Completely new to showing

[Bo B Bunny]

Well, since we now have Heidi and the kids want to show her in 4H.. I guess I should start finding out what we need to do, etc.

I have a couple of questions I probably should have asked before getting her..... :?

1. Do rabbits have to be registered to be shown? We show sheep and horses and some shows do require papers while others don't.

2. Are there standard imperfections I should look for? like the toenail things?

 

[pamnock]

Rabbits don't have to be registered or pedigreed to be shown. (Or even purebred for that matter). They just need to meet the standard for a particular breed.

The General ARBA disqualifications any type of illness, color DQs, mismatched or wrong color toenails, over or under weight, eye spots or wrong colored eyes, foreign colored spots, broken tail, malocclusion, sore hocks, dewlap in some breeds, split penis, undescended testicle(s) are some of the more common DQ's to look for. There are also breed specific DQ's listed in each breed standard. (Breed standards over-ride general ARBA faults and DQ's).

I highly recommend purchasing a copy of the Standard.

Pam

 

[hopntailrabbitry]

When youshow in 4-H it is a whole lot different from ARBA. Even though in 4-H it is just for fun but they look for standards too,but it isn't a whole big deal;so what the judge says they are just telling you;and the judges are breeders that know the breed(s) very well. With ARBA they have to have papers,but with 4-H they are all pets and basically store-brought rabbits.

In my 4-h fair they get judges that know about the breed(s) and they've been breeding them for a while.

But however showing 4-H is very fun and educational. But for me right now it is pretty boring since I've been in it for like 7 years and it is the same stuff every year.

Good Luck!

 

[pamnock]

hopntailrabbitry wrote:

With ARBA they have to have papers,but with 4-H they are all pets and basically store-brought rabbits.

Papers (pedigree) is not required to show ARBA,but I have come across some 4-H county rules that required youth show pedigreed rabbits only.

Knowledge of the standard will also come in very helpful when showing 4-H showmanship.

When I judge 4-H shows, I place rabbits with disqualifications lower in the class. I've never come across a 4-H show that disqualified rabbits from the class (unless it is an ARBA sanctioned show sponsored by a 4-H club).

An ARBA judge isn't required for 4-H shows, but the kids certainly learn more when ARBA judges are used.

I always take my scale to 4-H shows and try to teach the kids as much as possible about ARBA DQ's and faults as well as health care, management and handling.

Pam

 

[hopntailrabbitry]

What I don't like is when kids want to join the 4-H they see how the show is and then the parents find the breeders and want to buy rabbit(s) from you. Then when they go to the pet store they can't wait to buy it from the breeder so then they buy it from the pet store and when they show it next year the rabbit didn't get nothing and then they wonder why.

When I recently just shown at the fair somebody who wanted to join our 4-H club and they wanted a rabbit really fast and I told them I had a few available and that is when my mom gave them my card. So then they called me and I returned the phone call saying that they can pick whatever bunny they want up. So then they said ohh it's ok we have a rabbit already and we got it from the pet store.

And alsobuy rabbits from breedersor 4-H members when you want to start 4-H because they know a whole lot of things then pet stores. That was my lesson learned, I bought my first rabbit from the pet store and I realized for 6 years I wonder why I didn't get anything and it was from the pet store, so then I bought a rabbit from a breeder and I finally gotten something.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

pamnock wrote:

Rabbits don't have to be registered or pedigreed to be shown. (Or even purebred for that matter). They just need to meet the standard for a particular breed.

The General ARBA disqualifications any type of illness, color DQs, mismatched or wrong color toenails, over or under weight, eye spots or wrong colored eyes, foreign colored spots, broken tail, malocclusion, sore hocks, dewlap in some breeds, split penis, undescended testicle(s) are some of the more common DQ's to look for. There are also breed specific DQ's listed in each breed standard. (Breed standards over-ride general ARBA faults and DQ's).

I highly recommend purchasing a copy of the Standard.

Pam

I am definitely ordering that book! I found it on the ARBA site as I posted this.

I didn't think you could see malocclusion without a light/scope in rabbits?

When you say mismatched toenails, is that they have to have all one color? I know in some that a white nail is bad...

Thanks so much again! It seems like it isn't as different from sheep as I thought!



OH and our 4H is ARBA rules from what I am understanding. We get ARBA judges.

 

[pamnock]

In regards to malocclusion, the judge is only inspecting the incisors for butting teeth (simple malocclusion), wolf teeth (bottom teeth overlapping top teeth), broken or missing teeth. I also run my fingers along the jaw line to check for any jaw abnormalities or abscesses.

Desired toenail color requirementsvary by breed/variety and some allow mismatches. For example, none of the broken breeds DQ for mismatched toenails - it is either a fault or ignored.



Pam

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Thank you again, pamnock! You've been a great source of information that really has helped! I'll be ordering that book of standards and a couple of others for my daughter for her birthday.

She keeps telling me that heidi needs to go outside this spring so she can show her and not worry about her adjusting to the summer heat next year. I think she's worried it'll be another Bo! He was their first 4H bunny...... :whistling