Starting our rabbitry journey, among others

[savedbygrace979]

New rabbit breeder here from central Midwest U.S.A, Nebraska to be specific. Getting our first pedigreed mated pair of Champagne D'Argents next week. We're breeding primarily for meat, however we are making sure to raise them up a bit longer (8-9months) to get good final pelts after their adult coats have fully come in. We also plan to sell them as papered pets, but we don't expect a lot to sell as such. We've done a crap ton of research before getting here (several months' worth), so as to not get in over our heads. At this point we're wanting to start networking for other breeders of Champagnes and the other breeds we plan to expand to. We're looking to expand to not only Champagnes, but French Angora, Satin Angora, Rex, and one of the Chinchilla breeds. Another reason for networking is I want to find other solid lines in each breed, enough to fill 6 full breeding sets with diverse purebred stock and zero inbreeding and linebreeding. This is the number that my math wiz wife has calculated to ensure zero line/inbreeding within our breedstock for each breed. Not a fan of inbreeding or linebreeding as it's leading to the demise of an entire breed of cow among many other animals...it's disgusting. Anyway, our plan is to have 6 sets of diverse distinguishable lines for each breed we have.

I'm also interested in those who have Rex breeds that raise them up for meat, if there are any here? Do you also keep their pelts? I'm planning on breeding Rex's for meat or Rex Crosses with others as meat but I will want their full adult coat pelts...etc.

 

[savedbygrace979]

So yesterday we drove down to Kansas to pick up a Champagne buck and doe. They were supposed to be a mated pair. They aren't a mated pair as she had claimed and when looking at their pedigrees, we discovered they are half brother and sister. She also told me last minute that they hadn't ever really been handled but she sells them as pets... Anyway they are gorgeous bunnies that we will mate one time and will get new bucks and does to pair up with them. Going to be a long week getting these two acclimated to a new home and being handled several times a day.

Here's the Doe. Our son named her Milk. He's going to be helping raise them and possibly showing them. He then will get 50% of any profits off of the litters of these two.



Here's the buck. Son named him Oreo.

 

[ladysown]

nothing wrong with breeding half siblings.

 

[savedbygrace979]

nothing wrong with breeding half siblings.

I'm not in favor of linebreeding or inbreeding at all and won't do it in my breeding. Half siblings are one step removed from full inbreeding. I understand that it's standard practice across the commercial breeding world but I won't do it.

 

[ladysown]

That's fine, your herd, your choices. I won't argue with you about it.

 

[HTAcres]

I'm not in favor of linebreeding or inbreeding at all and won't do it in my breeding. Half siblings are one step removed from full inbreeding. I understand that it's standard practice across the commercial breeding world but I won't do it.

I used to breed German Shepherds. It took me a while to wrap my head around the difference with rabbits. One of the biggies is that you have more litters and you can more easily cull out the issues with rabbits vs something like dogs. Now I would not sell half siblings as a start to someone (not without a lot of discussion anyway), when I do a trio, the buck and the does are out of different lines. However, when breeding, I breed my best to my best. In two years, I only had one pairing that was not good and I simply didn't do that one again. Of course, it is totally your rabbitry and your decision. I am adding my experience to encourage you to continue learning about the particulars of rabbits vs pretty much anything else.

 

[savedbygrace979]

I used to breed German Shepherds. It took me a while to wrap my head around the difference with rabbits. One of the biggies is that you have more litters and you can more easily cull out the issues with rabbits vs something like dogs. Now I would not sell half siblings as a start to someone (not without a lot of discussion anyway), when I do a trio, the buck and the does are out of different lines. However, when breeding, I breed my best to my best. In two years, I only had one pairing that was not good and I simply didn't do that one again. Of course, it is totally your rabbitry and your decision. I am adding my experience to encourage you to continue learning about the particulars of rabbits vs pretty much anything else.

I understand what you're saying. I already have a plan for my breeding program that eliminates any inbreeding and line breeding. I also won't be just breeding rabbits either. Rabbits will actually be the smallest part of my operation once it's going full steam....