quarterbunny
Young Bun
Hi folks,
I have encountered a lot of folks on here that have a poor opinion of breeders in general, and as a breeder myself, I wanted to take some time to explain breeders, the show world, and what breeders do right.
"What we don't understand, we fear. What we fear, we judge as evil. What we judge as evil, we attempt to control. And what we cannot control...we attack."-Author Unknown
So lets begin with the beginning...
1.) How do people become breeders?
90% of people who become breeders start out as children. In organizations like 4-H, F.F.A *The future farmers of america association* and other youth centered agricultural groups. National rabbit organizations, like the American Rabbit Breeders Association, and individual breed organizations also have individual youth programs as well. The A.R.B.A has over 12,000 youth members to date! The youth programs are very special, I myself started in 4-H when I was twelve. I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder then, and my psychologist suggested I do a 4-H project because of my deep love for animals and because it would give me a more organized and structured routine to help my condition. It worked! Three months after I began 4-H I no longer had to take medications because my life became wrapped up in rabbits. These youth programs teach great rabbit lessons. Young children are taught how to properly handle, care for, and check for health in their rabbits. There is even a special competition called "Showmanship" where a youth must demonstrate his/her ability to do all of these things, and is generally like performing and health and wellness exam before a judge (this link has general procedures for a showmanship competition if you would like to read it http://www.extension.colostate.edu/...livestock/RabbitShowmanshipEtiquetteGuide.pdf ) These Showmanship techniques were developed by veterinarians at a veterinary conference for use by A.R.B.A. and were distributed over the years to the different organizations. The Judge at the competition often asks questions about different rabbit health issues, and the youth must know how to check for the condition and demonstrate that, as well as explaining different treatments for the ailment. By the time a youth in these programs grows up, they are practiced in this they know how to examine and treat their own animals, because they know the information in their sleep. The information is updated every few years to reflect new handling practices, current veterinary practice and new treatments... Many 4-H , youth group,and F.F.A. members go on to become veterinarians themselves, I myself am working towards my veterinary doctorate. A.R.B.A. recognized this, and in an effort to support more rabbit knowledgeable veterinarians going into practice, offers a college scholarship each year. Youth compete in competitions called "Rabbit Royalty" each year as well... imagine a college exam paired with a beauty pageant. This is depicted very well in the movie "Rabbit Fever" a film by Amy Do. http://www.rabbitfever.com/ The youth programs give great foundations to future breeders, they instill good values about proper rabbit care, handling, they teach good breeding practices, how to show rabbits properly, and set a standard of excellence that must be met. From a youth's first contact in the breeding and show world they are taught that sick rabbits, mean tempered rabbits, and mishandled rabbits will have them immediately removed from a show, and have them shunned by the breeding and showing world.
2.) What do breeders do?
Breeders breed to the show standard for their given breed... what standard is that you say? Every breeder's bible is "The Standard Of Perfection" Every rabbit breeding organization the world round emulates it in some shape or form. The Standard Of Perfection is a guide book that contains all the rules, regulations, breed descriptions of every recognized rabbit breed, and common rabbit health issues and their treatments. The standard is updated every five years to insure that information is timely and accurate. Here is a sample http://rabbitsingapore.org/Rabbit Show Information (published).pdf
The standard addresses pressing health concerns in rabbits as well, certain genetic conditions to watch out for and avoid breeding, certain viral and bacterial born illnesses that must be treated. A body of people known as the Standards Committee comprising of judges, heads of the A.R.B.A, and veterinarians are whom decide what goes into the standard.
Every rabbit breed is allotted 100 points, and the standard describes how those points are allotted while judging the animal. The standard shows how shows should be run, proper procedures and the like.
The standards first pages are dedicated to general disqualifications of all rabbits from showing... Bad temperament, genetic illnesses, Disease born illnesses will all have rabbits immediately disqualified from showing. The A.R.B.A. has a no-tolerance policy on these points, Breeders must breed for the betterment of the rabbit species first and foremost and for their breed second.
Breeders keep what is called a "Rabbitry" in which they breed to these guidelines, A.R.B.A. publishes a rabbit husbandry guideline every few years as well, establishing the minimum guidelines on care and housing, they are always encouraging to go above and beyond these standards. The A.R.B.A. just went toe-to-toe with the United States Agricultural Department lobbying for better rabbit care standards to be enacted into the Animal Welfare Act, which details how and what the government deems adequate care for animals.
When people think of breeders they think of tiny cages, lonely lives, etc. But many rabbit breeders hold to a higher standard of care and concern for their rabbits the following are pictures from different rabbitries:
These pictures illustrate what breeders truly are, and how they keep their rabbits. As in all human societies, there is the bad, and the good. People retain the bad more quickly, because it is our nature to do so, we do that in order to avoid it in future. People get so caught up in railing against the bad, that they forget to support and uphold the good.
Rabbit breeders want to better the rabbit species, and better their breed... We ridicule and ostracize those who don't hold to par. If you do things the wrong way, then the very political nature of the rabbit breeders/showers world puts you into your place quickly or as a Donna a breeder friend of mine once said "If you are not doing anything good for rabbits we don't want you around"
Bottom line... better breeding and care standards yield better rabbits; better rabbits win ribbons... we want ribbons, A LOT of ribbons! so we breed with care and provide high quality care to our animals.
I have encountered a lot of folks on here that have a poor opinion of breeders in general, and as a breeder myself, I wanted to take some time to explain breeders, the show world, and what breeders do right.
"What we don't understand, we fear. What we fear, we judge as evil. What we judge as evil, we attempt to control. And what we cannot control...we attack."-Author Unknown
So lets begin with the beginning...
1.) How do people become breeders?
90% of people who become breeders start out as children. In organizations like 4-H, F.F.A *The future farmers of america association* and other youth centered agricultural groups. National rabbit organizations, like the American Rabbit Breeders Association, and individual breed organizations also have individual youth programs as well. The A.R.B.A has over 12,000 youth members to date! The youth programs are very special, I myself started in 4-H when I was twelve. I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder then, and my psychologist suggested I do a 4-H project because of my deep love for animals and because it would give me a more organized and structured routine to help my condition. It worked! Three months after I began 4-H I no longer had to take medications because my life became wrapped up in rabbits. These youth programs teach great rabbit lessons. Young children are taught how to properly handle, care for, and check for health in their rabbits. There is even a special competition called "Showmanship" where a youth must demonstrate his/her ability to do all of these things, and is generally like performing and health and wellness exam before a judge (this link has general procedures for a showmanship competition if you would like to read it http://www.extension.colostate.edu/...livestock/RabbitShowmanshipEtiquetteGuide.pdf ) These Showmanship techniques were developed by veterinarians at a veterinary conference for use by A.R.B.A. and were distributed over the years to the different organizations. The Judge at the competition often asks questions about different rabbit health issues, and the youth must know how to check for the condition and demonstrate that, as well as explaining different treatments for the ailment. By the time a youth in these programs grows up, they are practiced in this they know how to examine and treat their own animals, because they know the information in their sleep. The information is updated every few years to reflect new handling practices, current veterinary practice and new treatments... Many 4-H , youth group,and F.F.A. members go on to become veterinarians themselves, I myself am working towards my veterinary doctorate. A.R.B.A. recognized this, and in an effort to support more rabbit knowledgeable veterinarians going into practice, offers a college scholarship each year. Youth compete in competitions called "Rabbit Royalty" each year as well... imagine a college exam paired with a beauty pageant. This is depicted very well in the movie "Rabbit Fever" a film by Amy Do. http://www.rabbitfever.com/ The youth programs give great foundations to future breeders, they instill good values about proper rabbit care, handling, they teach good breeding practices, how to show rabbits properly, and set a standard of excellence that must be met. From a youth's first contact in the breeding and show world they are taught that sick rabbits, mean tempered rabbits, and mishandled rabbits will have them immediately removed from a show, and have them shunned by the breeding and showing world.
2.) What do breeders do?
Breeders breed to the show standard for their given breed... what standard is that you say? Every breeder's bible is "The Standard Of Perfection" Every rabbit breeding organization the world round emulates it in some shape or form. The Standard Of Perfection is a guide book that contains all the rules, regulations, breed descriptions of every recognized rabbit breed, and common rabbit health issues and their treatments. The standard is updated every five years to insure that information is timely and accurate. Here is a sample http://rabbitsingapore.org/Rabbit Show Information (published).pdf
The standard addresses pressing health concerns in rabbits as well, certain genetic conditions to watch out for and avoid breeding, certain viral and bacterial born illnesses that must be treated. A body of people known as the Standards Committee comprising of judges, heads of the A.R.B.A, and veterinarians are whom decide what goes into the standard.
Every rabbit breed is allotted 100 points, and the standard describes how those points are allotted while judging the animal. The standard shows how shows should be run, proper procedures and the like.
The standards first pages are dedicated to general disqualifications of all rabbits from showing... Bad temperament, genetic illnesses, Disease born illnesses will all have rabbits immediately disqualified from showing. The A.R.B.A. has a no-tolerance policy on these points, Breeders must breed for the betterment of the rabbit species first and foremost and for their breed second.
Breeders keep what is called a "Rabbitry" in which they breed to these guidelines, A.R.B.A. publishes a rabbit husbandry guideline every few years as well, establishing the minimum guidelines on care and housing, they are always encouraging to go above and beyond these standards. The A.R.B.A. just went toe-to-toe with the United States Agricultural Department lobbying for better rabbit care standards to be enacted into the Animal Welfare Act, which details how and what the government deems adequate care for animals.
When people think of breeders they think of tiny cages, lonely lives, etc. But many rabbit breeders hold to a higher standard of care and concern for their rabbits the following are pictures from different rabbitries:
These pictures illustrate what breeders truly are, and how they keep their rabbits. As in all human societies, there is the bad, and the good. People retain the bad more quickly, because it is our nature to do so, we do that in order to avoid it in future. People get so caught up in railing against the bad, that they forget to support and uphold the good.
Rabbit breeders want to better the rabbit species, and better their breed... We ridicule and ostracize those who don't hold to par. If you do things the wrong way, then the very political nature of the rabbit breeders/showers world puts you into your place quickly or as a Donna a breeder friend of mine once said "If you are not doing anything good for rabbits we don't want you around"
Bottom line... better breeding and care standards yield better rabbits; better rabbits win ribbons... we want ribbons, A LOT of ribbons! so we breed with care and provide high quality care to our animals.
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