit owner and the responsibility in it. I support my local shelter (Yay! NTRS!) So I come to my point for people that are responsible and really care I think that breeding is okay!
Aly!
Aly!
Baby Juliet
Well-Known Member
It's not the breeders but rescuers that cause the problem. NYC is overfilled with pigeons but you never find one at the animal shelter.
Tinkerbell Rabbitry
Well-Known Member
nose_twitch wrote:
Same here!!!!
-Hannah
*shudders and hides, praying for peace on earth*<br><br>
Same here!!!!
-Hannah
naturestee
Well-Known Member
Pixelle- I come from the rescue/pet side of things also. I think one thing people don't realise is the number of rabbit breeds: [edited- lost half of my post]
Baby Juliet wrote:
For the last year, the Humane Society I volunteer at has had half or so of it's rabbits come directly from backyard/irresponsible breeders, the rest from (mainly) rresponsiblepet owners. A very small number of the pets were purchased from 4H or ARBA breeders, most were from pet stores or various other sources.
Baby Juliet wrote:
Uh... I guess I'm totally missing your point? What do wild pigeons have to do with rabbits in shelters, and how is it my fault as a rescuer when some irresponsible jerk dumps his unsold rabbits on the local Humane Society the day after Easter? Or someone looses his house and brings his rabbits/cats/dogs to the Humane Society? I don't agree with "rescuing" meat rabbits unless it's a situation where they were confiscated by authorities foranimal crueltyreasons, but if the rabbit's in a shelter then I'll help it.
For the last year, the Humane Society I volunteer at has had half or so of it's rabbits come directly from backyard/irresponsible breeders, the rest from (mainly) rresponsiblepet owners. A very small number of the pets were purchased from 4H or ARBA breeders, most were from pet stores or various other sources.
naturestee
Well-Known Member
ARGH! It keeps eating my post! OK, here's what's missing:
http://www.arba.net/Breeds.htm
Breeds in danger of disappearing:
http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/wtchlist.html#rabbits
I do recommend going to an ARBA show at least once. It's a great- and eye opening- experience.
http://www.arba.net/Breeds.htm
Breeds in danger of disappearing:
http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/wtchlist.html#rabbits
I do recommend going to an ARBA show at least once. It's a great- and eye opening- experience.
Baby Juliet
Well-Known Member
My point is people keep pigeons as pets yet they don't end up in shelters. Why not? Ever heard of a pigeon rescue? However people see a loose rabbit and right away they try to catch it and lock it up.
Another problem is hunters who eat rabbits won't eat domestic rabbits for fear of drugs that might be used on the rabbits. Many owners at least use flea and tick controls.
Another problem is hunters who eat rabbits won't eat domestic rabbits for fear of drugs that might be used on the rabbits. Many owners at least use flea and tick controls.
clevername
Well-Known Member
Baby Juliet wrote:
I think this is a little different. Our domestic rabbits have been in captivity and selectively breed for hundreds of years. If you see them in the wild they stick out like a sore thumb and in general don't last very long. Pigeons on the other hand have pretty much gone feral, there is no need to interfere.
gentle giants
Well-Known Member
pixelle wrote:
I hope that wasn't directed at me, I was not intending to be hurtful at all. When I said breeder critisism comes from ignorance, what I meant was this: When your average person thinks of a breeder, they think of rabbits crammed into tiny, dirty cages and bred constantly with no time for rest. They don't know/understand that responsible breeders are not like that at all. I am not breeding anymore, but I will tell you whatmy reasons/goals were when I was.
When I bred a rabbit, and it's the same for all of us that care, it was not just to make pretty babies. I thought carefully about the two rabbits I was putting together-were they good examples of the breed? Were they gentle and easy to handle? And here is the biggy: Have they ever shown signs of ill health or such problems that they could pass on? When breeders talk about "Breeding to better the breed" we don't just mean making them better for show. We mean better/sweeter personalities, and stronger and healthier rabbits. And when you are constantly breeding only the healthiest, strongest, sweetest rabbits, that creates (or we hope it does) a ripple affect that helps many more rabbits than jsut the ones we breed.
I hope that wasn't directed at me, I was not intending to be hurtful at all. When I said breeder critisism comes from ignorance, what I meant was this: When your average person thinks of a breeder, they think of rabbits crammed into tiny, dirty cages and bred constantly with no time for rest. They don't know/understand that responsible breeders are not like that at all. I am not breeding anymore, but I will tell you whatmy reasons/goals were when I was.
When I bred a rabbit, and it's the same for all of us that care, it was not just to make pretty babies. I thought carefully about the two rabbits I was putting together-were they good examples of the breed? Were they gentle and easy to handle? And here is the biggy: Have they ever shown signs of ill health or such problems that they could pass on? When breeders talk about "Breeding to better the breed" we don't just mean making them better for show. We mean better/sweeter personalities, and stronger and healthier rabbits. And when you are constantly breeding only the healthiest, strongest, sweetest rabbits, that creates (or we hope it does) a ripple affect that helps many more rabbits than jsut the ones we breed.
Mrs. PBJ
Well-Known Member
I just wanted to add I have been dojng foster and rescue for two years mabye not so much of rabbits but other pets also.
I will say to this breeder real breeders of anything do a great job. when you get a 5 year old german sheperd withpapers and hip dispashaand all in the shelter most likly the product of bad breeeder not a good breeder hense the word BYB. Same with rabbits like storm for example he is a dwarf you can tell but he in no way meets the breed standard. Most likly a mix.
If you stand behind what you breed I respect you completly. Its the people that dont thats causing the over population. My friend got a rabbit from a true breeder dont ask I raised pigs in high school she raised rabbits.
this person told her if you dont want this rabbit call me I will come get it if this bunny has babys and youu dont want to deal with rehoming it I will come get it. Hense standing behind what you belive in.
If you have a accidental breeding of anything rabbit dog cat what ever you can fix it befor a issue arises thats the owners breeder who ever choice its the owners or BYB that make the choice to let them have them that cause the problem.
I worked for a vet that fixed a cat due in less then a week. She may haver had to put those babys down but those baby could have mde thousands and mom cant make anymore babys. I know we are talking about rabbits the point is still the same
Breed resposible thats fine but BYB are the true problem
I will say to this breeder real breeders of anything do a great job. when you get a 5 year old german sheperd withpapers and hip dispashaand all in the shelter most likly the product of bad breeeder not a good breeder hense the word BYB. Same with rabbits like storm for example he is a dwarf you can tell but he in no way meets the breed standard. Most likly a mix.
If you stand behind what you breed I respect you completly. Its the people that dont thats causing the over population. My friend got a rabbit from a true breeder dont ask I raised pigs in high school she raised rabbits.
this person told her if you dont want this rabbit call me I will come get it if this bunny has babys and youu dont want to deal with rehoming it I will come get it. Hense standing behind what you belive in.
If you have a accidental breeding of anything rabbit dog cat what ever you can fix it befor a issue arises thats the owners breeder who ever choice its the owners or BYB that make the choice to let them have them that cause the problem.
I worked for a vet that fixed a cat due in less then a week. She may haver had to put those babys down but those baby could have mde thousands and mom cant make anymore babys. I know we are talking about rabbits the point is still the same
Breed resposible thats fine but BYB are the true problem
gentle giants
Well-Known Member
Flashy wrote:
What doesn't matter?
