Forming a better line.

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ZachsRabbits

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One Goal I have for 2016 is to breed a pedigreed A.R.B.A show quality line that has 3 simple goals which are:
1. Better First Time Mothering Skills: I would like my Brood/Show Does to be great first moms so I do not have to worry about moms kindling on the wire and have them in the nestbox and not stomp them either the first time around.
2. No Genetic Problems- I don't deal with them and never want to in my herd/line period.
3. Hardiness- I never want to deal with cocci again after having it invade my rabbitry and killing half of them. I want the hardiness of meat rabbits or unipedigreed rabbits since I show and show buns are not hardy like meat buns.
What you think?
 
show buns can and SHOULD BE as hardy as any other rabbits.

Problem is some show people fail to look beyond type and colour to the important things like hardiness and temperament and mothering ability.

I've battled with my rabbits and am slowly with some things making ground, and in other things gaining ground nicely. :) I rarely get nestbox eye anymore. :) I don't see snot. I generally don't have kindling issues. and am slowly winnowing out the harder to breed lines of my HL's.

So attainable goals...you just need to keep those in the forefront of your decision making plans. :)
 
All those goals are things that can be selected for, show rabbits or not. It starts by finding a breeder that has similar goals in mind.
Great first moms may be iffy, it is their first time and I expect everything won't be perfect. But I do have my non negotiables.
Genetic problems-- mixed or pure, you breed enough, you will see something. Nothing is 100% genetically without some possible defect. Some things are congenital, and it may not be obvious which is which. There are plenty of things that can be bred away from, get those ones out of the way immediately.

If you have line or breed of show rabbits that aren't hardy, get rid of them. As much as it pained me, I've culled a lot of Rex, French Angoras and my entire line of Silver Fox. And when I say cull, I mean terminally. Start over and get something else. No time for that and no sense perpetuating something that you have to pamper.
 

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