Do you think It's OK to breed rabbits for Color?

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Karlie

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Do you think it's OK to breed for a certain color you like instead of a certain breed?
 
First, it's important to establish your goals. What are your goals?

I'm assuming you are not breeding for show if you are crossing.

Are you breeding for the pet market? Are you breeding for your own personal rabbits?

Pam
 
Well, you must breed a certain breed to be able to produce a certain colour ;) I mean, I know lots of breeds have the same colour, but the breed is just as important :)

Many breeders have one or a couple breeds that they focus on, and they choose the colours they'd like to produce, etc.
Example; I breed Mini Rex in the colours Chinchilla, REW & hopefully/eventually broken chinchilla.

Emily
 
So you are breeding the same breed together? What are your goals? Show quality, pet???

For show Mini Rex, it is advised to breed for type first, then "tweak" the color.

Pam
 
I breed my mini-rex for type and fur first and then color. I show my rabbits and they can have a really pretty color but if they don't have type and fur they won't even be looked at on the table.

I am working on sable points now. I have started crossing in my really nice rabbits with the sable points to improve the type and fur. I figure it will take a couple of generations and I will have to fix the color but they will be better in the long run.

Roger
 
Karlie wrote:
Do you think it's OK to breed for a certain color you like instead of a certain breed?

If I am misunderstanding your intent, I apologize in advance, but what I am thinking is you are crossing certain breeds to get a color that you like? To be fully honest with you, I really don't agree with doing that. I am not against breeding-when you are breeding high-quality purebred animals, to improve the breed.

The reason I say this is that shelters all over the country are overflowing with bunnies that have been abandoned. Even with the best intentions, it is very difficult to make sure that the bunnies you can't keep go to good homes. Even experienced shelter workers can sometimes make a mistake, and send a bunny into a neglectful siuation.

I hope this has not come across as harsh, that was not at all my intent.
 

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