Can you breed but not show?

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Of course you can raise quality rabbits without showing them but people make a name for themselves by showing. Other breeders will get to know you and they may recommend you to people. Also, by making friends with other breeders, you will learn a lot from them. I go to shows to make friends, socialize with my friends and to learn something new. There is always someone willing to teach you something new at a rabbit show. Who knows, someday you may be the one teaching a newbie!

Sharon
 
I believe you can. I dont show and often the rabbits I sell go on to be shown and do very well.
I only buy stock that has either been shown or comes from show lines.
As long as you show what a good show rabbit should look like and thats what breed, then its fine.

As long as you are breeding to better the breed then it doesnt matter if you show or not.
 
funnybunnymummy wrote:
But what I mean is: Can you breed quality purebredrabbitswithout ever showingthem?
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This is kind of a trick question.

Yes, any breeder has the capability to breed quality rabbits, regardless of whether they show.

However- people don't *just* show for fun. A show is a way to evaluate your rabbits as compared to the general rabbit population in your area. Even though we're all striving for the same breed standard, we are all always on different levels. So showing gives you an unbiased opinion on exactly how your stack up against what other people are producing. This is very valuable information to breeders. This helps us to realize the weaknesses in our herd, and also helps us to realize the progress we're making on it, as we continue to breed and show.

Without showing, it is very, very difficult to raise the highest quality of rabbits.

Even an experienced breeder may realize, for instance, that their herd lacks overall in the hindquarter. And they may make improvements within their herd and see that progress happening. But without showing, this person will never know whether their progress is equal to others around them. So they may never get to the point where they are really producing the quality that they think they are.

Also, it is very difficult for others to take breeders who don't show seriously. Showing is a way to prove that the rabbits are quality and without that show experience, usually you will only really serve the pet community. As a general rule, reputable breeders and exhibitors supplement their herd with rabbits from other breeders and exhibitors.

So, in theory, a person who does not show can breed quality rabbits. But showing those rabbits, even a couple times a year, brings this person a few notches up in reputability.
 
OakRidgeRabbits wrote:
funnybunnymummy wrote:
But what I mean is: Can you breed quality purebred rabbits without ever showing them?
Click to expand...
This is kind of a trick question.

Yes, any breeder has the capability to breed quality rabbits, regardless of whether they show.

However- people don't *just* show for fun. A show is a way to evaluate your rabbits as compared to the general rabbit population in your area. Even though we're all striving for the same breed standard, we are all always on different levels. So showing gives you an unbiased opinion on exactly how your stack up against what other people are producing. This is very valuable information to breeders. This helps us to realize the weaknesses in our herd, and also helps us to realize the progress we're making on it, as we continue to breed and show.

Without showing, it is very, very difficult to raise the highest quality of rabbits.

Even an experienced breeder may realize, for instance, that their herd lacks overall in the hindquarter. And they may make improvements within their herd and see that progress happening. But without showing, this person will never know whether their progress is equal to others around them. So they may never get to the point where they are really producing the quality that they think they are.

Also, it is very difficult for others to take breeders who don't show seriously. Showing is a way to prove that the rabbits are quality and without that show experience, usually you will only really serve the pet community. As a general rule, reputable breeders and exhibitors supplement their herd with rabbits from other breeders and exhibitors.

So, in theory, a person who does not show can breed quality rabbits. But showing those rabbits, even a couple times a year, brings this person a few notches up in reputability.
Click to expand...

I completely agree with what you say.

BUT if you're showing an uncommon breed, its basically like you're just breeding rabbits and not showing. You know what of yours is the best... but you don't know that they are the best.

But showing a popular breed like holland lops or neatherland dawrfs (very common in Ohio anyway).... if you're the best, you KNOW you're the best.

But yeah you can follow a breed standard and have some amazing rabbits, but in the end you cant compete selling a rabbit that is identical to someone who has shown it. No awards vs awards.... people jump for the awards.
 
AndersonsRabbits wrote:

BUT if you're showing an uncommon breed, its basically like you're just breeding rabbits and not showing. You know what of yours is the best... but you don't know that they are the best.

But showing a popular breed like holland lops or neatherland dawrfs (very common in Ohio anyway).... if you're the best, you KNOW you're the best.

But yeah you can follow a breed standard and have some amazing rabbits, but in the end you cant compete selling a rabbit that is identical to someone who has shown it. No awards vs awards.... people jump for the awards.
____________________________________________________________________



I disagree with you. Even if you are showing an uncommon breed, a judge will tell you if there are any faults with your rabbits. Also, if you win Best of Breed, then you compete against all the other Best of Breeds in the show. The very best rabbit will win Best In Show. A lot of judges will give mention to the ones that are very nice and stand out. This is where you find out if your uncommon breed is just as nice as the others on the table.

Sharon
 
Starlight Rabbitry wrote:
AndersonsRabbits wrote:

BUT if you're showing an uncommon breed, its basically like you're just breeding rabbits and not showing. You know what of yours is the best... but you don't know that they are the best.

But showing a popular breed like holland lops or neatherland dawrfs (very common in Ohio anyway).... if you're the best, you KNOW you're the best.

But yeah you can follow a breed standard and have some amazing rabbits, but in the end you cant compete selling a rabbit that is identical to someone who has shown it. No awards vs awards.... people jump for the awards.
____________________________________________________________________

 

I disagree with you.  Even if you are showing an uncommon breed, a judge will tell you if there are any faults with your rabbits.  Also, if you win Best of Breed, then you compete against all the other Best of Breeds in the show.  The very best rabbit will win Best In Show.  A lot of judges will give mention to the ones that are very nice and stand out.  This is where you find out if your uncommon breed is just as nice as the others on the table. 

Sharon
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eh, yes and no. Two breeds I'm very interested in are the Harlequin and the Florida White. The shows I went to, it was the same breeders at both shows. One for the Harlies and one for the Florida Whites. They each bring enough of their own rabbits to make sure theres at least 5 so that they can win a leg. The boy with the Harlies, his buck has 19 legs, outstanding. Looks great right? But in reality its not. Because he has most those 19 legs from basically competeing with his rabbits. Every compition either his main buck, or his main doe win Best of breed from the Harlies.

The elderly gentlemen with the Florida Whites, he goes to all these shows, and hes bored with it, because its his fav breed, but, he is the one I got my opinion from. He knows what rabbits of his are good, and he knows what he has thats the best...but in the long run, he'll never know if what he has is actually THE best of that particular breed.
 
No one knows "the best" of a particular breed until you get to convention. That is what convention is for :) I understand what you are saying but I still think that the judge will give you comments and if you still here any negative ones, then you do not have the best rabbit. Also, if your rabbit can't win against all the other breeds, then you do not have the best rabbit.

I raise Dutch and Woolies. In CT, no one really shows woolies. I am usually the only one or sometimes there is another breeder. I don't look at how my rabbits do on the table, I listen to the comments from the judge. If they are all positive, I know my rabbits are nice and may stand a chance for Best in Show. But if they have too many faults and the judge states this, then I know that this is not my best and I have to better my stock.

Sharon
 
Starlight Rabbitry wrote:
No one knows "the best" of a particular breed until you get to convention. That is what convention is for :) I understand what you are saying but I still think that the judge will give you comments and if you still here any negative ones, then you do not have the best rabbit. Also, if your rabbit can't win against all the other breeds, then you do not have the best rabbit.
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I'm pretty much in agreement here. I think when you have a rare breed, it is even more important to try your best to attend ARBA National Conventions, but even more so, your own breed nationals. I think it's the best way to continue to understand and learn your breed.:)
 
OakRidgeRabbits wrote:
funnybunnymummy wrote:
But what I mean is: Can you breed quality purebredrabbitswithout ever showingthem?
Click to expand...
This is kind of a trick question.

Yes, any breeder has the capability to breed quality rabbits, regardless of whether they show.

However- people don't *just* show for fun. A show is a way to evaluate your rabbits as compared to the general rabbit population in your area. Even though we're all striving for the same breed standard, we are all always on different levels. So showing gives you an unbiased opinion on exactly how your stack up against what other people are producing. This is very valuable information to breeders. This helps us to realize the weaknesses in our herd, and also helps us to realize the progress we're making on it, as we continue to breed and show.

Without showing, it is very, very difficult to raise the highest quality of rabbits.

Even an experienced breeder may realize, for instance, that their herd lacks overall in the hindquarter. And they may make improvements within their herd and see that progress happening. But without showing, this person will never know whether their progress is equal to others around them. So they may never get to the point where they are really producing the quality that they think they are.

Also, it is very difficult for others to take breeders who don't show seriously. Showing is a way to prove that the rabbits are quality and without that show experience, usually you will only really serve the pet community. As a general rule, reputable breeders and exhibitors supplement their herd with rabbits from other breeders and exhibitors.

So, in theory, a person who does not show can breed quality rabbits. But showing those rabbits, even a couple times a year, brings this person a few notches up in reputability.
Click to expand...


Well said!

Denise

 
I don't show often but I know what my seniors all hold to them, and when I was in NY I knew who some of the competition was and I knew where to look for their rabbits to know who they had with them. (Paul J. was one of them!) And The little blue dutch buck I bought from Vincent C. and Paul J. They were proud to see him as a senior on the show table beat his brother whom they had kept because he was the better junior. (Leave it to me to buy the worst of the two juniors and it turn out hte better senior)
So I know Amita doesn't show as well as her daughter Mimzy(Blue dutch does) Amita's stops, well they don't stop basically. Not DQ length. But I still show both does because Amita's got the slightly better type, I wouldn't have known that unless I had shown them against each other. That's most of the reason I show, even not showing that much. While I'd love to show more often, I just don't have the money, time. I want to show more often. Amita has been paired up to different bucks that didn't have the quality type that she did and she passes her type to her offspring with their father's markings(typically his the nice marked one)
I do produce some nice offspring, dutch, mini rex and holland lop(not anymore). I have tracked several babies show lives and they were all doing very good, I've had several that traveled states away and their offspring go to nationals. knowing descendants of your own stock and the people showing them, it's a good feeling.
 
It's kindof a trick question, I think.

To me, the question really is can you breed successfully, and not show?

The answer, for my own situation, is no. I would not be able to breed if I didn't have a reason to do so. If your reason is just to be breeding rabbits, then you shouldn't be doing it. My reason is to further my breed and get as close to perfection as I possibly can. I breed to show, I show for fun, but really, we all play to win. Otherwise, what's the point?

You can't know how successful you really are unless you have something to compare it to. I know where my quality is at, but you only learn what to look for by attending shows to see how your rabbits match up. It's how I learned- the rest was from helpful people online (like Julie, who helped me A LOT with hollands). How will you know if they're quality purebred rabbits if you don't know what it is that makes one? How would other breeders come to know your rabbitry? It's hard to make a name for yourself even when you win and show well, so if you don't show, a lot of people will look at you as a backyard breeder and may steer clear of you.

Raising rabbits is a lot about the name you make for yourself. Look at THF/Saynora. They're not only know for their consistency, but how do you think they got there? Many holland breeders across the country love their rabbits- these are NICE animals, after all! But that reputation was earned after years of work and repeated success on the tables.

That's just my opinion, you obviously don't have to listen to me, But even if you could get to a couple shows a year, you'd be better off than not showing at all.
 
You know come to think of it, the breeder, Country's, that I got Gabriel and Skye from she never showed her hollands at all. alot of hers sold for pet. Her name never got out into the show world, I gave it by word of mouth because the two I had gotten from her were very nice rabbits and I did show them, I still show Gabriel, Skye sometimes. But she ended up getting out of rabbits because she had a lot of them(Gabriel and Skye aren't related, she had over 40 hollands) and her Velveteens weren't selling as pets because of their size. They were good Hollands but her daughter who did show just didn't have the time or room to show her mother's rabbits on top of her own. they had a combined probably close to 80 rabbits.
SO I would have to say to get your name out, you would have to show, at least a little. People that buy rabbits from you can spread your name word of mouth but it sometimes still isn't enough.
 
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