Question on breeding rabbits

[Wild Chicken]

We are new to rabbits. I am looking at purchasing a buck for my doe and would really like to breed the 2...only thing is, they have the same father........yes or no to using them as a breeding pair?

 

[Bleenie]

I think my 2 are related, i bought them from the same person out of a box of rabbits at the auction. I used him this first time and will see what happens. I am using them for meat rabbits though. (i am sure i sound like a total a$$ now)

If you're breeding for pets i wouldnt do it, but then again you know all those wild bunnies HAVE to be inbred some, right? they all get around just fine, lol.

 

[Wild Chicken]

They are pedigreed lionheads and we will be breeding for hopefully showing and of course adopting out. I hear ya on the inbreeding going on

I just don't want to do anything to be a detriment to the little ones

 

[Akane]

A generation is rarely a problem. You usually won't see any health issues from inbreeding one generation. If you do it repeatedly though or if your rabbits were the result of inbreeding and then you do it again you could have issues. Deformities and health problems will start to pop up after a few generations and you have to cull heavily if you want to continue breeding without new blood. If you are just selling/ giving away/butchering the offspring and never inbreeding again and especially if you are sure the parents of your rabbits were not related then odds are you will never see a problem

 

[Bleenie]

good to know. I don't plan on keeping any of the babies form my 2 but i have an unrelated litter that i am hoping to keep a couple girls from for breeding.

 

[Bunnylady]

I will admit to having a deeply-rooted bias against Lionheads, so take anything I say about them with that understood. I have seen very many Lionheads, and very, very few that came even close to what I hear is the breed standard. Most of them have had coats like Jersey Woolies in an unfortunate state of molt, and type has been all over the place. I have heard there isn't even a current breed standard, because the last person holding the Certificate of Development failed to get the breed accepted, and the current holder of the COD hasn't passed a showing yet, so it's "anything goes" on the show table, if a club will even let you show (they don't have to, at this time.)

Do you have any idea whether any of this breeder's rabbits have ever shown any sign of epilepsy? I understand that to be the most insidious of the problems with Lionheads, because of course you have to see (and recognise) a seizure to know that the problem exists. Normally, I have no problem with the idea of half-sibling crosses, but with this breed, and all the negative things I have heard about them, I wouldn't take the risk.

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

Personally I don't think it is the best way to go, but if that is all that is available to you right now, it is generally considered OK to breed half brother to half sister.
You will have problems if you keep any of them to breed back to their parents, though. I would strongly advise against that.

So, if you breed them, and decide to keep a female, you will need to get a different buck to breed her. The same goes if you want to keep a buck kit.

In unrelated matings, you can keep kits and breed them back to their mother or father. This is line breeding. IMO, the best line breeding is grandparent to grandchild, if they both exhibit breed standard traits that you want to pass on to further generations.

Good luck, I really enjoy my rabbits.
Jean

 

[Bleenie]

Quote:
Seizures can differ so much in 'appearance', sometimes it's rapid eye twitching all the way to a full on flailing all over & losing control of their bowels and urine. just keep a close eye on them and if anything looks strange or close to that you probably shouldnt breed.

Man, this just made me think of this pet store that has this duck that has seizures, i have seen SO many little kids get upset over that poor duck. and they keep it right by the cuddly little puppies!!! so everyone has to see it.

 

[Wild Chicken]

Thanks Jean....I appreciate your unbiased advice

....I have been warned about the rabbit "snobs" out there that choose to rant about lionheads

....that's not what I'm looking for, just the question at hand!! There are a few different bucks that I am looking at, but this little guy was perfect!! I plan on keeping a few bucks and does, and I do understand line breeding etc. We breed English Bulldogs....I just wasn't sure if the "rules" were the same for rabbits.

 

[Bunnylady]

If you felt that I was ranting, I apologize; I was trying to explain why I have this bias. My opinion is based on what I personally have seen, also on what I have heard from people with experience with Lionheads, and what I have read (mostly on the Lionhead websites). I generally try to get as many perspectives as possible before expressing an opinion; if you call that "snobbery," very well, I am a snob.

You expressed an interest in showing, I was trying to point out that showing is likely to be a confusing and even frustrating experience for the near future. Until there is a clear, agreed-on standard, there is a possibility of having a different standard at each show you attend. There is even the possibility (I'm not making this up, this comes straight from ARBA) of having rabbits in the same show being judged by two (or more) different standards at the same time!

You sound like you are trying to be a responsible breeder, and I applaud you for that. As an experienced breeder, you know that any breeding should be done with a certain amount of forethought and caution. I was merely trying to say that with this breed, at this time, extra caution seems called for.