Is a Pedigree Important When Buying/Breeding Rabbits?
(c) Gryph- if you repost this article, please post with a link back to my website.
A lot of people ask me if it's important to have pedigreed stock when buying and/or breeding rabbits. I'd like to give just a yes or no answer, but I think it's more complicated than that. That being said, the simple answer is yes, I do think pedigrees are important, even if you are just breeding for meat.
Let's cover a few terms first, shall we? First of all, a pedigreed rabbit doesn't mean it's a purebred rabbit. Any rabbit can have a pedigree, even if it's a mutt. Purebred means a rabbit has at least three generations of ancestors of only one breed and that it meets the standard of perfection set out by American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) for that breed (in other words, it appears to be that breed in all the ways that count). Pedigreed means only that you have an accounting of three generations of ancestors. When I sold meat mutts, I could have provided pedigrees with my stock, as I kept careful records on all of my rabbits, whether purebred or not. A registered rabbit is a whole different thing. A registered rabbit is a rabbit who has been officially filed into the records with ARBA. Not all breeders register their rabbits. A registered rabbit must have a full purebred pedigree, but a rabbit may be proven to be a purebred with just a pedigree. Only a licensed registrar can register your rabbit with ARBA, but any breeder can make an official pedigree for the rabbits they produce. If both parents are pedigreed, you have all the information you need to make a pedigree for your own kits.
So, what is a pedigree, anyhow? At its most basic, it's a piece of paper with some stuff written or printed on it. Really, it's simply a record of a rabbit’s ancestors. Think of it like a rabbit family tree. You need three generations (your rabbit's parents, his or her grandparents, and his or her great-grandparents) to be a full pedigree. A partial pedigree is when some of that information is missing. A pedigree needs to have all of the information that would be necessary to register a rabbit (more on that later). This includes each rabbit's name, their ear numbers (tattoo number), their birth dates, their weights (except the rabbit you are buying if he or she is a junior), their varieties (color and/or pattern), and any registration or grand championship numbers (not all rabbits have these). Unfortunately, there are some breeders that do not include all of this information, and so if you do show and your rabbit wins a grand championship, you might not be able to register the rabbit to get your certificate.
Let's cover a few terms first, shall we? First of all, a pedigreed rabbit doesn't mean it's a purebred rabbit. Any rabbit can have a pedigree, even if it's a mutt. Purebred means a rabbit has at least three generations of ancestors of only one breed and that it meets the standard of perfection set out by American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) for that breed (in other words, it appears to be that breed in all the ways that count). Pedigreed means only that you have an accounting of three generations of ancestors. When I sold meat mutts, I could have provided pedigrees with my stock, as I kept careful records on all of my rabbits, whether purebred or not. A registered rabbit is a whole different thing. A registered rabbit is a rabbit who has been officially filed into the records with ARBA. Not all breeders register their rabbits. A registered rabbit must have a full purebred pedigree, but a rabbit may be proven to be a purebred with just a pedigree. Only a licensed registrar can register your rabbit with ARBA, but any breeder can make an official pedigree for the rabbits they produce. If both parents are pedigreed, you have all the information you need to make a pedigree for your own kits.
So, what is a pedigree, anyhow? At its most basic, it's a piece of paper with some stuff written or printed on it. Really, it's simply a record of a rabbit’s ancestors. Think of it like a rabbit family tree. You need three generations (your rabbit's parents, his or her grandparents, and his or her great-grandparents) to be a full pedigree. A partial pedigree is when some of that information is missing. A pedigree needs to have all of the information that would be necessary to register a rabbit (more on that later). This includes each rabbit's name, their ear numbers (tattoo number), their birth dates, their weights (except the rabbit you are buying if he or she is a junior), their varieties (color and/or pattern), and any registration or grand championship numbers (not all rabbits have these). Unfortunately, there are some breeders that do not include all of this information, and so if you do show and your rabbit wins a grand championship, you might not be able to register the rabbit to get your certificate.
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Printed (rather than handwritten) pedigrees are ideal, because they are easier to read and there is less chance for mistakes. If you don't have software to print pedigrees, there are plenty of free forms online that you can use, or you can order blank printed pedigrees from ARBA. Alternatively, there are software programs you can use, but that's another article for another day. A nice one is provided for free on the Printables page.
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Having pedigreed stock does not mean that you have registered stock, so that means that your pedigree is only as good as the person handing it to you. If they are not honest, or if whoever sold them their rabbits was not honest (and so on), then your pedigree is nothing more than a piece of paper.
If, however, your seller does their homework, and makes sure of their information, and keeps careful records like we do here at Edelweiss Ranch & Rabbitry, then your pedigree is worth its weight in gold (okay, okay, a piece of paper doesn't weigh very much, but have you seen the price of gold lately?).
Another problem is that having a pedigree doesn't mean you have a good rabbit. Having a piece of paper with ancestry on it, no matter how well it is filled out, does not guarantee the quality of the rabbit. It's important that you take the time to learn what the standards of perfection (SOP) set out by ARBA are for the breed or breeds you are interested in. A good breeder will point out the weaknesses in his or her rabbits. It's very hard to find a perfect rabbit, especially when you are starting out, but you can come close, and every rabbit breeder's goal should be to produce a better next generation with every breeding.
The most popular question I am asked about pedigrees is, "I raise meat rabbits, why would I need a pedigree?" Well, think about it. How awesome would it be to be able to look at a piece of paper and know the weights of the ancestors behind your rabbit? Would you pick a rabbit with 6, 7, 8 pound rabbits behind it, or a rabbit with 8, 9, 10 (or even more) pound rabbits behind it? Yeah, me too. A good pedigree provides that information. Also, if pelts are important to you, it's nice to know what colors and patterns (varieties) are in your rabbit's background to help predict what varieties your litters may end up with. And, of course, it's nice to be able to know who is in your rabbit's background so you can control inbreeding and linebreeding as much as possible. Believe it or not, there aren't really all that many purebred breeders, so odds are good that all of your stock originally came from certain bloodlines, and some of them may be related. Look at local Rex, for example. There isn't a whole lot of fresh blood in our area, which means that many of our rabbits are related, sometimes closely. So, even if you are only raising meat rabbits, even if you plan to breed crosses and mutts, a pedigree can be a valuable tool.
Now, let's talk about names. You can call your rabbit whatever you want, whether it be Fluffy or Nightmare, but never, ever change the name on the pedigree. It can be very tempting to remove the breeder's or rabbitry's name on the pedigree and replace it with your own, but it's important that you leave it. Remember, having their name on the pedigree doesn't determine the ownership of the rabbit. The reason it is on the pedigree is because it is rightfully giving credit to the breeder. There's a reason you picked the rabbit you did, and lot of a time, expense and energy went into creating that rabbit. By removing the name of the breeder or rabbitry, you are taking away the credit of the person who went through all that trouble. Claiming it as your own is comparable to plagiarism. When you breed your own rabbits, then you are rightly able to put your name on the rabbit's pedigree. It is important to respect the breeder who created your rabbit.
Be sure to keep any pedigrees in a safe place, especially if they are handwritten. It may be the only copy, and getting a replacement often proves difficult. If you sell your pedigreed rabbit, be sure to send the original pedigree with your rabbit (if you want a copy for your records, make a copy to keep). Some breeders send their pedigrees electronically via their pedigree software. That's okay as well, as long as they provide you with a version that you can view without the software (usually a .pdf or .html file). Print a copy in case your computer fails and keep it in a safe place. Personally, I keep my original pedigrees in one binder, and I keep a copy in the binder that I take to and from the rabbitry with me. It's handy when planning breedings to have the information at hand.
Never, ever buy a rabbit from someone you don’t know and trust without having a pedigree in hand if your rabbit comes with a pedigree. If you are leaving without a pedigree in hand then assume that you will never get it. That isn’t to say that you won’t- mistakes can be made like a breeder forgetting a pedigree- but too many times buyers get screwed over when breeders don’t follow through giving pedigrees later.
Overall, I do believe that pedigrees are valuable and can really add to your breeding program, whether you are simply breeding for meat at home or showing competitively. A pedigree is a record-keeping tool, and every successful rabbitry keeps good records.
If, however, your seller does their homework, and makes sure of their information, and keeps careful records like we do here at Edelweiss Ranch & Rabbitry, then your pedigree is worth its weight in gold (okay, okay, a piece of paper doesn't weigh very much, but have you seen the price of gold lately?).
Another problem is that having a pedigree doesn't mean you have a good rabbit. Having a piece of paper with ancestry on it, no matter how well it is filled out, does not guarantee the quality of the rabbit. It's important that you take the time to learn what the standards of perfection (SOP) set out by ARBA are for the breed or breeds you are interested in. A good breeder will point out the weaknesses in his or her rabbits. It's very hard to find a perfect rabbit, especially when you are starting out, but you can come close, and every rabbit breeder's goal should be to produce a better next generation with every breeding.
The most popular question I am asked about pedigrees is, "I raise meat rabbits, why would I need a pedigree?" Well, think about it. How awesome would it be to be able to look at a piece of paper and know the weights of the ancestors behind your rabbit? Would you pick a rabbit with 6, 7, 8 pound rabbits behind it, or a rabbit with 8, 9, 10 (or even more) pound rabbits behind it? Yeah, me too. A good pedigree provides that information. Also, if pelts are important to you, it's nice to know what colors and patterns (varieties) are in your rabbit's background to help predict what varieties your litters may end up with. And, of course, it's nice to be able to know who is in your rabbit's background so you can control inbreeding and linebreeding as much as possible. Believe it or not, there aren't really all that many purebred breeders, so odds are good that all of your stock originally came from certain bloodlines, and some of them may be related. Look at local Rex, for example. There isn't a whole lot of fresh blood in our area, which means that many of our rabbits are related, sometimes closely. So, even if you are only raising meat rabbits, even if you plan to breed crosses and mutts, a pedigree can be a valuable tool.
Now, let's talk about names. You can call your rabbit whatever you want, whether it be Fluffy or Nightmare, but never, ever change the name on the pedigree. It can be very tempting to remove the breeder's or rabbitry's name on the pedigree and replace it with your own, but it's important that you leave it. Remember, having their name on the pedigree doesn't determine the ownership of the rabbit. The reason it is on the pedigree is because it is rightfully giving credit to the breeder. There's a reason you picked the rabbit you did, and lot of a time, expense and energy went into creating that rabbit. By removing the name of the breeder or rabbitry, you are taking away the credit of the person who went through all that trouble. Claiming it as your own is comparable to plagiarism. When you breed your own rabbits, then you are rightly able to put your name on the rabbit's pedigree. It is important to respect the breeder who created your rabbit.
Be sure to keep any pedigrees in a safe place, especially if they are handwritten. It may be the only copy, and getting a replacement often proves difficult. If you sell your pedigreed rabbit, be sure to send the original pedigree with your rabbit (if you want a copy for your records, make a copy to keep). Some breeders send their pedigrees electronically via their pedigree software. That's okay as well, as long as they provide you with a version that you can view without the software (usually a .pdf or .html file). Print a copy in case your computer fails and keep it in a safe place. Personally, I keep my original pedigrees in one binder, and I keep a copy in the binder that I take to and from the rabbitry with me. It's handy when planning breedings to have the information at hand.
Never, ever buy a rabbit from someone you don’t know and trust without having a pedigree in hand if your rabbit comes with a pedigree. If you are leaving without a pedigree in hand then assume that you will never get it. That isn’t to say that you won’t- mistakes can be made like a breeder forgetting a pedigree- but too many times buyers get screwed over when breeders don’t follow through giving pedigrees later.
Overall, I do believe that pedigrees are valuable and can really add to your breeding program, whether you are simply breeding for meat at home or showing competitively. A pedigree is a record-keeping tool, and every successful rabbitry keeps good records.