Ethics of Breeding: Part 1
Are you new to rabbits and thinking about breeding? If so, there are lots of things to take into consideration before you start.
First, is the quality of your rabbits. Was your rabbit purchased for breeding purposes? Is the breeder okay with you breeding? Did it come with a pedigree? Has it been competitive on the show table? If you answered "no" to any of these questions, you probably should not breed your rabbits.
*Note: Competitive doesn't necessarily mean the rabbit won anything. In an area with high competition, a really great rabbit can still place last! Competitive just means that it was a rabbit judges liked that compared well to others and the SOP. Some experienced breeders know how awesome their rabbits are and need not attend a show. New breeders probably need to see where they stand in comparison to others. Plus, showing is a great way to learn a variety of other great things about rabbits and meet amazing people with similar interests!
But what if I just want to breed for my own fiber purposes? That's okay, right?
The actual purpose of an English Angora rabbit is for fiber. Therefore, it doesn't seem like such a bad thing to breed them for personal use. But, consider these factors:
1. Rabbits can have anywhere from 1-15 babies. I have a close friend that recently had a litter of 14, and I have had a litter of 10, so a high number is not unlikely. Are you prepared to care for up to 15 rabbits for 10 years or more, plus the ones you already have?
2. Many times, rabbits are offered without a pedigree because of a problem they have or carry. These problems can be anything from an unshowable color, to serious health issues. Just like people, rabbits can "carry" many genetic health problems, without having those problems themselves. Are you prepared to have a bunch of rabbits on your hands that may require specialized lifelong care, or euthanization?
3. The breeder who sold you the rabbits will likely not be happy with you for breeding a fiber rabbit. Are you okay with losing a friend? Are you okay with losing your reputation as a good fiber home?
4. Many times, a doe is placed in a loving fiber home for "retirement." Sometimes, they are retired because their babies simply outshone them. Other times, they were deemed "too old" to be safely bred again, or perhaps had complications with their last pregnancy. In the case of the latter, your doe could be at a heightened risk and have an increased chance of death.
5. Even with a young, healthy, doe, complications can happen. She may require expensive, emergency, veterinary care, and she may die.
6. Many times, a fiber rabbit will not "carry" good coat genes. Even show quality rabbits can produce difficult coats. These difficult coats will be your responsibility.
Those of us who "breed for show," don't do it for something to win. We do so because we have a passion for the breed. We want to continue and improve on top quality lines so that our beloved breed can continue to bring pleasure to future generations. Showing only helps us see where we are in relation to other breeders. Are we breeding top-notch rabbits? If not, how can we breed better rabbits, to ensure that we're adding quality to the gene pool, and not lowering it? That's what we learn at shows. Breeding lower quality, less healthy, rabbits will not help to accomplish this mission of continuing quality, healthy, lines. Breeding lower quality lines brings down the quality of the overall gene pool. It serves no purpose in the aspect of "the greater good." I would love to see a day when only top quality rabbits are bred. Where EAs are only bred to improve their quality. Sure, there would be lots of fiber use too, but quality would be the top priority when breeding them.
Okay, so when DO you think it's "okay" to breed my fiber rabbits?
Basically, this is how it is. You can breed your fiber rabbits IF: The original breeder is okay with it, AND, you are prepared to care for up to 15 additional rabbits for up to 10 years, AND you have the time and money to devote to potential, life long, health issues, AND you're okay with the possible death of your doe, AND you're prepared for the life long upkeep of potentially difficult coats.
Does all of this sound a little much for you to handle? Well, I have a few alternatives for you! Here are the better options:
A. You can buy more wool-quality rabbits. As many as you want or need. You may need to explain to the breeder that you're wanting more fiber to blend/spin, and that you understand the work, etc.
B. You can adopt fiber rabbits from a rescue. Most rescues sell their rabbits spayed and neutered, so you wouldn't have to worry about babies this way. Many will also come 'bonded' for a steal of a price for 2 rabbits, so housing may be easier for you to provide, too (1 big cage.)
C. You can buy a breeding pair from a reputable breeder. You'll pay a bit more for these than you would for a fiber rabbit, but you'll know you're starting with quality to breed. You can keep the babies that wouldn't show well, and this way if you do have too many and want to sell a couple, at least you'll be spreading quality genes around. It would be a good idea to show the litter at least a time or 2, to make sure that any that you do re-home are of the appropriate quality. A breeder may ask or require that you have your current fiber rabbits spayed or neutered before selling to you, to make sure that you won't breed their high-quality rabbits with your.. less quality rabbits. You also may not have any rabbits worth breeding (and therefore worth selling as show quality) from your litter.. that's always a risk you take. Even if you do get the quality you want, you still may not find good homes for them (another risk.) But, you're starting at a good point. You're increasing your own chances of getting what you want, and therefore, the potential litter's chance at having a good life. And, when you look at it that way, it's worth it.
See part 2 of our breeding segment here
First, is the quality of your rabbits. Was your rabbit purchased for breeding purposes? Is the breeder okay with you breeding? Did it come with a pedigree? Has it been competitive on the show table? If you answered "no" to any of these questions, you probably should not breed your rabbits.
*Note: Competitive doesn't necessarily mean the rabbit won anything. In an area with high competition, a really great rabbit can still place last! Competitive just means that it was a rabbit judges liked that compared well to others and the SOP. Some experienced breeders know how awesome their rabbits are and need not attend a show. New breeders probably need to see where they stand in comparison to others. Plus, showing is a great way to learn a variety of other great things about rabbits and meet amazing people with similar interests!
But what if I just want to breed for my own fiber purposes? That's okay, right?
The actual purpose of an English Angora rabbit is for fiber. Therefore, it doesn't seem like such a bad thing to breed them for personal use. But, consider these factors:
1. Rabbits can have anywhere from 1-15 babies. I have a close friend that recently had a litter of 14, and I have had a litter of 10, so a high number is not unlikely. Are you prepared to care for up to 15 rabbits for 10 years or more, plus the ones you already have?
2. Many times, rabbits are offered without a pedigree because of a problem they have or carry. These problems can be anything from an unshowable color, to serious health issues. Just like people, rabbits can "carry" many genetic health problems, without having those problems themselves. Are you prepared to have a bunch of rabbits on your hands that may require specialized lifelong care, or euthanization?
3. The breeder who sold you the rabbits will likely not be happy with you for breeding a fiber rabbit. Are you okay with losing a friend? Are you okay with losing your reputation as a good fiber home?
4. Many times, a doe is placed in a loving fiber home for "retirement." Sometimes, they are retired because their babies simply outshone them. Other times, they were deemed "too old" to be safely bred again, or perhaps had complications with their last pregnancy. In the case of the latter, your doe could be at a heightened risk and have an increased chance of death.
5. Even with a young, healthy, doe, complications can happen. She may require expensive, emergency, veterinary care, and she may die.
6. Many times, a fiber rabbit will not "carry" good coat genes. Even show quality rabbits can produce difficult coats. These difficult coats will be your responsibility.
Those of us who "breed for show," don't do it for something to win. We do so because we have a passion for the breed. We want to continue and improve on top quality lines so that our beloved breed can continue to bring pleasure to future generations. Showing only helps us see where we are in relation to other breeders. Are we breeding top-notch rabbits? If not, how can we breed better rabbits, to ensure that we're adding quality to the gene pool, and not lowering it? That's what we learn at shows. Breeding lower quality, less healthy, rabbits will not help to accomplish this mission of continuing quality, healthy, lines. Breeding lower quality lines brings down the quality of the overall gene pool. It serves no purpose in the aspect of "the greater good." I would love to see a day when only top quality rabbits are bred. Where EAs are only bred to improve their quality. Sure, there would be lots of fiber use too, but quality would be the top priority when breeding them.
Okay, so when DO you think it's "okay" to breed my fiber rabbits?
Basically, this is how it is. You can breed your fiber rabbits IF: The original breeder is okay with it, AND, you are prepared to care for up to 15 additional rabbits for up to 10 years, AND you have the time and money to devote to potential, life long, health issues, AND you're okay with the possible death of your doe, AND you're prepared for the life long upkeep of potentially difficult coats.
Does all of this sound a little much for you to handle? Well, I have a few alternatives for you! Here are the better options:
A. You can buy more wool-quality rabbits. As many as you want or need. You may need to explain to the breeder that you're wanting more fiber to blend/spin, and that you understand the work, etc.
B. You can adopt fiber rabbits from a rescue. Most rescues sell their rabbits spayed and neutered, so you wouldn't have to worry about babies this way. Many will also come 'bonded' for a steal of a price for 2 rabbits, so housing may be easier for you to provide, too (1 big cage.)
C. You can buy a breeding pair from a reputable breeder. You'll pay a bit more for these than you would for a fiber rabbit, but you'll know you're starting with quality to breed. You can keep the babies that wouldn't show well, and this way if you do have too many and want to sell a couple, at least you'll be spreading quality genes around. It would be a good idea to show the litter at least a time or 2, to make sure that any that you do re-home are of the appropriate quality. A breeder may ask or require that you have your current fiber rabbits spayed or neutered before selling to you, to make sure that you won't breed their high-quality rabbits with your.. less quality rabbits. You also may not have any rabbits worth breeding (and therefore worth selling as show quality) from your litter.. that's always a risk you take. Even if you do get the quality you want, you still may not find good homes for them (another risk.) But, you're starting at a good point. You're increasing your own chances of getting what you want, and therefore, the potential litter's chance at having a good life. And, when you look at it that way, it's worth it.
See part 2 of our breeding segment here