How To Tattoo Rabbits
Choosing Your Tattooing Method: Clamp
Pliers or Pen Tattooing
Here in the
United States, rabbits used for show or breeding must have a permanent,
legible tattoo in the
left ear.
Tattooing rabbits is necessary for several reasons:
- for accurate
identification
- required for showing or
exhibiting in ARBA shows in the United States
- for identification on
pedigrees, ARBA Legs, Grand Champion Certificates, etc.
In
addition to identification, tattoos can also be useful for:
- identifying rabbits bred
by a particular rabbitry or breeder
- identifying,
at a glance, the rabbit's sex, age and/or parentage
Choosing a
method for tattooing your rabbits
There are
two common ways to tattoo rabbits; using a
clamp-style tattoo pliers, or using a tattoo 'pen'. Clamp
tattooing is the traditional method, used for many decades, and the method
we chose to use. At the time we got into raising rabbits, pen tattooers
were relatively new and very expensive. The pen style tattoo kits are now becoming
very popular and
pricing is more affordable than in the past. Here is some information about each
method of tattooing to help you choose one:
| |
Clamp Tattooing |
Pen Tattooing |
|
Cost |
$25-$40 for complete kit
including digits and ink |
$50-$310 for pen and
supplies, depending upon model/style |
|
Time |
Fast-takes little time
to tattoo |
Takes longer than
clamp-style tattooing |
|
Pain Level |
Moderately painful to the
rabbit-likened to ear piercing-although only lasting a brief few seconds |
Appears less painful
than clamping, if done by skilled operator with well maintained pen |
|
Tattoo length |
Usually limited to 4
- 8 digits |
No limit |
|
Healing time |
About 2 weeks - although
ink can be wiped out and tattoo used immediately if needed |
About 2 weeks - tattoo
is immediately usable though |
|
Readability |
Very good if done
properly |
Excellent-depends upon
operator's penmanship |
|
Maintenance of tattooer |
Very little-periodic
replacement of clamp pad may be necessary (we haven't had to do it
in 4 yrs) |
Higher maintenance with
intensive cleaning and needle replacement |
|
Notes: |
Low-cost, quick and
effective way to tattoo rabbits. Works best in rabbits with
medium to large ears. Tattooer may not fit in small ears.
Tattoo limited to digits that can fit into clamp. |
Immediate, readable
tattoos that resemble writing. Works well in rabbits with
small ears. Great for personalized wording or for lengthy
tattoos. Both cordless and electric models available. |
Where to find
tattooers and kits:
Visit our next page in our How To
Tattoo Rabbits series;
Choosing your personalized rabbitry
tattoo
or you can browse by clicking the
arrows.... NOTE:
our articles on tattooing are rather new and not complete - soon we will
embellish these pages with helpful pictures and more info! Stop back
soon |
