Should I purchase this Polish doe?
- Thread starter JMae
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Attractive markings on that doe.
It's hard to tell where the peak is on that rabbit, since she's overposed (hind feet tucked too far under her, toes not in line with her knee). Imagining what she'd look like with the hind feet placed correctly, it seems like she might have a correct peak, but I'd really want another view (if possible, hands-on).
For a Polish, I'd like to see her hindquarters a bit wider, not pinched in at the base (her pinch is not excessive, and narrow and/or pinched hindquarters are common in many Polish rabbits, but it can be hard to get rid of).
I'd want to get my hands on her to re-examine the peak point, and to flip her over to get a better idea of what her hindquarters/back foot set is like. If her hind feet form a V when she's flipped over on her back and relaxed, that's pinched, and I'd pass (pinched hindquarters are not only poor type, but they can interfere with kindling success). However, these photos of the back and front views don't suggest pinched to me, just a bit narrow.
Here are is a Polish doe that was slightly narrow but not pinched (hind feet are nice and parallel):
Thank you so much! What an awesome explanation! Also the picture really helps! This doe is only selling for $25 and so I think it's fair for her body type as long as she isn't super poor, which I didn't think she was. I feel more confident now that you helped me out a second pair of eyes on her. I'll make sure in the future to keep babies from her that are not pinched. I have an awesome buck thankfully that can help.Attractive markings on that doe.
It's hard to tell where the peak is on that rabbit, since she's overposed (hind feet tucked too far under her, toes not in line with her knee). Imagining what she'd look like with the hind feet placed correctly, it seems like she might have a correct peak, but I'd really want another view (if possible, hands-on).
For a Polish, I'd like to see her hindquarters a bit wider, not pinched in at the base (her pinch is not excessive, and narrow and/or pinched hindquarters are common in many Polish rabbits, but it can be hard to get rid of).
View attachment 45551
I'd want to get my hands on her to re-examine the peak point, and to flip her over to get a better idea of what her hindquarters/back foot set is like. If her hind feet form a V when she's flipped over on her back and relaxed, that's pinched, and I'd pass (pinched hindquarters are not only poor type, but they can interfere with kindling success). However, these photos of the back and front views don't suggest pinched to me, just a bit narrow.
Here are is a Polish doe that was slightly narrow but not pinched (hind feet are nice and parallel):
View attachment 45552
@tambayo makes a good point. If she is an "older brood doe" but not proven, it might be wise to ask how it is that she got older without ever producing a litter.
I can think of many good reasons for that, for instance: a show career; not used due to being broken (e.g. if the breeder's buck is also broken); she's overly-related to other stock in the breeder's herd; or she was kept as a "back-up" but not used... But, it does seem like a good idea to find out, before you pay good money for a doe that will eat and take up cage space, but may not be able to reproduce.
In my experience, Polish have long reproductive lives. We've had does that were 4-6 years old and still reliably producing healthy litters (our 9-year-old BEW Polish buck is still siring bunnies!). So, the doe being "older" wouldn't necessarily put me off.
However, if one of our does got to 4-5 without having ever been bred, I might think twice about trying it, since those pelvic joints do tend to stiffen up with age. If she had actually kindled a litter/litters that she could not raise for some reason, that might a different debate.
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