Breeding Does for Shows??

[KKRabbitry]

I was reading the "ARBA Official Guidebook to Raising Better Rabbits & Cavies", a few days ago when I noted an interesting thing about conditioning rabbits for show.
It says that many people breed their "show does" about two weeks before a show, since the hormones will enhance the coat, and help give them a plump healthy feel all the way around.
Which is true.......I have noticed our does look especially good about two weeks after being bred. The question is: Do people actually do this?
Do you think it's safe for the does to be shown while their pregnant, and still come home and raise a litter with no problems, stress, or risk of miscarriage?
It would certainly worry me a bit.
I'd love to hear the pros/cons if anyone has tried this, and how it worked out for them.
Are there any rules against it? I feel like I've heard somewhere that pregnant does are not allowed to show, but maybe I'm thinking of horse show rules, lol :?

It's on page 99 if anyone wants to look it up......it's the same book everyone gets when they join ARBA.

Interested to hear everyone's opinion on this!

 

[Dood]

I havent done it but if I had a problem keeping weight on my does or needed to fudge them over the weight limit I might try it, fortunately I have the opposite problem.

After hearing about a member who had a horrific car crash and the rabbits still had healthy litters, I am not so worried about the stress. And I try to make my rabbits as "bomb proof" as possible so they are not easily freaked out.

Germs on the other hand I would be concerned about but thankfully I rarely see un-thrifty rabbits at the shows I have attended and there is risk of disease in showing whether the doe is pregnant or not. I would have no problem culling a pregnant doe that showed any signs of illness, but not everyone could.

 

[Random Rabbit]

For some Major shows ... we have done this to give a Doe that little extra glow-boost. We haven't done it often...But two weeks or less doesn't seem to hurt them.

And... i Have bred a doe that is being sold and entered it in a show where the buyer is picking her up...That way they can see how she places...

 

[Peach]

I honestly had had very little to few problems showing them 2 weeks bred. However, I won't show them later than that. I have one that already has 1 leg, and will *hopefully* grand out saturday. That is all I want. She had lost a lot of condition from the manna pro we've been having ( just switched to pen pals 2 days ago because mine were barely touching it and my friend only about 30 minutes away had his herd of mini lops quit a together), but in the meantime, getting her pregnant got her back in condition and plump again. She's a tough girl and managed to carry and mother a healthy litter after being transported form Oregon, to Kansas for a few days, and then to Georgia. Excellent mom that handles stress wonderfully. Produced me what I hope will be my future herd sire.

So if you have a doe that might not be in the condition you want her to be but have 2 weeks to "prime" her up, breed her. At the end of the day, you know your does best and can make a call to bring them or not. I've left some,as badly as I wanted to bring them, at home because they were too rough in flesh condition for my taste.

 

[phillinley]

This is good info to know. I have a silver fox doe who is about a 1/4 pound under weight but bred her about 6 days ago. So I'll see how she weighs on Saturday morning before show and if she's over, it'll be her first show in a while.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Very good info...I was hemming and hawing over whether or not to bring my doe Gem to an upcoming show, as she's been bred...I'd really like to get her registered (any correctly-marked/colored kits would thus have both sire and dam registered) but don't want to wait til the litter is weaned. Now I think I might take her with me after all.

 

[KKRabbitry]

Thanks for all the comments guys!
I guess I'm going to give it a try......we have a show coming up in two weeks, and I just bred a lot of my Jersey Wooly does today!

So we'll see how it goes. Ordinarily I wouldn't bother, but I really wanted to get litters out of my does before the weather gets to hot,(it's already 80 degrees today down here in Oklahoma!), and at the same time I didn't want some of them to miss the next show coming up.

But like Dood said I also tend to have the opposite problem.... a few of my ladies are pushing the weight limit! So I'll have to weigh them carefully the day before the show
I decided not breed one of my Mini lop does just for that reason....she is a few ounces away from being DQ'd! Already has 4 legs, but I need her within the weight limit so I can get her registered at the show.
Thanks again everyone!

 

[luvabunny]

I don't breed specifically for a show, but if the doe is 2 weeks or less bred, then I don't see any harm in taking her.
I did get a doe registered last week at the show that had been nursing 10 two week old kits. She was obviously in milk, but the registrar said as long as she has no show faults, that is not a disqualification to register her. So now, all of her babies have a registered mama.
They are also NOT required to be tattooed in the right ear, in case you were concerned about that while preggo or nursing.

Shows in Okla are so rare with our weather, that you have to get everything done that needs done, or you may be waiting until the next spring or fall, since there aren't any shows in mid summer or mid winter.

Is the show you are talking about in Skiatook? If so, I'll see you there!

 

[KKRabbitry]

Your apsolutely right......you've gotta get everything done while you can, especially around here!
I wouldn't breed my does specifically for shows either. I still don't think it would make a huge difference. But at least I know it won't do any harm. Would be nice to get another leg or two one a couple of my Jersey Woolies that are close to getting their GC's.
It's also nice that they don't have to tattoo when they're pregnant or nursing......I didn't know that!
And yes, the show I'm talking about is Skiatook. So we will see you there!
(We are at Duncan as well, but I never saw you.......maybe I just need to look harder

 

[mwtrees]

They are also NOT required to be tattooed in the right ear, in case you were concerned about that while preggo or nursing.

That is not correct information. As a registrar I have to either put the circle R or the reg # in the rabbits ear.

 

[luvabunny]

Hmmm. I had the registrar go ahead and do it, but she made a big deal out of making sure I understood that she didn't HAVE to do it.

I apologize for the mis-information. Makes me happier knowing the registration has to actually be tattooed. Without it, the registration is just another piece of paper on who know which rabbit.

Thanks for the clarification Mary.

 

[Random Rabbit]

I have been Amazed at Registrars stating that they did Not need to tattoo the rabbit !!! Ummmm... according to ARBA ... they Must ! The 'Only' alternative i agree with... is when the rabbit is entered in a multiple show ...and still needs to be judged in a later show... Rather than getting ink all over the coat... the owner and registrar will wait for the tattoo until After the last judging.

I really cannot comprehend the mind set that tattooing "hurts" the rabbit .... ! One little clamp and it is done and over with ! Sheesh....

 

[Dood]

Perhaps they are worried that the restraint needed may harm the unborn kits.

 

[luvabunny]

I can understand the unwillingness to tattoo the rabbit. Personally, I have had to put several (read more than 5) rabbits down who broke their back due to the "un-painful" tattoo. This was quite common using the clamp style tattoo. There is no doubt in my mind that it was both painful and terrifying to the animal. It doesn't appear the pen type tattoo is quite as bad.

 

[KianaPanda]

Seems the kits always pull the hair from their moms though, my bunnies had a litters weaned a month ago and there is still a patch of two not even with the rest of the coat.

 

[skysthelimit]

I can understand the unwillingness to tattoo the rabbit. Personally, I have had to put several (read more than 5) rabbits down who broke their back due to the "un-painful" tattoo. This was quite common using the clamp style tattoo. There is no doubt in my mind that it was both painful and terrifying to the animal. It doesn't appear the pen type tattoo is quite as bad.

I have yet to have problem like this with the clamp, it's much faster than the pen and only requires me to make one pass.