I’m new to showing rabbits, and I’ve noticed that one of my solid bucks has a few stray white hairs on him, which isn’t a problem for me as it’s only a fault. However, there are some buried patches of white hair under the fur. There are 2 clusters with about 3-4 hairs in a group. It is almost impossible to find but it’s there when heavily inspected. Should I be worried the judge will see these and disqualify him? He’s a great buck otherwise, and I’d hate to quit showing him because of this.
Stray White Hairs
- Thread starter MBoe
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RabbitsOfTheCreek
Netherland Dwarf Breeder & Well-known Member
You could try plucking some of them right before showing, that's what I do with my black petite
Thank you! Is there a chance that this could damage the skin or hair follicle over time?
There will very likely be judges that find the spots and DQ him, while others won't. Excessive stray white hairs and white spots in a colored area are discretionary calls on the part of the judge, and different judges will likely have differing opinions, especially if the spots are extremely small (3-4 hairs) and in the undercoat. I wouldn't quit showing him unless you're finding that he's getting DQd every time.
If he already has stray white hairs in other places, the collections of 3-4 might be something you'll have to live with. However, keep an eye on him - the white spots may be the result of small wounds, and when that's the case, after the next molt, sometimes the fur will grow back in the right color.
Stray white hairs can be a result of injury, but alternately they can be the result of genetic background, and it's a problem that plagues many breeders. It took me many generations to get rid of white hairs/white toenails in my Satins, with fairly heartbreaking culling of otherwise exceptional rabbits with that trait. The good news is that it can be done. (But when breeders pluck their rabbits for show and then sell or use them for breeders, someone else is going to inherit that problem...)
As far as plucking, I know some people do that, but technically, it's cheating. The ARBA SOP states in the General Disqualifications section (p. 35) that an animal will be disqualified for:
ALTERING APPEARANCE (*) - any dying, plucking, trimming, or clipping so as to alter appearance. Coloring toenails. Any faking, including powdering and indiscriminate use of grooming preparations designed to alter the natural texture, density and finish of the coat.
Note: Disqualification of any animal for altering of appearance may result in the disqualification of the exhibitor's entire entry under ARBA Show Rules.
So, according to the SOP, altering a rabbit's appearance is serious enough that it could get your whole entry thrown out. Pulling a couple of white hairs is unlikely to result in that, but you might ask yourself, if honesty in showing is that important in the rabbit world, is it worth it to pluck those hairs so that your buck - if he has a general DQ - wins over another rabbit belonging to an exhibitor who is competing honestly?
It's really frustrating to find that your gorgeous, typey rabbit has developed white patches, or a forbidden dewlap, or a white toenail. I actually had a black doe with a white toenail win Best in Show. I had missed it, too, but I would not show her again once I realized it was there - a white toenail is never going to go away, so it felt dishonest, like I was trying to put one over on the judges. I just think about how it would feel if the roles were reversed, and I was judging a rabbit from someone trying to put one over on me, and I realize it's about the Golden Rule.
And yes, plucking can actually damage the hair follicles, which might result in more or bigger collections of white hairs. I had a castor Mini Rex that was going into molt, and one of my daughters, very young at the time, decided to "help" him molt. She brushed and brushed till all of the loose fur - and some that apparently wasn't loose - was gone. When his new coat finished, it was full of white hairs. I've also had black Satins, blue ones too, that were in with their siblings too long, and they also ended up with tiny patches of white due to excessive grooming by their sibs.
Rabbit shows are pretty unique in the livestock world, and this is one of the reasons I love showing rabbits. Cattle, sheep and pigs are fitted aggressively, being bleached, greased, plucked, even having bailing twine glued into their fur, to create a certain shape or impression. But a rabbit show encourages breeders to exhibit the result of their efforts in breeding and management to produce an animal as close to perfect as possible - so, faking is really frowned on. I know that I'd feel pretty disgusted if I spent years breeding Havanas to have prime, beautiful mink-like coats, then watch someone win by coating their rabbits' fur with Show Sheen. I've seen this happen, though not to me; I don't raise Havanas myself, and probably won't after seeing that.
Everyone needs to make their own decisions, and plucking a few hairs might not seem all that serious. But especially if you're just starting out, it might be good to think about what kind of exhibitor you want to be, and how much it is worth it to win. Many people get started in showing without ever really stopping to consider this question. I know my own satisfaction comes from feeling good that my efforts in choosing stock, breeding the right combinations to maximize good traits and eliminate bad traits, and feeding and housing them so that they're in prime condition, results in a truly high-quality rabbit. And a nice side benefit is that when a rabbit that I've bred and sold to someone else wins, I am just as happy as when one of my own rabbits wins!
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Thank you so much for this information! He’s going to a few shows soon so we’ll see how it goesThere will very likely be judges that find the spots and DQ him, while others won't. Excessive stray white hairs and white spots in a colored area are discretionary calls on the part of the judge, and different judges will likely have differing opinions, especially if the spots are extremely small (3-4 hairs) and in the undercoat. I wouldn't quit showing him unless you're finding that he's getting DQd every time.
If he already has stray white hairs in other places, the collections of 3-4 might be something you'll have to live with. However, keep an eye on him - the white spots may be the result of small wounds, and when that's the case, after the next molt, sometimes the fur will grow back in the right color.
Stray white hairs can be a result of injury, but alternately they can be the result of genetic background, and it's a problem that plagues many breeders. It took me many generations to get rid of white hairs/white toenails in my Satins, with fairly heartbreaking culling of otherwise exceptional rabbits with that trait. The good news is that it can be done. (But when breeders pluck their rabbits for show and then sell or use them for breeders, someone else is going to inherit that problem...)
As far as plucking, I know some people do that, but technically, it's cheating. The ARBA SOP states in the General Disqualifications section (p. 35) that an animal will be disqualified for:
ALTERING APPEARANCE (*) - any dying, plucking, trimming, or clipping so as to alter appearance. Coloring toenails. Any faking, including powdering and indiscriminate use of grooming preparations designed to alter the natural texture, density and finish of the coat.
Note: Disqualification of any animal for altering of appearance may result in the disqualification of the exhibitor's entire entry under ARBA Show Rules.
So, according to the SOP, altering a rabbit's appearance is serious enough that it could get your whole entry thrown out. Pulling a couple of white hairs is unlikely to result in that, but you might ask yourself, if honesty in showing is that important in the rabbit world, is it worth it to pluck those hairs so that your buck - if he has a general DQ - wins over another rabbit belonging to an exhibitor who is competing honestly?
It's really frustrating to find that your gorgeous, typey rabbit has developed white patches, or a forbidden dewlap, or a white toenail. I actually had a black doe with a white toenail win Best in Show. I had missed it, too, but I would not show her again once I realized it was there - a white toenail is never going to go away, so it felt dishonest, like I was trying to put one over on the judges. I just think about how it would feel if the roles were reversed, and I was judging a rabbit from someone trying to put one over on me, and I realize it's about the Golden Rule.
And yes, plucking can actually damage the hair follicles, which might result in more or bigger collections of white hairs. I had a castor Mini Rex that was going into molt, and one of my daughters, very young at the time, decided to "help" him molt. She brushed and brushed till all of the loose fur - and some that apparently wasn't loose - was gone. When his new coat finished, it was full of white hairs. I've also had black Satins, blue ones too, that were in with their siblings too long, and they also ended up with tiny patches of white due to excessive grooming by their sibs.
Rabbit shows are pretty unique in the livestock world, and this is one of the reasons I love showing rabbits. Cattle, sheep and pigs are fitted aggressively, being bleached, greased, plucked, even having bailing twine glued into their fur, to create a certain shape or impression. But a rabbit show encourages breeders to exhibit the result of their efforts in breeding and management to produce an animal as close to perfect as possible - so, faking is really frowned on. I know that I'd feel pretty disgusted if I spent years breeding Havanas to have prime, beautiful mink-like coats, then watch someone win by coating their rabbits' fur with Show Sheen. I've seen this happen, though not to me; I don't raise Havanas myself, and probably won't after seeing that.
Everyone needs to make their own decisions, and plucking a few hairs might not seem all that serious. But especially if you're just starting out, it might be good to think about what kind of exhibitor you want to be, and how much it is worth it to win. Many people get started in showing without ever really stopping to consider this question. I know my own satisfaction comes from feeling good that my efforts in choosing stock, breeding the right combinations to maximize good traits and eliminate bad traits, and feeding and housing them so that they're in prime condition, results in a truly high-quality rabbit. And a nice side benefit is that when a rabbit that I've bred and sold to someone else wins, I am just as happy as when one of my own rabbits wins!
