What do I need to know *before* showing

[Erins Rabbits]

Whipple wrote:

Ok, so they have to have the left ear tattooed to show right? Then that goes in the pedigree as proof the rabbit actually exsisted?

Edit: Ok, so the pedigree is a matter of trust? Hmm, so different from dogs. So if a Fuzzy was bred to a Holland, can that cross be bred back to a fuzzy and put on the pedigree as a fuzzy? How does that work? As I heard Fuzzies are often bred to Hollands to help with coat.

You have that wrong.

Sometimes a 'fuzzy holland' is produced when breeding hollands. This just means both parents are wool carriers and the kit in question recieved both recessive genes from the parents. A fuzzy holland is very similar if not identical to an American Fuzzy lop and often those fuzzy hollands are bred into fuzzy lop lines to improve body type. When this is done, the rabbit is usually marked as a 'FH' on the pedigree. This just means the rabbit can't be registered. MANY breeders have excelled using fuzzy hollands in their breeding programs, and often FH will beat regular AFLs on the table, easy.

 

[Whipple]

Ok, but it is basically a holland lop, and it is bred into a fuzzy line. So how is that registrable?

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Whipple wrote:

Ok, but it is basically a holland lop, and it is bred into a fuzzy line. So how is that registrable?

It isn't.
The pedigree is really just the lineage of a rabbit. Just because a rabbit has a pedigree doesn't mean it is pure bred.
From what I understand (and I am no expert), for a rabbit to be registrable, it has to have a complete pedigree, be purebred and match the breed standard. A holland lop that is too heavy, it the wrong colour or has up ears can't be registered even if it is purebred with a complete pedigree.

A rabbit does not need to be registered to be shown. Strictly speaking, they don't even need to be pure bred. If a rabbit looks like the bred, it can be shown. No pedigree is required unless you want to register it.
The only requirements to show are that the rabbit look purebred, it has a tattoo in the left eat and is intact (although with females it can be hard to tell).

You should go over the pedigree of the rabbits you are interested in buying with the breeder. If you have any questions about it, ask. The rabbits might not be registrable, but if it is a good pedigree you should be off to a good start.

It can all be confusing. I would find a good breeder, even if not your chosen breed and talk with them about the whole showing process and about record keeping. Attend at at least one bigish show and talk with the people there.

 

[MyRabbits]

I am rather new to showing myself, but I am surprised that no one else has recommended you consult the breed standard and become very familiar with it. Some national specialty clubs to post the breed standard on their website and that would be one place to find it. You could also try googling the breed and "standard of perfection". Once you know the standard, it is helpful to go to shows to understand how a judge might apply it. We have been showing Flemish for a little over a year, and I still learn more about the standard every time I see a judge apply it a little differently. It's a long learning curve.

 

[Erins Rabbits]

In order to register a rabbit, you must be an ARBA member, for starters. The rabbits has to be of senior age and have a three generation pedigree. The pedigree has to include the name, ear number, weight, and variety of your rabbits and each of the ancestors on the pedigree.

But like Korr_and_Sophiesaid. A rabbit doesn't need to be registered- or even pedigreed- to show.

 

[katt]

my advice BEFORE even considering buying show rabbits or picking a breed:

go to shows.

learn the flow of them, talk to some people, look at different breeds.

i think i spent about a year going to shows before i even bought a rabbit. went to about 7 or 8 shows. picked up breeders cards and got phone numbers. handled as many breeds as i could, and watched the show process. picked up basics like food dishes and cages.

get to shows early in the morning, before showing starts. many breeders have more then 1 breed they are working with, and once showing starts it can get a little crazy getting breed "a" to one table, and watching for breed "b" to start showing across the room.

found a couple people working with the breed i ended up picking (holland lops) that were right there to help me. i was even able to walk around with them a few times to look at sale animals. most rabbit people are friendly, and want to help someone new get started. if you find people that have worked with your breed for a long time, they normally are more then willing to pull out their best animal and show it off while giving you a run down of what to look for.

and my other advice for once you get a show bunny and start showing them:

don't talk when the judge is working, and listen to what s/he says, not just about your rabbit but about the other's on the table. it will help you learn more about your breed.

 

[pamnock]

AndersonsRabbits wrote:

I don't think so. I mean thats tainted blood there. I'd PM either Pamnock or the flemish giant lady (forgive me for forgetting your name) They're two great ones to ask about that. I just don't see how then can have a good pedigree thats mixed. I dunno though cause i heard that done with Hotos as well. But yeah I'd ask one of them for sure.

Many breeders use hybrids in their breeding programs. However, to register a rabbit, all the rabbits on the pedigree must be the same breed.

We've bred a Mini Rex into our Dwarf Hotots. All those rabbits are clearly marked on the pedigrees, and none will be registerable until the original Mini Rex "moves off the pedigree" (as a great, great, great grand sire - when thedescendants are 1/16 Mini Rex). I use a computer program and the descendants as well as their Mini Rex percentage is recorded.

Pam

 

[Whipple]

Ok, that makes sense! So would that take 4 generations then? Im horrid at math. Where can I find a program that would do that?

 

[pamnock]

I use the Evans rabbit computer program. It generates pedigrees, but hybrid info has to be manually entered.

Yes - it would be 4 generations before the offspring could be registered.

Pam