I've just been googling looking for information on the subject and came across this - http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090505120548AATSPXF - :shock: No wonder people think it's ok to inbreed with some of the answers given on there! :evil:
I've actually found dozens of sites saying it's acceptable. There are obviously a right bunch of idiots in this world. :shock:
Anyhoo, I suspect my Daphne is inbred - she came from a pet shop (which I will NEVER be using again) that breeds their own stock. I went there a while a go and they had a family of gorgeous blue bunnies - brothers and sisters - and the next time I went, one of the does had been put in a different cage (still on the shop floor and low enough for the managers jack russell to growl and bark at them all day :evil
and she had seven babies. All blue again. The buck was still there, obviously had developed some kind of teeth problem so I suspect that he was inbred himself and then bred to his sister. I got some of the babies out for cuddles and a lot of them had bald patches and were in poor fur condition with frazzled looking whiskers - I'm not sure if this was due to inbreeding or because of the conditions they were being forced to exist in.
Daphne has had teeth problems all her life and has completely bunged up tear ducts. Her eyes have been flushed 6 times, which has been utterly unsuccessful. She's had her molars burred more times than I can count and recently had her incisors out completely as they were completely mis-alligned. She is also incredibly scatty and terrified of people. I've tried handling her gently and giving her treats etc. She's now four and still will not come near me. I've literally tried everything I can think of to tame her but I now wonder if she has some kind of brain problem too as she doesn't seem quite 'all there'. She runs into walls and all sorts. :?
Teeth problems are the most obvious result of inbreeding (although they can occur in well bred bunnies too!) and a lowered immune system is common.
I believe they can also suffer bone deformities/weaknesses along with sight trouble, hearing trouble etc.
Inbreeding isn't good!
ETA - Just remembered I have a picture of one of the babies.
This is one of the healthier looking ones - somebody would have seen these babies and bought them only to discover they have issues. I just hope they found good homes with people willing to pay the vet bills.
Look how small the hutches are!