DevonW
Well-known member
10% of your rabbits are responsible for producing 95% of your winners. This is to help find that 10% and get rid of the "junk"
Culling is the most important part of any breeding program. Two key words that need to be used when culling are "strict" and accurate". Everyone culls, the trick is to do it well. There are several problems that you should be aware of in your culling program, most of which are disqualifications. Make sure you realize that most of these problems are genetic, and that breeding them into your herd could result in major problems in future generations. If you are unaware of what disqualifications are consult your Standard of Perfection.
-The number one trick to culling is : Picture your ideal know what you're looking for, and then find the weaknesses in your herd. If you need to improve hindquarters, cull rabbits with poor hindquarters. IF you need to improve shoulders, cull rabbits with poor shoulders.
-One redeeming quality does not make up for 6 bad ones. Only keep rabbits that have what you need to improve on if they have few other faults. Or else you will just be creating more work for yourself down the road.
-If you produce a nice rabbit do not sell it and assume "You have both the parents, you can always make another one" Cull the parents or else you do not move forwards.
-You do not need a huge selection of bucks. If you find you hardly ever use a buck, cull it. If you have several bucks that are all related, keep the best cull the rest.
-Don't keep nasty rabbits, poor does, those with recessive genetic flaws. Use a scale and use it often. poor mothers pass the trait along, poor sires pass their traits along, poor or sick animals pass the problems along. Ask yourself when you keep a rabbit, is this better than what I have? If it is not, cull it.
- You don't ever get better by keeping old rabbits that don't do well.
-Don't keep junk, it doesn't get better.
-Line breeding can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It brings forward the best and the worst in a line. Whether it's fantastic fur or a recessive genetic disqualification. Line breeding is the fastest way to figure out where you are in your breeding program and what may be lurking in it.
-Rabbits go through a growth spurt where their body grows at such a rapid rate that they become gangly and yes, ugly. The age this happens can differ with different genetic lines, but the average age that this growth phase starts is between 6 to 12 weeks. The rabbit stops growing and levels out between 4 to 6 months. Do not cull during this time, or you may be throwing away future show stoppers.
Hope this helps some.
Culling is the most important part of any breeding program. Two key words that need to be used when culling are "strict" and accurate". Everyone culls, the trick is to do it well. There are several problems that you should be aware of in your culling program, most of which are disqualifications. Make sure you realize that most of these problems are genetic, and that breeding them into your herd could result in major problems in future generations. If you are unaware of what disqualifications are consult your Standard of Perfection.
-The number one trick to culling is : Picture your ideal know what you're looking for, and then find the weaknesses in your herd. If you need to improve hindquarters, cull rabbits with poor hindquarters. IF you need to improve shoulders, cull rabbits with poor shoulders.
-One redeeming quality does not make up for 6 bad ones. Only keep rabbits that have what you need to improve on if they have few other faults. Or else you will just be creating more work for yourself down the road.
-If you produce a nice rabbit do not sell it and assume "You have both the parents, you can always make another one" Cull the parents or else you do not move forwards.
-You do not need a huge selection of bucks. If you find you hardly ever use a buck, cull it. If you have several bucks that are all related, keep the best cull the rest.
-Don't keep nasty rabbits, poor does, those with recessive genetic flaws. Use a scale and use it often. poor mothers pass the trait along, poor sires pass their traits along, poor or sick animals pass the problems along. Ask yourself when you keep a rabbit, is this better than what I have? If it is not, cull it.
- You don't ever get better by keeping old rabbits that don't do well.
-Don't keep junk, it doesn't get better.
-Line breeding can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It brings forward the best and the worst in a line. Whether it's fantastic fur or a recessive genetic disqualification. Line breeding is the fastest way to figure out where you are in your breeding program and what may be lurking in it.
-Rabbits go through a growth spurt where their body grows at such a rapid rate that they become gangly and yes, ugly. The age this happens can differ with different genetic lines, but the average age that this growth phase starts is between 6 to 12 weeks. The rabbit stops growing and levels out between 4 to 6 months. Do not cull during this time, or you may be throwing away future show stoppers.
Hope this helps some.
