To pedigree or not to pedigree? Pretty solid question....

Today's lengthy topic of discussion: Pedigrees!

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What is a pedigree? A pedigree is a piece of paper that shows the lineage of a particular rabbit. That's it! It's not some magical certificate that says your rabbit is special, it doesn't even mean your rabbit meets the breed standard, it just means that someone has done the record keeping for that rabbit and gives you information that can help you choose the best mate for your rabbit to produce generally predicable offspring.

Do I need a pedigree? You don't actually NEED a pedigree to do anything with rabbits, with the exception of registering your rabbit with The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). The question should actually be "Do I want a pedigree?" The answer to this really depends on what your goal with your rabbit(s) is:

-Are you just looking for a pet to hop around the house and offer companionship? No, if you have no intention of breeding or showing your rabbit a pedigree is not necessary.

-Do you plan to breed your rabbit(s)? Yes and No, having and keeping a pedigree for your rabbits helps you get predictable results from your litters, predictability and consistency are important while breeding any animal. Not having pedigrees is not the end of the world, but you may end up with unexpected results from your litters and you can always start your own pedigree if your rabbits do not already have one.

-Are you showing your rabbit(s)? Again, Yes and No, while a pedigree is not necessary to show a rabbit at any ARBA sanctioned show it is needed to register your rabbit and later apply for a Grand Champion certificate if your rabbit meets all of the requirements. To register a rabbit you need a few things; first you need to be a member of ARBA, your rabbit must be a minimum of 6 months old, and you must have a complete 3 generation pedigree for that rabbit. For a pedigree to be considered complete it needs to contain the name and/or ear number, weight, and variety (color/pattern) of the parents, grand parents and great-grand parents of your rabbit. A registrar must examine your rabbit for any faults and fill out an application which is sent to the ARBA office who will send you a certificate, your rabbits right ear will be tattooed and you will be given a registration number. Registering your rabbit creates a permanent record of your rabbit and is require to apply for a Grand Champion certificate once your rabbit has received 3 legs from qualifying wins.

What does a pedigree look like? In most cases a pedigree will look like the photo below (feel free to use this as a template!) Name and/or ear number, sex, color/variety, weight are needed for all 15 boxes to be considered complete. Weight should be recorded once a rabbit has matured to senior weight or beyond 6 months of age.

Is a rabbit worth more if it has a pedigree? We at Adventures Into Wonderland Rabbitry believe a rabbits worth should be based on it's quality, so no we do not charge extra for pedigrees and all of our animals come with them; other rabbitries may have different policies so check with them while inquiring about their stock.