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Pedigrees
are very important for future generations of rabbits produced! The
pedigree records a
rabbit's ancestry going back three
or four generations and shows the parents, grandparents and great grandparents
of a rabbit (sometimes great great grandparents too!) The name,
ear number, weight and color of each rabbit is recorded, and
sometimes other information, such as
legs, registration number, Grand
Champion Number, show wins and genetic info, is also listed.
The pedigree offers a lot of
information to help future breeders determine anticipated colors and other
genetic info of offspring. It is important for all breeders to maintain
accurate pedigrees and to record their own pedigrees correctly!
Preserving The Breeder Prefix
A Breeder's Prefix is usually
the rabbitry or breeder's name listed in front of the animal's name or number,
on a pedigree. If you've purchased a show, breeding or 4-H rabbit, you should
always give the breeder who produced your rabbit, his or her due credit for that
rabbit. Keep the breeder's prefix in front of
the rabbit's name if you list the rabbit on a webpage, registration papers,
public listings and on pedigrees generated by your breeding operation. Of
course, you may name rabbits actually produced in your rabbitry, any way
you wish, but their pedigrees must list background animals (parents, etc)
accurately, with the original breeder's info.
We have seen people buy rabbits from other breeders, then
go on to proudly picture them on websites, pedigrees, and business cards, but exchange the
original breeder's prefix with their own rabbitry name! This is not the
right thing to do - you should always leave the pedigree name and breeder prefix
as is listed on the original pedigree!
Sometimes, this is done innocently enough, with a new,
inexperienced breeder assuming that since they bought the rabbit they can change the name-but
this is not right-and if you are reading this...now you know it is not right!
Although you should never change a breeder prefix or
leave it off, some breeders will allow you to assign a "call name" to the animal
and sometimes even allow you to list the new call name on the pedigree behind
the breeder prefix.
 Using our rabbitry pedigrees as an example, some of our rabbits do not have a 'call name" and
we may list a rabbit simply as "LaReau's 53LL" Most breeders would allow
you to change the name to "LaReau's Sunny" if you intend to call the rabbit
"Sunny". Now if you take it a step farther and change the name to "Sam's
Sunny", taking away the breeder prefix "LaReau's" and replacing it with your own
name- you have crossed the line into unethical territory - don't do it!
Accurate Pedigrees
As you move along in your breeding
program, you will most likely be making pedigrees for rabbits born at your
rabbitry. It is very important that you make your pedigrees accurately and
thoroughly - copying the background rabbits' information onto your own pedigree
form and double checking to make sure you've made no mistakes. Leaving off
info or recording wrong info, such as weights, colors and ear numbers can cause
problems and may prevent someone from registering the rabbit or it's offspring,
down the road.
When you record your rabbit's
personal info, correct information is essential! Don't guess at your
rabbit's age or ear number.
Don't guess at your rabbit's
color - ask an experienced breeder, even a couple of them, what your
rabbit's color is. It will also help future owners who may be trying to
determine genetics, if you list the full color variety...for example...instead
of writing just 'tortoise', write 'black tortoise, or blue tortoise' or whatever
variety it really is. If your rabbit is a steeled color, please write that
in also with the correct color (chestnut-steeled, black steeled, etc) most
breeders want to know if there is a steel gene present as this gene can crop up
unexpectedly as it is!
If you are using a computerized
pedigree program that has genetics capabilities, don't assume it has recorded
the correct genetic information - look at it and if you feel there is an error,
you should be able to manually override the program and enter the correct
genetic information.
And..if you handwrite your
pedigrees, please print and make sure they are legible to anyone!
If you have questions about
pedigrees or renaming - you can always call the original breeder for answers and
advice.
Making Pedigrees; Pedigree Forms
Ready-made pedigree forms can be
purchased and handwritten or you can go online to find printable or
fill-in forms to download and use. If you have more than a few rabbits and
own a computer, it generally is worth the money (usually $40-$80) to purchase a
rabbit-tracking software program to keep track of your rabbits, breedings and
pedigrees - these make quick work of printing accurate pedigrees!
Check out our collection of links
below - some are links to paper forms and online forms while others direct you
to rabbit software manufacturers.
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