If they don't have room, then prehaps they should reconsider breeding, imagine if every breeder, including dog and cat breeders just rehomed animals no longer used in breeding. :? Theres no need to breed 10 different colours or breeds, so they shouldn't have more than a few active does and a couple of bucks.
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Breeding ethics
- Thread starter Lucy
- Start date
If they don't have room, then prehaps they should reconsider breeding, imagine if every breeder, including dog and cat breeders just rehomed animals no longer used in breeding. :? Theres no need to breed 10 different colours or breeds, so they shouldn't have more than a few active does and a couple of bucks.
WalnutEarth626
Alpha Buck
Agreed! Its about quality, not quantity - too many people forget that. I have a max of 12 Adult hutches and another spare block thats used for running on youngsters when they come away from Mum. Thats it, and I hate having all my hutches full! Mind you I'll be honest and say I have 2 Adults looking for homes - but they are both ones they're previous owners didn't want anymore so I took them back, so its not me trying to rehome older breeding stock.
I was struck today by a thought about breeding 
Why didn't I realise it before? :shock: My exquisite, show quality, rare alpaca guinea pigs are what 'good' breeding is all about :shock: When I rescued them the breeder giving up had put a lot of work into finding good stock, travelling all over to shows to find them - and she wanted her work to go to good use furthering the breed. I pretended I might consider it She was GUTTED when I said (after taking delivery and locking the door) that I'd changed my mind and wouldn't be breeding from her precious collection after all :?
Today I picked up my favourite little piggy, Abbie (see my sig) and gazed in wonder at her beauty, as I always do, and marvelled at her amazing temperament, as I always do, and thought how sad I will be when she's gone, as there will never be another like her in rescue.
Would I breed more of these incredibly gorgeous, well natured guinea pigs? Well strangely the thought wouldn't even occur to me :shock: Abbie has no idea she is gorgeous or irreplaceable. She also has no choice over anything in her life, including whether or not she is forced to have babies. She relies on me to make a caring decision on her behalf. How selfish would I have to be to force her to have a baby just so I could have another cream alpaca? Breeding, even if it's about 'furthering the breed standard' is all about human selfishness - human desires - using helpless animals to get what we want.
How can that be morally defensible for any reason? If they were about to go extinct would it effect the ecosystem? Fancy breeds don't have any effect on the environment as they are artificially produced by breeders. If they die out it doesn't matter except to those selfish few who 'can't live without' a cream alpaca guinea pig. Animals aren't accessories to a lifestyle! I just don't get the breeding thing in any way, shape or form where it concerns pets! I will agree the white rhino becoming extinct is a disaster - but a particular coat colour/ear type/ whatever for a fancy breed of pet? How does that matter?
Why didn't I realise it before? :shock: My exquisite, show quality, rare alpaca guinea pigs are what 'good' breeding is all about :shock: When I rescued them the breeder giving up had put a lot of work into finding good stock, travelling all over to shows to find them - and she wanted her work to go to good use furthering the breed. I pretended I might consider it She was GUTTED when I said (after taking delivery and locking the door) that I'd changed my mind and wouldn't be breeding from her precious collection after all :? Today I picked up my favourite little piggy, Abbie (see my sig) and gazed in wonder at her beauty, as I always do, and marvelled at her amazing temperament, as I always do, and thought how sad I will be when she's gone, as there will never be another like her in rescue.
Would I breed more of these incredibly gorgeous, well natured guinea pigs? Well strangely the thought wouldn't even occur to me :shock: Abbie has no idea she is gorgeous or irreplaceable. She also has no choice over anything in her life, including whether or not she is forced to have babies. She relies on me to make a caring decision on her behalf. How selfish would I have to be to force her to have a baby just so I could have another cream alpaca? Breeding, even if it's about 'furthering the breed standard' is all about human selfishness - human desires - using helpless animals to get what we want.
How can that be morally defensible for any reason? If they were about to go extinct would it effect the ecosystem? Fancy breeds don't have any effect on the environment as they are artificially produced by breeders. If they die out it doesn't matter except to those selfish few who 'can't live without' a cream alpaca guinea pig. Animals aren't accessories to a lifestyle! I just don't get the breeding thing in any way, shape or form where it concerns pets! I will agree the white rhino becoming extinct is a disaster - but a particular coat colour/ear type/ whatever for a fancy breed of pet? How does that matter?
Raven Rexs
Mama Doe
well then y do u have any of your rabbits they have all come from the domestication of wild rabbits. lop, dutch the lot all come from them. so perhaps you should not get anymore and just admire the ones in the wild after all its also not natural for them to live in hutches or indoors. its just for us ppl who are selfish and would like a rabbit to keep them company.
I HATE the whole concept of pet keeping, and would happily see an end to animals being kept as pets, but when I can offer a good home to a rescue bun or whatever animal, I would take it, as rescuing an animal does NOT support the creation of more. I think many would agree with me on here.
I didn't start this thread so people could start bickering over the rights and wrongs of breeding, you can start another thread for that. I was simply trying to establish what the generally accepted good breeding practice is. From this thread I see that it is breeding from a doe from about 8-9 months, making her have 2 litters a year until shes about 3 then usually rehoming her. Is that correct?
I was struck today by a thought about breeding
Today I picked up my favourite little piggy, Abbie (see my sig) and gazed in wonder at her beauty, as I always do, and marvelled at her amazing temperament, as I always do, and thought how sad I will be when she's gone, as there will never be another like her in rescue.
Would I breed more of these incredibly gorgeous, well natured guinea pigs? Well strangely the thought wouldn't even occur to me :shock: Abbie has no idea she is gorgeous or irreplaceable. She also has no choice over anything in her life, including whether or not she is forced to have babies. She relies on me to make a caring decision on her behalf. How selfish would I have to be to force her to have a baby just so I could have another cream alpaca? Breeding, even if it's about 'furthering the breed standard' is all about human selfishness - human desires - using helpless animals to get what we want.
How can that be morally defensible for any reason? If they were about to go extinct would it effect the ecosystem? Fancy breeds don't have any effect on the environment as they are artificially produced by breeders. If they die out it doesn't matter except to those selfish few who 'can't live without' a cream alpaca guinea pig. Animals aren't accessories to a lifestyle! I just don't get the breeding thing in any way, shape or form where it concerns pets! I will agree the white rhino becoming extinct is a disaster - but a particular coat colour/ear type/ whatever for a fancy breed of pet? How does that matter?
I completely agree, well said!!
:thumb:A good breeder will not rehome their doe just because she has gone above the age of breeding. I will never rehome my girl. She will spend her whole life with me.
My own personal codes of ethics:
my doe (s) will be bred once they/she has gone over 9months of age. She will have one litter per year.
All adults and babies will be vaccinated according to our vets advice.
Babies will be vaccinated before leaving me around the age of 10 - 12 weeks.
All new owners will be vet checked and homechecked by myself. If i am not satisfied that they will go to good knowledgeable homes they will stay with me.
Each new owner must sign a contract to state that should anything happen where they cannot keep their rabbit, it must be returned to me and not rehomed.
Each new owner will be given a fully comprehensive care sheet, including advice on neutering and vaccinating, a months supply of food and a generation history.
No rabbit will be sold to any person wishing it to be a child's pet.
Once my doe comes of 3 years old she will be neutered and kept here with me for the rest of her life.
No doe will be bred from if she is not of sound temprament and in full health, which will be confirmed by my vet prior to breeding.
Raven Rexs
Mama Doe
Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
My 13yr old son and I discussed this over dinner just now. His opinion was that breeders must have no imagination. I guess that's why people who do have imagination can't imagine giving away the babies to any home, never mind a retail outlet. When you have imagination you imagine all the things that could go wrong in the next 10yrs of that animal's life, so you don't even go there.
And FYI Raven, I don't agree with pet keeping, and didn't choose my rescue rabbits for looks (apart from my nethie) but because they were hard to home for various reasons, and I wanted to be part of the solution to the rabbit welfare issue, not part of the problem :?
And FYI Raven, I don't agree with pet keeping, and didn't choose my rescue rabbits for looks (apart from my nethie) but because they were hard to home for various reasons, and I wanted to be part of the solution to the rabbit welfare issue, not part of the problem :?
Thea & Bobbin
Warren Veteran
You have a very intelligent and sensitive 13 year old son! Well done you, you should be very proud!
Raising the status of rabbits from children,s pet to that of companion animal would IMO improve how the world views rabbits
Interesting how vets have done this and subsequently raised their consultation prices but the rest of the world hasn't followed suit :?
