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Choose your 'show rabbits'
We are assuming you already
own rabbits at this point, so the next step is to look through your
rabbits and tentatively decide which ones you want to show. You will want to choose
from your rabbits that:
-
are purebred (you do not
need a pedigree or registration to show your rabbit)
-
are the proper weight for
their age class
-
are an acceptable breed
color
-
have acceptable markings for
their color or pattern
-
have no disqualifications
-
are healthy and have no
illnesses or diseases
-
are not in a heavy molt
-
are old enough to show-each
breed has a minimum weight requirement
-
are sexually intact-you
cannot show a spayed or neutered rabbit
-
are not mean or viscous
(rabbits that attack/bite the judge may be disqualified)
Now....many rabbits you own
may be showable according to what I've listed above...but you will want
to show your rabbits that best represent their breed in the hopes
that you will place well at the show. You can show all your
showable rabbits if you'd like, but unless you have an abundant source
of money for entry fees, you will most likely select rabbits to show
that could have a chance on the show table.
Some rabbits you own may not
be the best show quality rabbits but are rather more 'breeding-type"
or 'brood' rabbits. Breeding type rabbits are usually not competitive on the
show tables....usually they are too large for the breed standards or are
'plain' compared to show-quality rabbits.
Sometimes there is
hesitation to show a rabbit if the owner is not sure it is a purebred or
not - if the rabbit conforms to the breed standard - you can show it.
You will not be asked to 'verify' that your rabbit is a purebred
at a rabbit show-not everyone has fully pedigreed rabbits!
Sometimes, the beginning
show exhibitor just doesn't know what quality rabbits he or she has - go
ahead and show all of them if you wish - and you will get the judge's
opinion so you have a good basis for selecting future show rabbits from
what you have.
So, how do you determine which
of your rabbits to show? You are either going to need the help of an experienced
show breeder when choosing your show rabbits, or you can purchase a book
published by the American Rabbit Breeders Association called
The Standard of Perfection.
This
book lists all the recognized rabbit and cavy breeds along with their
ideal breed conformation, showroom classes and weights, acceptable colors,
markings and descriptions, and disqualifications. Rabbits are judged
and placed according to the standards printed in this book, making it a
valuable tool for every breeder to own! You can purchase this
directly from the
ARBA website or you can get it from
most rabbit supply vendors.
Read about your breed
carefully in the Standard - you'll discover which features of your breed
carry the most 'points' and are considered the more important qualities
for your breed - try to choose from your rabbits that have better
qualities where it matters most. For example, if your breed (now this is a
fictitious breed mind you..) places 45 points on the quality of the
rabbit's head, and 2 points on the tail, it is quite obvious that you'll
want to show your rabbits that have a good head type that closest conforms to
the qualities listed in Standard of Perfection, even if they have a poor
tail (well....a broken tail is a disqualification though). You will not get far showing your rabbit
that has an excellent tail, but a poor head....when the head carries more
points!
Do everyone a favor and do not
show any rabbit that is ill, or has been ill. Many rabbit illnesses
go into a 'remission-type' state but can still be passed to other rabbits.
A rabbit that has had a previous illness but has recovered is not a
candidate for the showroom either - as the stress from showing may cause
the illness to 'flair up'.
If you don't own your show
rabbits yet and are looking,
you can jump to our article on
How To Choose Your First Show Rabbit,
This article is also available in this series - you'll eventually
reach it if you are browsing this segment using the arrow keys.
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