How To Pick the Best Breeder

[Bramble Briar86]

I just realized today at the show how very little I do know about rabbits :shock:it was quite shocking. It's not that I refuse to pick up information---I don't know where to get the information! So, I was wondering what breeders do and how to pick out breeder rabbits and show rabbits from the culls (for me, culls would just be "pet" rabbits needing pet homes.) I'm getting in to Californians and Netherland dwarfs. I have a doe/buck pair that needs replacing andI plan on getting a doe/buck breeding pair from a breeder somewhere before i get too far along into my breeding plan.

I'm also going to get a breeder neth. dwarf (i already have the nice nethie buck i need).

So,basically i wanted to pick your brains as to what qualifies your kits/future senior breeders that you buy to become those future show and breeding animals. What do you look for in each section of the rabbit?

Specifically, coat and toplines/rump area.

Thanks!

Ellie

 

[pamnock]

It's far more easy to be able to show someone, but I'll try to keep this simple and easy The Netherland Dwarf should have a very short, rounded body, and rounded head and short, thick ears. The head should be mounted high. Don't pick the long, narrow babies for show.

The commercial fryers should be well rounded with firm flesh. The body should be very smooth as you run your hand over their body. The hindquarters are most important, then the mid-section, then the shoulders. Common faults in the commercial breeds are low shoulders, rough hindquarters and soft, over-finished flesh.

Watch the size on the Cals. Sometimes very nice fryers don't grow to senior weight due to small bone.

I found some photos on the internet as examples (Hopefully most of them will show up):

This is a promising Netherland baby:

This one has longer fine bone and a narrow face:

Low head mount, narrow head, long body:

Long over the shoulders:

Well rounded body (a little weak at the shoulder):

]http://www.webartntech.com%252Fchickfarm%252Frabbit.html%26size=1.9kB%26name=rabbit.jpg%26p=new%2bzealand%2brabbit%26type=jpeg%26no=86%26tt=642%26ei=UTF-8]

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Long over the shoulders:

Very nice photo of commercial body type:



Note the shadow above the hip -- the rabbit lacks fullness over the hindquarters. It is also improperly posed. The rear toes should be even with the hip joint and the front toes should be even with the eye (as shown in the photo above). Hold your hand over the rabbit's face to get it to tuck its nose and round out its back. Do not push the hindquarters in or it will make the rabbit appear "chopped off" at the hindquarter.

Wow!

Flat:

Flat spot over the shoulder and slopes off over the hindquarters:



nice full, rounded body:



Very long, narrow and flat,



Very low/weak over shoulder, lacks fullness over hips (also not properly posed):

]http://www.rabbitandcavydirectory.com%252FBreed_Gallery%252FRex.htm%26size=34.8kB%26name=TREX%2bblackorange%2btriT74B.jpg%26p=meat%2brabbits%26type=jpeg%26no=95%26tt=474%26ei=UTF-8]

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Pam

 

[Bramble Briar86]

Wow! Thanks, Pam. That really helped a lot, i'll most likely print this off and keep it around for a while until I pick them just right when they're young or when I go to buy in a few weeks. Great info!

How do you tell about the rump? He said a few of my rabbits were weak in the rump, he took his index finger and thumb, made a "C" and placed his fingertips evenly in the middle of the rump and said they were a bit weak. I think this is the area I'm the most terrible time with judging, I justcan't get the hang of it!

Thanks,

Ellie

 

[pamnock]

The loin fills in the area over the top of therump. It should be wide and deep, so there are no hollow areas above the hips. The rabbit's hindquarters should look smooth and round from all directions. The loin is a prime cut of meat, and I put a lot of emphasis on it when judging commercial animals.

Source: petcaretips.net/ parts-of-rabbit.html

 

[Bramble Briar86]

:thanks:

Ellie