Who does the tattoo? And starting a pedigree

[TF3]

1) If you buy a rabbit with a pedigree that isn't tattooed (it doesn't have to be, right?) can you tattoo it with your own code for putting on future pedigrees? Or does it have to bear the mark from its breeder?

2) if a pedigree needs three generations to be purebred, and you start with an animal without a pedigree, can you start one? That may be a dumb question, I know...

 

[DBA]

You need to tattoo the number assigned to the animal on its pedigree.

 

[Dood]

You can tattoo whatever you'd like on a rabbit you've purchased that came without one but if the pedigree has a tattoo you should use that code because if you ever register the rabbit its tattoo should match its pedigree. If the breeder did not assign a tattoo number then you should at least use the mark/prefix of the breeder as it was their hard work that produced the rabbit - offspring bred in your rabbitry will have your prefix

A rabbit pedigree is just a family tree with weights and colours and winings so yes you can start a pedigree for your rabbits and after 3 generations of the same breed listed they will be considered purebred. If you've got mutts or rabbits of questionable heritage I would put "mixed" for their breed until you start getting close to an ARBA recognized breed Standard of Perfection then I'd start calling them purebred

 

[WhWRabbitry]

You can tattoo whatever you'd like on a rabbit you've purchased that came without one but if the pedigree has a tattoo you should use that code because if you ever register the rabbit its tattoo should match its pedigree. If the breeder did not assign a tattoo number then you should at least use the mark/prefix of the breeder as it was their hard work that produced the rabbit - offspring bred in your rabbitry will have your prefix

A rabbit pedigree is just a family tree with weights and colours and winings so yes you can start a pedigree for your rabbits and after 3 generations of the same breed listed they will be considered purebred. If you've got mutts or rabbits of questionable heritage I would put "mixed" for their breed until you start getting close to an ARBA recognized breed Standard of Perfection then I'd start calling them purebred

On this thought too Dood, am I correct that IF a rabbit does not have a tattoo, or pedigree, and you don't know who bred the rabbit that you still would not put your prefix on the rabbit pedigree you begin? I assume you just give it a name or number with no prefix?

 

[Dood]

That's what I would do but it is not an ARBA rule or anything and if you want to mark the rabbit with your own code you can

 

[TF3]

Great~ that makes a lot of sense, I wouldn't mark a non-homebred animal with my mark, but good to know that you can mark them for putting on pedigree going forward.
So I will start keeping records (pedigree wise) for my un-pedigreed critters (I may be able to get the ped for my FG buck and the breeders code) but dam wise I'm starting cold.