To pedigree or not?

[Amaggio]

New to rabbits here. I won't be raising them for meat, mainly for my enjoyment and their manure. I would sell extras as pets but if i wanted to get into show is pedigree important or just registered? Or does a rabbit need a pedigree to be registered like a goat does?

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

New to rabbits here. I won't be raising them for meat, mainly for my enjoyment and their manure. I would sell extras as pets but if i wanted to get into show is pedigree important or just registered? Or does a rabbit need a pedigree to be registered like a goat does?

Ask @Bunnylady ...she’s very knowledgeable about rabbits and would definitely know this kind of thing. I raise them, but purely for fun. I just sold a litter of six, but it was a fluke!

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

I haven't shown any of my rabbits yet, but it's my understanding that a pedigree is not required to show, but must have a pedigree to be registered. Rabbits which are not registered may not be eligible to win certain titles. I think the pedigree has to go back 3 generations for the rabbit to be able to be registered.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

I haven't shown any of my rabbits yet, but it's my understanding that a pedigree is not required to show, but must have a pedigree to be registered. Rabbits which are not registered may not be eligible to win certain titles. I think the pedigree has to go back 3 generations for the rabbit to be able to be registered.

The most qualified person to ask is @Bunnylady Hopefully she will see her name mentioned. Perhaps you could invite her to join in. She’s quite an expert on all these questions your asking. My rabbits are purely for fun..nothing special. Just cute

 

[Mini Horses]

..nothing special. Just cute

"Cute" makes them special!

 

[promiseacres]

I haven't shown any of my rabbits yet, but it's my understanding that a pedigree is not required to show, but must have a pedigree to be registered. Rabbits which are not registered may not be eligible to win certain titles. I think the pedigree has to go back 3 generations for the rabbit to be able to be registered.

This is true while a pedigree is not required to show open/ARBA shows, it is required to be registered and granded. Our local 4H does require a pedigree (not that it's 100% enforced) . And the pedigree must be complete, weights, colors, ect back the 3 generations. I only have one rabbit that is registered but I am open to registering more.

Pedigrees aren't hard to keep track of, you can find forms online to fill out or pay a small fee and use a program that creates them automatically (once you enter the information) I use Hutch . It has a calendar, pedigrees, all the rabbits I have. I can even put their photos on their pedigrees. It helps too if you want to line breed if you know pedigrees.

I personally would hesitate to buy a rabbit without a pedigree. I want to know background such as colors/varieties and if the rabbit has any grands champions behind him/her. I want to know if that little bunny has the potential to go overweight as a senior or produce oddball colors that won't be able to be shown. Keeping pedigrees show you're a serious rabbit breeder, not just raising "pets" or culls.

My rabbits have been sold to people all over the country, including Alaska and a couple to Canada. I have also bought rabbits from via rabbit transporters from various states. So you can really expand your market by keeping pedigrees, breeding to the standard and showing (though we haven't made a show for over a year now..). And increase your asking prices. I rarely sell a rabbit under $30... even the pets. (Though they still don't quite pay for their feed... )

 

[promiseacres]

I did forget my son's NZ doe and her daughter are not pedigreed.
And why I don't care about them not being pedigreed (though if we keep with the breed we'll start our own)
First off 99% of their offspring is for meat, got them to raise my son's 4H meatpens. And the price was right, son paid $20 for the doe after she raised his meatpen litter last year. I wasn't sure if he would like "selling/raising" rabbits for meat. So I contacted a breeder with a good reputation for raising meatpens. She let us "borrow" the doe and bred her as we need to raise our own. Afterwards (he got grandchampion and $300 at auction) he bought her. We kept one doe from her litter and will take both back to the breeder fthis spring to have both does bred again. Breeder isn't charging us to do this. At this point they are only to raise a litter a year for his 4H project. Not to raise show bunnies nor do I plan on shipping these particular rabbits. I want to butcher any excess this year for our own use and may keep a buck back for the following year.