Breeding: Part 2
Boy, it sure seems as though I "ruffled a few feathers" with the first part of my breeding section. This is good. This starts a conversation. It brings people out of the woodwork to "voice" their opinions.
I shared the first part in a popular Facebook Group that is focused on English Angoras. My opinions are blunt and to the point. Do I love everyone? Yes. Will I help anyone? Absolutely! But my opinions are pretty to the point. Love it or leave it, they won't change to appease.
In the first segment, we discussed quality. You may have noticed that I focused in on "fiber rabbits." This is because fiber rabbit owners can become a reputable breeder's worst nightmare. It's true! We love our fiber rabbits and their owners. Most of us would not have sold to you if we didn't! We want you to understand, however, that most of the time, we don't want those rabbits bred. However, if you're honest with us, and tell us you want to breed your rabbit, sometimes, we can actually help you. Most of the time, our fiber rabbits are sold as such due to structural issues. Sometimes not. It is very important that you speak to the original breeder to find out why the rabbit was sold as a fiber rabbit. You may find out that it has a structural issue. You may find out that half of the litter was born with a genetic health problem, so they didn't want to continue that line and risk passing it on. In the case of an 'older' doe, you may find out that she had problems kindling in the past, or is too old to breed.. or had babies with genetic issues severe enough to not risk breeding her again and passing them on. You really don't know, and that is why it is so important to speak with the breeder about your desires to breed. Sometimes, you might even luck out. You might find out that the rabbit you got was really show quality, and that the only reason they let you have it for fiber was due to lack of space. This does happen sometimes. In this type of case, the breeder might even be willing to help you find a suitable match. And this is why I wanted to open the conversation. It is best for your rabbit that you know everything you can about them before you breed them. You really don't know what you're going to find out until you ask, and you might be able to save yourself a major heartache. You also might develop a stronger friendship in the process. There's no friend like a rabbit friend!
But what about "everyone else." What about those who have developed their own lines, but don't show? It's a hit or miss thing. Some of these breeders are the most respectable, caring, passionate, people you'll find, anywhere! One such breeder is Candy Haenszel. You are not likely to find Candy active in the "show circuit." But she is still very active in the rabbit community. She is constantly giving out excellent advice, and educating others on genetics. Candy literally wrote the book on rabbit color genetics. Her passion for rabbits is blatant and obvious, and it's respectable. There are other breeders like her - breeders that breed great rabbits in a responsible manner, without showing - but Candy is always the first to pop in my mind when I think of this definition. Because of her intense effort to educate others, she is my example (and I hope she doesn't mind.) These people should not be looked down upon simply because they don't show.
Likewise, there are breeders who do show and have pretty poor quality rabbits. Some of them simply don't realize that their rabbits don't "measure up." Others do. They show in areas with low to no competition, looking for those "Grand Champion" legs. Once they get enough of those legs and have a couple of "grand champions" in their barn, their prices go up. The actual quality of their rabbits, however, does not improve. You will pay more for a piece of paper on a rabbit you won't even own, and it will do you no good. Simply having "Grand Champion" parents, or "bloodlines" does not mean the rabbit is of high-quality, or that the breeder is responsible.
So basically, you're saying anyone can be responsible or irresponsible, regardless of whether or not they show or have grand champion rabbits? Yes. You really have to look at the overall quality of a breeder's rabbits. Do they usually have more litters than you can keep count of time? If so, they may not be responsible breeders. Do they have a clear goal in mind when they breed? Are they screening you when you inquire about their rabbits that are for sale? Attend a show. Try to find a show where Angoras are sanctioned. This typically (but not always) indicates that serious show breeders will be there. Angora specialty shows are another good thing to try. Just show up and observe. Talk to a few breeders, listen to the judges' comments. This is how you learn.
See part 3 of our breeding segment here
I shared the first part in a popular Facebook Group that is focused on English Angoras. My opinions are blunt and to the point. Do I love everyone? Yes. Will I help anyone? Absolutely! But my opinions are pretty to the point. Love it or leave it, they won't change to appease.
In the first segment, we discussed quality. You may have noticed that I focused in on "fiber rabbits." This is because fiber rabbit owners can become a reputable breeder's worst nightmare. It's true! We love our fiber rabbits and their owners. Most of us would not have sold to you if we didn't! We want you to understand, however, that most of the time, we don't want those rabbits bred. However, if you're honest with us, and tell us you want to breed your rabbit, sometimes, we can actually help you. Most of the time, our fiber rabbits are sold as such due to structural issues. Sometimes not. It is very important that you speak to the original breeder to find out why the rabbit was sold as a fiber rabbit. You may find out that it has a structural issue. You may find out that half of the litter was born with a genetic health problem, so they didn't want to continue that line and risk passing it on. In the case of an 'older' doe, you may find out that she had problems kindling in the past, or is too old to breed.. or had babies with genetic issues severe enough to not risk breeding her again and passing them on. You really don't know, and that is why it is so important to speak with the breeder about your desires to breed. Sometimes, you might even luck out. You might find out that the rabbit you got was really show quality, and that the only reason they let you have it for fiber was due to lack of space. This does happen sometimes. In this type of case, the breeder might even be willing to help you find a suitable match. And this is why I wanted to open the conversation. It is best for your rabbit that you know everything you can about them before you breed them. You really don't know what you're going to find out until you ask, and you might be able to save yourself a major heartache. You also might develop a stronger friendship in the process. There's no friend like a rabbit friend!
But what about "everyone else." What about those who have developed their own lines, but don't show? It's a hit or miss thing. Some of these breeders are the most respectable, caring, passionate, people you'll find, anywhere! One such breeder is Candy Haenszel. You are not likely to find Candy active in the "show circuit." But she is still very active in the rabbit community. She is constantly giving out excellent advice, and educating others on genetics. Candy literally wrote the book on rabbit color genetics. Her passion for rabbits is blatant and obvious, and it's respectable. There are other breeders like her - breeders that breed great rabbits in a responsible manner, without showing - but Candy is always the first to pop in my mind when I think of this definition. Because of her intense effort to educate others, she is my example (and I hope she doesn't mind.) These people should not be looked down upon simply because they don't show.
Likewise, there are breeders who do show and have pretty poor quality rabbits. Some of them simply don't realize that their rabbits don't "measure up." Others do. They show in areas with low to no competition, looking for those "Grand Champion" legs. Once they get enough of those legs and have a couple of "grand champions" in their barn, their prices go up. The actual quality of their rabbits, however, does not improve. You will pay more for a piece of paper on a rabbit you won't even own, and it will do you no good. Simply having "Grand Champion" parents, or "bloodlines" does not mean the rabbit is of high-quality, or that the breeder is responsible.
So basically, you're saying anyone can be responsible or irresponsible, regardless of whether or not they show or have grand champion rabbits? Yes. You really have to look at the overall quality of a breeder's rabbits. Do they usually have more litters than you can keep count of time? If so, they may not be responsible breeders. Do they have a clear goal in mind when they breed? Are they screening you when you inquire about their rabbits that are for sale? Attend a show. Try to find a show where Angoras are sanctioned. This typically (but not always) indicates that serious show breeders will be there. Angora specialty shows are another good thing to try. Just show up and observe. Talk to a few breeders, listen to the judges' comments. This is how you learn.
See part 3 of our breeding segment here