Rabbits with faults

[LindseysWoolies]

I have a tortoiseshell english angora do who is just gorgeous. She came in 2nd at a show with one judge and then with the second judge she was DQ for a white toenail. I was just told by a member of a yahoo group that she would never breed a rabbit with such a fault or buy a baby from a rabbit with such a fault because it will pass on to the babies. Neither one of my bucks have this fault so couldn't I breed out of it? She is a beautiful rabbit and it would be a shame not to breed her just because of a white toenail.

 

[Random Rabbit]

Sometimes... toenail color can be affected by temperature. ( not all the time) By breeding her... there would be the chance that one or more of the young might also have a mismatched toenail. If she is Exceptional ... You might breed her...But keep in mind that she Might pass that on. And disclose that possibility to buyers.

ALL rabbits have faults...even the just about almost perfect ones. Yet we breed them and sort thru the offspring for the future.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I have a friend who had a few angoras (all but one were killed by a raccoon) and kept them for their wool . She was delighted to get a great rabbit out of a line that would normally be out of her price range for a very low price because of a white toenail. There is no perfect animal out there- all can be improved in some way- so it is up to you to breed for what qualities you deem most important.

 

[LindseysWoolies]

Thanks guys, I was delighted to get this beautiful doe! This rabbit was free in exchange for a stud service from my buck. lol This woman came off as very rude she basically said I must be new to rabbits because anyone who knows about rabbits/showing rabbits would know not to breed a doe with a fault like that. I guess i'll never know what I will get from her until I breed, neither one of my bucks have this problem so i'm hoping her babies won't either.

 

[trinityoaks]

This woman came off as very rude she basically said I must be new to rabbits because anyone who knows about rabbits/showing rabbits would know not to breed a doe with a fault like that.

UGGHH!!! People like her are the biggest reason why I have NO interest in showing! I'm so sorry you had to deal with her and her ugly attitude!

 

[Cindi Davis]

Showing rabbits as in showing any animal is subjective. If you happy with her and breed to improve whats the problem. The one judge is a problem and IM sorry she said it that way to you. Your doe IS very pretty Enjoy her and her kits when she has them.

 

[Random Rabbit]

And really !!! English Angora kits are soooo Cute !!!!!

 

[Peach]

Let me know when you have some kits! I met up with a fellow mini lip breeder and she had a English Angora x lion head and lemme tell you....freaking gorgeous and adorableness.i might be interested to learn how to collect the wool and such I'm between buying an angora or and English lop. Must decide

 

[LindseysWoolies]

Hehe Angora are a lot of work but let me tell you NOTHING matches them in personality I've never met such sweet gentle rabbits. I'll definitely let you know when my first litter comes. Collecting the wool is the easy part maintaining it takes about 10 minutes or less a day if you keep up with it. Matted Angoras are the saddest site ever.
I keep seeing those English x lionhead rabbits on sale and was kind of scratching.my head. They are cute though.

 

[trinityoaks]

I would LOVE to have wool rabbits, but I know there's no way I would be able to devote the necessary amount of time to keeping them groomed.

 

[Peach]

She has it for a pet but I'd like to have something out of the ordinary for showing for fun My mom looks at the angora and she's like oh god my sinuses lol How does molting go for these guys,assuming you shave them down? When is it ideal to shave an angora?

 

[LindseysWoolies]

They shed every 3-4 months , you have three choices you can shave them, clip them with scissors, or pluck them (you must pluck if you want to show) when they are molting the hair just comes out in clumps. Its very obvious when theh are ready to be plucked or clipped because there will be tumbleweeds in their cage. I just sit with them in my lap and pluck them and drop the hair into a box. They dont mind it until I get around their legs. They have a new coat underneith that is a little over an inch so they wont be bald. I'm doing the doe in the first picture tomorrow ill have to post after pictures.

 

[Peach]

I found that even as babies, they are really sweet. Maybe because they don't see much behind that fluff to be afraid of?lol Is there a time that their coat is I guess in it's prime? If you clip your angora, how long do you wait to clip again? Is clipping done when the rabbit is no longer ever going to show? So many questions about this breed. Very curious about them. Looking forward to those pictures!

 

[Rustina]

Breeders of show rabbits strive to raise the best possable animal with as few faults as possable so no, most breeders would not use your doe in a breeding program, i myself have culled for improper toenail color, that being said.....who died and made her ( or me for the matter ) queen of the world? :king:
It is your rabbit and your rabbitry, if she produces kits with faults cull them , cull them hard and only keep her very best that ways she passes on the great genes she posseses (barring the offending toenail) no one has to know she has it, just dont take her to the shows, or only enter her in the "fur" class, And if she only produces kits with offensive toenail, stop breeding her or get another buck , it realy isnt a huge travesty, do whatcha wanna do !!!!

 

[LindseysWoolies]

I found that even as babies, they are really sweet. Maybe because they don't see much behind that fluff to be afraid of?lol Is there a time that their coat is I guess in it's prime? If you clip your angora, how long do you wait to clip again? Is clipping done when the rabbit is no longer ever going to show? So many questions about this breed. Very curious about them. Looking forward to those pictures!

Yes they are very sweet and calm rabbits. My little broken doe is a spit fire, but she is still a love she wants to be held and loved on and demands your attention I call her "the diva" Whether you clip or pluck it is 3-4 months some people who show are able to keep the coat on longer by blowing the coat (you can use a shop vac or one of those high velocity dog driers) it not only blows out the loose wool but also detangles. You can show an angora as long as their coat is 2 inches. The judges prefer the longer coats of course. Probably the best time to show is before they start blowing their coat, usually for jrs this is 12 weeks old. My doe pictured above has over 5 inch long wool in some places she is 14 weeks and definitely shedding but her coat isn't shedding enough to where I HAVE to pluck her.

This is Furby my chocolate agouti buck he was 11 weeks old in this photo his wool was about 4 inches long at time of plucking.

here he was after lol they look silly you can see they are left still with a fluffy nice coat and aren't bald. I leave their ear tassels long, mine don't seem to shed on their ears.

His sister before

and after she had a nice fluffy coat underneath her fur was longer than her brother though as a baby.

My pet english angora is a white neutered buck. He was shaved about a week ago and omg he looked pitiful. He has his big fluffy ears and bald body he looks so silly. i'll have to take a picture of him tomorrow.

Breeders of show rabbits strive to raise the best possable animal with as few faults as possable so no, most breeders would not use your doe in a breeding program, i myself have culled for improper toenail color, that being said.....who died and made her ( or me for the matter ) queen of the world?
It is your rabbit and your rabbitry, if she produces kits with faults cull them , cull them hard and only keep her very best that ways she passes on the great genes she posseses (barring the offending toenail) no one has to know she has it, just dont take her to the shows, or only enter her in the "fur" class, And if she only produces kits with offensive toenail, stop breeding her or get another buck , it realy isnt a huge travesty, do whatcha wanna do !!!!

thank you for that. I understand completely if she throws babies with white toenails over and over I will keep her as a pet or either sell her as a wooler, she has exquisite wool. The judge loved her texture and everything about her (except the nail). If she was a mediocre animal there is no way I would even think about breeding her but she is gorgeous!

 

[ladysown]

My six year old makes me laugh.

He sees your rabbits and insists that they are all dogs. Those aren't bunnies mommy...those are just funny dogs.

Now granted, the first time I saw an EA I thought... who'd bring a fancy dog to a rabbit show.


Most breeders won't use a white toenail but the beauty of rabbits is that WE get make our own choices for our own herds. People buy rabbits all the time that have throwbacks to their ancestors. You don't have to tell anyone what the rabbit has. I've also been to shows where rabbits get called for a mismarked toenail, and then go on to win other classes. I'd keep showing her and if she gets dq'd more than she isn't, then I'd stop showing her.

 

[Peach]

I just wanna hug them So wonderfully fluffy! I noticed many people had vacuums at shows I've been too and they have been nice enough to do that outside to save our ears and probably sinuses from enough fur that is floating around. My parents were so amused when a big fluff ball passed us on its way to the show table. I love that they can hardly fit with all that wool in those holding box.

My brother hasn't been to a single rabbit show but also through the angora/lionhead was a dog. LOL I probably would of thought so too if it wasn't in a rabbit cage!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I have a blue doe that I took to the last show I went to, and when I clipped her nails, I noticed a white toenail- all of my rabbits get nail trims regularly, and I can't believe I hadn't noticed it before. :? Maybe it was affected by a temperature change as RR said... now I am going to be obsessively checking her nails! :roll:

One judge DQ'd her for it, but the other did not. Just because one judge DQ's them does not mean you can't enter them in another show.

On a related note, my Jack Russell Terrier has always had white toenails and pink eyelids. He is now six years old, and he has a black streak on one toenail, and a spot of black pigment on one of his upper lids! I certainly wasn't expecting any pigmentation changes at his age!

 

[LindseysWoolies]

Thanks for the comments! They are like sweet fluffy lap dogs! This doe is like a stuffed animal you can do anything with her and carry her around all day lol

Here she is after a grooming session today I plucked her most of the way but then had to run out for errands, I will finish her tomorrow and then post after pictures. I wish I had gotten better lighting

 

[The Thicket]

I have Jersey Woolies and to me they are a lot of work. I can't imagine all the work you put into your English Angoras. You hit it right on the nail. If the rabbit with a white toenail is nothing spectacular I would never breed it, but if the rabbit is amazing and has so much to offer I would breed it. Here's a thought: Why not just breed rabbits with a white toenail to a variety that CAN have a white toenail? Such as REW and Broken.