purebred

[tierlakay]

Hi I was after a bit of help..

I just got an email from a lady on another site informing me that she has looked at my website and said my Rabbits are cross bred and not pure dwarf lops...

would someone please take the time to have a little look at my site and let me know your opinions, as when we purchased them we were told they are purebred dwarf lops.. And with babies their ears done actually lop for a few wks, much like dalmatians don't get their spots etc...

i don't want to keep advertising them are purebred if in fact they aren't..

www.tierlakaysie.webs.com

 

[Pipp]

I'll leave the 'judging' to the rabbits breeders, but it would probably help if you posted pics of the parents (and if you can say you're sure they ARE the parents).

They are very cute! And you seem to be doing a great job.


sas :bunnydance:

 

[tierlakay]

Thanks for the reply.. I will put a few pic's in here to make it easier...

This is the Dad... He usually has one ear up and one down, moved it around a bit...

Above is cheyenne, she is a REW.. Her ears have fully lopped a few months ago (4months old)

Above is Dakota, she is now 8 months old
I will put one pick of the babies cause there is 7 so you'd get the idea..

They are now 5 weeks old and some have 1 ear up and one down, while some still have up.. But they are still moving their ears, learning to control them
These babies are Dakota's and Tubby's

 

[LovableLops]

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

 

[bunnybunbunb]

Are they pedigreed? Did they come from a breeder where you saw their parents?

Even the best show quality holland lops/dwarf lops have litters with babies who have imperfect crowns. The crowns are to narrow in width making them have control over their ears. It does not make them any less of a purebred, just less quality type wise.

 

[Blaze_Amita]

What you guys call dwarf lop is what we USA people call Holland Lops? if it is the only thing that i noticed odd was the face. I know with our holland lops most of the judges look for flatter faces- as i was told, think Persian cat or pug for flatness.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/AyaSora/IMG_4421.jpg

may have to put that link into the browser. I know she's a purebred(saw parents, siblings and have her pedigree)and she's decent on the table when she's minding her manners. she fails in loin, temperment(she has bitten a few judges) and color, i hate blacks for that reason, but she's my sisters bunny that she gave to me.

 

[Bramblerose]

I think that Australia falls under the BRC(British Rabbit Council) New Zealand appears to have their own parent club. They do both list a Dwarf Lop

http://www.thebrc.org/dwarf.htm

I do have to say that in the USA your rabbits would be considered crossbreds, as they do not appear to be either Mini Lops or Holland Lops. Their ear carriage is really what would make someone think they are crossbreeds, ears should be carried much lower with more crown and width of head. Can you contact a fellow breeder of Dwarf Lops and go see her rabbits? That would most likely be the best solution, as breeds can be different from country to country.

 

[bunnybunbunb]

"I do have to say that in the USA your rabbits would be considered crossbreds, as they do not appear to be either Mini Lops or Holland Lops."

No, if it comes from 4 generations of holland lops it would not be consistered a crossbred, just a poor typed holland lop. I wish I had pictures of my holland lops from 5 years ago, all where pedigreed from a good friend of mine and he could account for his lines for many years. He bred for show and then stopped and started keeping for color insted of type. the end result was rabbits with long thing heads/noses, thin bone, long ears and long bodies. They did not look like a show table quality holland lop, but they were purebred holland lops all the same.


*edited for clarity

 

[tierlakay]

Thanks for all the replies... I do know that my rabbits aren't show quality and they aren't bred for shows either.. .We ourselves are breeding for the colour and for the joy..
But does that make them any less purebred???..

The rew's parents I have seen both and they looked and we were told they are purebred as well..

And same with Dakota...

So do you think I can still call them all purebred??...
I have put on all my web pages that are rabbits are pets and not show quality.

 

[Happi Bun]

I'm not a breeder, but I don't believe you should be calling them purebred when they aren't. Wouldn't that be false advertising? The definition of purebred: bred from members of a recognized breed, strain, or kind without admixture of other blood over many generations.

 

[Blaze_Amita]

If they are still purebred dwarf lops than i would continue to advertise them as purebred, just add a note that says not show type or something like that so no one can acuse you of it and keep pictures of the parents were you can so that you can prove that they are if you so need to.

One of Skye's babies came out looking like that, to Blaze(my avatar picture) Blaze was only slightly long in body and longer ears than they liked. Come to think of it. Dawn was her name, orange doe. she was a wonderful pet

 

[tierlakay]

Thank You 'happi bun' for your reply... But that's what iv been saying is that iv seen the parents of my rabbits and they are dwarf lops... And from the owners of the parents have also told us that they are purebred, as they are breeders them selves (not for show just pets)....

We have than bred our own babies and they are dwarf lops as of course we know their parents...

Iv just got an email today from a lady that visited my site and she told me my rabbits are not purebred as their ears aren't lopped... which all are except the 5 week old babies...,.

My question is if I should still call them purebred is if anyone on here who is a breeder can actually tell me that they don't look purebred.....

And like iv said I know they are show quality they are just pet quality..

 

[Pipp]

I think just saying 'pet quality' in the 'for sale' section, ie: 'pet quality dwarf lop babies' and explaining that 'helicopter ears' run in the family will suffice.

Personally I prefer helicopter ears!

They probably are purebred as noted -- seeing as it just boils down to a number of generations of 'purebred' bunnies - but if you simply say 'dwarf lops', it will be fine.

The rest is just semantics.

I'd mention their looks and personalities, which are more important with pet bunnies than their lineage.

They sure are cute!


sas :bunnydance:

 

[Pipp]

Blaze_Amita wrote:

If they are still purebred dwarf lops than i would continue to advertise them as purebred, just add a note that says not show type or something like that so no one can acuse you of it and keep pictures of the parents were you can so that you can prove that they are if you so need to

:yeahthat:

 

[pamnock]

tierlakay wrote:

My question is if I should still call them purebred is if anyone on here who is a breeder can actually tell me that they don't look purebred.....

And like iv said I know they are show quality they are just pet quality..

Yes, you may still call them purebred if they are purebred to the best of your knowledge. (Generally based on a 3 generation pedigree of all the same breed). Traits such as "airplane ears" don't make them any less pure bred - just less desirable for show/breeding.

I think people would be very surprised to know how many "purebred" show rabbits are actually cross-breds.



Pam

Breeder of Holland Lops for 20 years

 

[tierlakay]

Thank You all very very much....

 

[bunnybunbunb]

I agree Pam, I have a friend who got a woolie baby from Netherland Dwarfs, she went on to show it as a jersey woolie. I am not sure how it did on the table.

 

[SilverBirchRabbitry]

I don't know anything about Dwarf Lops, but they certainly are cute!

 

[Bramblerose]

Pam Nock brought up an important point that not all rabbits on the show table are purebreds, what they do have that allows them to pass for pure is breed type, which it could be argued is more important than a rabbit being purebred. Rabbits are very plastic genetically, and its a common practice to cross in other breeds to correct or improve another breed, for instance some lines of Harlequins carry REW because NZW's were crossed in. Same thing with Silver Foxes, REW kits still pop up occasionally. Since you don't have a 3 gen pedigree and were only told that the parents of your rabbits were purebred Dwarf Lops and they appeared to be pure to you its really a judgement call on your part of what to call them. I must say, and I say this gently that they do lack breed type, they look to be mixes based on their appearance. Just because you breed for pets only does not mean that you should not breed for breed type. Really truly consider contacting Dwarf Lop breeders in your area. Network and find out what correct breed type is for Dwarf Lops in your country. You may find some new friends who share your love of rabbits and maybe even a mentor. A breeder should strive to produce the best that they can regardless of breed or species. None of this was said to hurt your feelings, I was raised by a dog show breeder, it was drilled into my head at a very early age to only breed your best to produce the best, and that breed type is a nearly holy thing. I hope I did not offend, that was most certainly not my intention.

 

[pamnock]

Of course I should point out that although a rabbit does not need to be "purebred" (3 generation pedigree of the same breed) to be shown, a non-purebred rabbit cannot be ARBAregistered or grand championed.

Pam