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Tips & Suggestions
Below you will find some tips & suggestions to follow when you go out looking for your first rabbit.
Read! Read! Read!
Before you even go out looking for your rabbit learn about them
first. Two excellent books to read are “Your Rabbit: A Kids Guide To
Raising and Showing” and “A Guide To Raising Better Rabbits and
Cavies”. You can get “Your Rabbit: A Kids Guide To Raising and
Showing” through Amazon or Barnes and Nobel. “A Guide To Raising
Better Rabbits and Cavies” is available through the American Rabbit
Breeders Association (ARBA) and select rabbit equipment dealers.
Join the ARBA
ARBA is a wonderful organization! With your membership you’ll
receive a copy of “A Guide To Raising Better Rabbits and Cavies” and
you’ll also get a subscription to the Domestic Rabbit plus an annual
yearbook with a listing of ARBA members, Judges and Registrars.
Join a Specialty Club
Once you’ve selected a breed, join the national, state and /or
local specialty club for the breed. You’ll get more breed specific
information and be able to talk to breeders who can share “what
works” for them.
Buy A Standard of Perfection
This book is available through the ARBA and select rabbit
equipment dealers. If you’re interested in breeding and showing, or
are in 4-H, this book will become your “rabbit bible”. The Standard
of Perfection (SOP) is the book the judges, registrars and breeders
use as a guideline for selecting the animals with the best type and
color. This book has a description of what the perfect animal should
look like for each breed. It also describes the correct colors,
points and weights for each breed. There is also a glossary with
rabbit related terms, parts diagram, colored photos and much more!
Attend A Rabbit Show (or two… or three… or four…)
Once you’ve been to one show – there’s a good chance you’ll
catch the show bug! But seriously, a show is a great place to find
breeders, talk to exhibitors and see first hand just what that “show
bunny” should look like. If you’re just looking for a pet, I still
advise you to go check out a show – you might decide you want MORE
than just a pet bunny.
Try to find a reliable/reputable breeder
Don’t just buy the first rabbit you see from any old Joe with
them for sale. Try to find a breeder that is reliable/reputable.
Don’t be afraid to ask other breeds to see what they think about
their reputations. If you’re constantly hearing negative things,
then it might be wise to steer clear. Ask breeders who they feel
would be a good person to buy from.
To me, a reliable breeder has some sort of a guarantee incase the
rabbit gets sick. They will not only sell you the rabbit, but they
will take time after (or before) the sale to talk to you about your
new purchase. They’ll show you the pedigrees, possibly the parents,
talk to you about proper care, feeding, husbandry, showing, etc.
They will also talk to you about good type / bad type and possibly
even show you, hands on, what to look for. They might not sell you
the best in the barn, but they will start you off with something
right.
Have patience.
You’re probably not going to find what you’re looking for right
off the bad – and don’t expect to. Shop around a bit. The best is
worth the wait. You can and will locate a good breeder, just give it
time.
Also, don’t expect to win Best In Show your first time out. It takes
time and patience to breed a winner.
The first litter (or sometimes even the second) isn’t successful.
But remember, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”
Purchase the best quality animals you can afford.
When given a choice between purchasing a breeding pair for $150
or a breeding pair for $10, don’t select the $10 pair just because
they were cheaper. If the pair for $150 is of much better quality
then the cheaper pair, invest the extra money – it will be worth it.
It’s best to start off with some solid foundation than it is to
start off with inferior quality animals. It will take much longer in
the end to get something decent out of the $10 clunkers.
It’s okay to ask for a bred doe (especially if you’re just
starting out).
A good way to get yourself started is by getting a really good
show quality buck, a show quality doe, and a bred brood doe (bred to
something other than the buck you purchased). This will widen your
genetic pool a bit, but still give you something to start with.
Don’t buy young rabbits/kits.
Although they are so irresistibly cute – don’t give in to the
temptation of buying a really young rabbit. Look for one who is an
older junior (3-5 months) or a mature animal. You’ll be able to get
a better idea of what they will look like once fully matured. Young
kits, or weanlings that are just 6-8 weeks old are really adorable,
but there’s no guarantee as to what they’ll look like once they’re
adults. It’s just a gamble.
Ask questions before you buy.
If you have ANY questions at all - ask the breeder. They’ll be
more than happy to answer your questions for you. The more you know,
the better care you can provide for your animals.
Practice good feeding habits.
A balanced diet is not only important for us humans – it’s
important for the rabbits as well. Too much “junk food” (treats) can
be a bad thing. A diet of pellets (good commercial brand), hay and
fresh water is best. And don’t overfeed! A fat rabbit is less
productive, less healthy and less likely to do well on the show
table.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness
Sorry – that’s something my grandma would say. But it’s
important to keep things in the rabbitry CLEAN. Clean your pans out
weekly, dump old feed out of the feeders, remove dirty water from
the crocks, disinfect nest boxes after use, and keep hair and debris
from building up on the cages. Good sanitation is important for
keeping your animals healthy.
Keep records
Keep accurate records – Pedigrees, Breeding Records, Show
Records, Income, Expense, Buyers, Health/Medications and so on.
Handle your rabbit every day.
It is important to handle your rabbits as much as possible. Take
them out on a daily basis. Pose them, examine them, and get them use
to being handled. Check their teeth, trim their nails, and make sure
their in a good, healthy condition.
Most importantly – HAVE FUN
Remember, this is a hobby and hobbies are supposed to be fun.
The main reason I go to the shows is to meet and talk with friends.
Showing rabbits is just a great bonus! Once this hobby starts to
become more than “just fun” is when I’ll quit.
Article written by Mindy Borer
Rabbit Registrar #RR473
www.TranquilAcresRabbitry.com
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