I think it's important to remember that sometimes a rabbit who is perfectly sweet when being bred and raising kits can get, um, frustrated when intact and not doing those things, so the breeders may never see those changes, even if they're otherwise breeding really, really SWEET rabbits/for temperament.
CPTJack, I love your responses. I definitely feel that you add a valuable counterbalance of opinion and experience.
I don't entirely agree about breeders not knowing what their unbred stock is like though.
Many people do not breed intensively enough to have their stock always pregnant or nursing.
Also, there is a period before any animal is deemed old enough to breed, where it is sexually mature and often quite frustrated.
From my experience, does usually to show their true colors during that "teen phase."
I try to grow out enough does so that I have the luxury of sorting out tempers right there, instead of breeding to "see if they settle."
I do understand that others have different strategies, and does that they are very glad to have taken the time to see if they calmed with breeding.
My guess would be that PSF Angoras probably has really nice stock all the time.
Since, my own experiences with angoras runs along those same lines.
Very sweet does even when unbred.
The same goes for my v-lop, and any of the nice girls that I've had over the years. I can say with confidence that I know what each of them is like unbred, since we do take breaks from breeding, and I stagger which does I use. I'm happy if each doe gives me 3 litters a year, so long as they do not miss or make mistakes when bred.
I'm of the opinion that MOST hormonal does would settle with time and breeding, but...
It might take one or two breedings, or keeping them bred. (From my experience, breeders will usually be able to tell you
exactly which does in their herd need to be constantly bred to stay "nice"
)
I dunno. I won't experiment with it, since I really do not want it in my lines.
It's all kind of irrelevant though,
(just me being argumentative)
since pet owners do not typically wish to cycle through animals until they get lucky enough to find one that just-so-happens to be sweet all the time.
Altering a doe would give the option to try and settle the one-and-only rabbit that someone has chosen to be their companion animal. I feel that there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, even with the risk of surgery.
Especially when you think of the possible fate of unaltered "mean" does. Neglect, abuse, maybe abandonment..
