Do Tattoos Have to be Black?

[Kyle@theWintertime]

This system could be a problem for you if you have more than 9 litters a year, or more than 9 bunnies in a litter. Maybe use a letter for the litter (so litter a, b, c). If you took out the 1 in the year number you would have an extra slot so you could do 01, 02, 03 for the rabbit number instead of just single digit.

That's actually a pretty good idea. I doubt I'll have nine litters in a year...after today I'll have only three does (I've cut WAY back on my herd) and one of them I doubt I'll ever breed, she's a great wool producer and a TERRIBLE mother, lol. Eventually I'd like to have more but space is limited. More than 9 in a litter could be a problem. Hmmm...may revise my plans.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I highly recommend buying human grade ink. I spoke to a tattoo artist, and he said that Kuro Sumi Outlining ink would be best for the purpose.

http://www.amazon.com/Kuro-Sumi-outlini ... lining+ink

I like to know who the rabbit's parents were, it's standing in the litter, and month and year of birth by looking at the tattoo. I have only one buck and one doe of each breed at a time with a name starting with a particular letter.

My method is Buck's initial, Doe's initial, kit number (heaviest being #1, next heaviest #2, etc.), month, year. I use X for November and Z for December. I have never had a litter of more than ten, but if I did I would use letters instead of numbers for those kits.

I have recently started adding VG to the end of the tattoo to indicate my rabbitry name. I think that as long as the tattoo is legible, most judges don't care how long it is. They seem to get more frustrated by ones that are unclear, and depending on the judge, they may DQ the rabbit.

Example: GY192VG is out of Greystone and Yowzah, heaviest kit in the litter(1), born in the 9th month of 2012, to Victory Garden Rabbits.

If you leave off rabbitry initials, this system can be used with a 5 digit clamp set. I have an extra set of numbers and two alphabets for mine. I have since switched to a pen which provides more versatility.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

My Cals are "O" for One Acre Farm, "D/B" for doe or buck and a number, like OD1 or OB4. Rex would be ORD1, NZW would be OND1, crosses would be OXD1.

Don't you get a lot of repeat numbers?

I am giving all this feedback and asking all these questions because I'm open to changing my system, if someone has found one better

I just use the next sequential number that is open, so I can go up to OD99 before needing to add a digit.Only my keeper rabbits get these numbers. The ones I intend to sell get "OSD" or OSB" and a number.

 

[mwtrees]

You can put almost anything for a tattoo. Be careful with small eared rabbits. Those tattoo's would be hard to put in a small ear! Though I did have a mini rex that was tatto'd "Glassofwine" done with an electric tattoo pen and great penmanship!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Be careful with small eared rabbits. Those tattoo's would be hard to put in a small ear!

But it is possible. May I submit my Jersey Wooly, Prodige, and his micro ear:

 

[Bad Habit]

I just have done BH1 - BH6. Keeping it simple. Adding everything into a spread sheet, with colour, parents and DOB. We will see how it goes, lol.

 

[skysthelimit]

I just have done BH1 - BH6. Keeping it simple. Adding everything into a spread sheet, with colour, parents and DOB. We will see how it goes, lol.

What color did you use?

 

[Bad Habit]

Black, since it's what came with the pen. The day before they leave, or the day they leave, I'm going to tattoo DQ in the right ear.

 

[Oceanrose]

I tattoo everything, with the same systems for my records. I figure if a pet rabbit ends up on the table, well, I disclose DQ's, and if it wins, then hey, cool beans. But anyway. My system is for bucks - OS and then Sire initial, dam initial, and then litter # (that is assigned to them at about a week old). Then I can keep track of photos. Does are the same, but OS at the end. So the litter I have right now, the bucks are OSPL1 and the does are PL2OS.

Anything that I get that isn't tattooed, I do their name, or a shortened version of it.

 

[Bad Habit]

I have a line that is strictly pet. I doubt anything show worthy will come out of it, however the doe is about the sweetest thing ever, and I have personal attachment to the line. Those are the ones I'm worried about tattooing as DQ or pet only, because I don't want someone down the road buying it off someone who bought it off someone who bought it off me, to think they're getting quality, or put the rabbit on the show table and get angry when it loses(because it will. Big time. Laughed off the table).

People around here automatically assume that a tattoo means the rabbit is show worthy. I just wanted to tattoo so I would have a method of knowing that this sable point is reserved by person x, and that sable point is reserved by person y, and that other sable point was reserved by person z. Also, if ever I get a return, I can look up the ear number and know that this rabbit has these parents and was born on this day. It also prevents someone from passing off someone else's rabbit as one I've bred, especially when it comes to either returns(I will take back a rabbit I have bred, no questions asked) or health issues under the health guarantee.