I purchased this Rhinelander doe and her ear came like what is p tired below. The tip was bent over. I know she was shown this year, but unsure If the tip was in this condition at the time. Also does anyone know what would cause something like this? It's just stayed this way and her ears are healthy. No symptoms of any ear problems or discomfort.
Is this a DQ?
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That's a good question!
The sections I believe would be applicable are in the "General" and "Structural" disqualification sections of the SOP, though there is not any verbiage specifically addressing drooping ear tips. Due to copyright restrictions I can't reproduce the whole text here, but hopefully you have an ARBA Standard of Perfection you can refer to.
p. 35, General "...Any deviation from the normally accepted condition of body structure..."
and
p. 36, Structural - Ears "...torn ears or ears with a portion missing, must noticeably detract from the general appearance..."
Poor ear carriage is generally a fault, not a DQ, though it does depend on the specific breed and the degree of deviation from the ideal. In this case, I think it would come down to each judge's discretion as to whether it is a defect that noticeably detracts from the rabbit's appearance.
She probably won't be in the running for Best in Show, but I'd enter her in her breed classes and see what the judges have to say. They may have some valuable insight into the situation from their years of experience handling all sorts of rabbits. Did the former owner have any information about how the rabbit did in her previous show(s)?
I've seen drooping ear tips in cases of extreme heat, or due to a vitamin E deficiency, or due to injury to the ear or to the nervous system. It's hard to be sure what I'm looking at in these photos but because it's only one ear, and because it looks like a distinct crease rather than a soft droop, I'd be inclined to think it was some sort of injury.
The reason I'm posting this here and not on Facebook is that unfortunately the rabbits were not in great condition when we picked them up and I couldn't have said no because they needed attention. One buck's behind was pooey and his poor testicles were covered in dried diarrhea and both bucks were matted so bad that that I was forced to restrain them and cut the hair with a razor blade because it was so close to the skin that scissors would have nipped the skin. She was very eager to get rid of them and I don't think she was a bad person, but they clearly were not cared for the way they needed care. It does not seem that SHE showed them because she said,." I know they were shown in June" so it seems she purchased these recently and realized she doesn't like big rabbits. It certainly does seem to me like trauma. I've scanned many pictures of Flemish giants or checkered giants with *drooping* ear tips but I have yet to find anyone with experience with a folded ear. I am a goat person and I've seen folded ears from birth many times in goats so I am not against the idea that this potentially could be the way she was born but I was terrified at first that she had an ear illness. I've ruled those out now, but it's just something I'm unsure a judge will let slide. I've seen examples on Facebook in the Rhinelander group of mama chewing ears and one lady said she won a leg one show and was DQ'd the next show but me and Heidi's situation seems unique as there is neither a tear nor a portion missing. I still have the last breeder's contact information and I might become brave enough to ask her if she knows about their show results but I just felt really afraid to bring up anything else because of it were me, I would have been really embarrassed at the condition of my rabbits at the time they were picked up by the purchaser. I would never have sold a rabbit with pooey buttThat's a good question!
The sections I believe would be applicable are in the "General" and "Structural" disqualification sections of the SOP, though there is not any verbiage specifically addressing drooping ear tips. Due to copyright restrictions I can't reproduce the whole text here, but hopefully you have an ARBA Standard of Perfection you can refer to.
p. 35, General "...Any deviation from the normally accepted condition of body structure..."
and
p. 36, Structural - Ears "...torn ears or ears with a portion missing, must noticeably detract from the general appearance..."
Poor ear carriage is generally a fault, not a DQ, though it does depend on the specific breed and the degree of deviation from the ideal. In this case, I think it would come down to each judge's discretion as to whether it is a defect that noticeably detracts from the rabbit's appearance.
She probably won't be in the running for Best in Show, but I'd enter her in her breed classes and see what the judges have to say. They may have some valuable insight into the situation from their years of experience handling all sorts of rabbits. Did the former owner have any information about how the rabbit did in her previous show(s)?
I've seen drooping ear tips in cases of extreme heat, or due to a vitamin E deficiency, or due to injury to the ear or to the nervous system. It's hard to be sure what I'm looking at in these photos but because it's only one ear, and because it looks like a distinct crease rather than a soft droop, I'd be inclined to think it was some sort of injury.
Update: this is what she said
[Buck Ahas won 2 times with me. The other 2 have won BOB on the east coast where they came from. I showed them in Wichita and he won BOB and she got opposite
Update: I asked her about how they did at the show and she said the female won BOBThat's a good question!
The sections I believe would be applicable are in the "General" and "Structural" disqualification sections of the SOP, though there is not any verbiage specifically addressing drooping ear tips. Due to copyright restrictions I can't reproduce the whole text here, but hopefully you have an ARBA Standard of Perfection you can refer to.
p. 35, General "...Any deviation from the normally accepted condition of body structure..."
and
p. 36, Structural - Ears "...torn ears or ears with a portion missing, must noticeably detract from the general appearance..."
Poor ear carriage is generally a fault, not a DQ, though it does depend on the specific breed and the degree of deviation from the ideal. In this case, I think it would come down to each judge's discretion as to whether it is a defect that noticeably detracts from the rabbit's appearance.
She probably won't be in the running for Best in Show, but I'd enter her in her breed classes and see what the judges have to say. They may have some valuable insight into the situation from their years of experience handling all sorts of rabbits. Did the former owner have any information about how the rabbit did in her previous show(s)?
I've seen drooping ear tips in cases of extreme heat, or due to a vitamin E deficiency, or due to injury to the ear or to the nervous system. It's hard to be sure what I'm looking at in these photos but because it's only one ear, and because it looks like a distinct crease rather than a soft droop, I'd be inclined to think it was some sort of injury.
The thing about contacting the previous owner is ... letting her know the condition of the rabbits isn't HER fault, it's the fault of the new owner. And if she knows the person she sold them to didn't take proper care of them, then she knows not to sell to that person again. you can find a way to politicly say what needs to be said. I would want to know.
I would want to know.Hey so I was actually referring to the lady I bought them from. My husband picked them up and he said she didn't want to talk about them much and she pretty much transferred them to our cages and got in her truck and left without saying much. I have reached out to the original breeder of one of them and told her he's fine and happy.The thing about contacting the previous owner is ... letting her know the condition of the rabbits isn't HER fault, it's the fault of the new owner. And if she knows the person she sold them to didn't take proper care of them, then she knows not to sell to that person again. you can find a way to politicly say what needs to be said.
I didn't want to post this question on social media because I afraid of her seeing it and getting upset.The thing about contacting the previous owner is ... letting her know the condition of the rabbits isn't HER fault, it's the fault of the new owner. And if she knows the person she sold them to didn't take proper care of them, then she knows not to sell to that person again. you can find a way to politicly say what needs to be said.
