Most people may not realise it but there is a considerable amount of difference between rabbits with pedigree and registered rabbits. Having ‘papers’ or ‘pedigree certificates’ alone does not guarantee quality of the rabbit. Rabbit breeders use pedigree certificates/papers to record the parentage of the rabbits of a particular or specific breed to show that the particular rabbit is purebred. This usually records 3 generations of the rabbit’s lineage, birthday and ARBA registration numbers and Grand Champion number (if any). In human terms, the pedigree certificate is similar to that of our birth certificates.
A registered rabbit is different. They can also have the pedigree certificate but it also has to meet stringent criteria before it can be registered. Therefore, a pedigree is needed and checked before it can be registered and later, to participate in shows.
What’s all the hype about owning a registered rabbit and what does it mean? Well, there are rules in place as to whether a rabbit can be registered or not. Only rabbits six months or older can be registered and the owner of the rabbit has to be a current member of the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). The pedigree certificate also comes in play with registration. The pedigree certificate, complete with three-generation pedigree (or lineage) with details of ear numbers, weights and varieties must be presented to the registrar for review. After which, the registrar will take effort to meticulously compare the rabbit to the breed criteria in accordance to “The Standard of Perfection”, not have any disqualifying factors and only upon confirmation that the rabbit meets all the criteria of the breed and variety, will the rabbit be registered. This means to say that the registered rabbit will have met all the requirements for its breed and variety and has no disqualifying factors. It is important to note that any rabbit with disqualifying factors are not allowed to be registered. Hence, registered rabbits have a greater value over unregistered rabbits even though both registered and unregistered rabbits can come with pedigree certificates.
So what happens after the rabbit qualifies for registration? Well, the rabbit is given a registration number which is then added to the rabbit’s pedigree certificate. ARBA will send formal paperwork to certify the registration process. Afterwhich, ARBA compares the information on the registration form to their master database, however, if something does not match, the process is halted and registration is denied.
A seal will be affixed onto each registration certificate. An embossed seal will be affixed if there is only one registered rabbit on the pedigree. A red embossed seal will be affixed if the rabbit and both parents are registered while a red and white and blue seal will be affixed if the rabbit, it’s parents and grandparents are registered. Registration documents are transferable from one owner to another for a nominal fee and the registration will stay with the rabbit even if it is sold to another party. That is to say if ownership change hands, the registration will follow/stay with the rabbit.
Only registered rabbits are allowed to be awarded a Grand Champion certificate (which is can span into another discussion altogether due to different requirements). When looking at the pedigree certificate, the first rabbit listed on will be the one you own. It is common and a standard practice for the rabbit’s name to begin with the rabbitry’s name or the breeder’s name as it is the breeder who created the rabbit. When you buy your rabbit, it can be very tempting to remove the breeder’s or rabbitry’s name on the pedigree and replace it with your own but do bear in mind that the rabbitry’s or breeder’s name on the pedigree certificate does not determine the ownership of the rabbit. The reason why it is on the pedigree certificate is because it rightfully gives credit to the breeder. By removing the name of the breeder or rabbitry, you are taking away the credit of the person who created the rabbit and claiming it for your own (comparable to plagarism in the human world). It is only when you breed your rabbit, that you are rightly able to put your name on your rabbit’s pedigree certificate.
Just like you want your name on the pedigree certificate of the rabbit you bred and created because it is your due credit and you would not want others to remove your name from the pedigree certificate, the same should be done for the rabbit you bought from the breeder. It is important to respect the breeder who created your rabbit, just like how you expect others to do the same.
For the ethical/show breeders, this is about being a reputable showman, promoter and breeder.
Being a breeder is definitely not easy. It is something that has to be studied carefully and breeding has to be done ethically. If you are interested in buying and showing rabbits, you will have to focus on the quality of the rabbits. Also, quality affects the ability to register a rabbit and it will be worth every single effort and registering your rabbit is the epitome of quality.
The below information entails how to read a pedigree certificate.
Rabbitry Information: This is the person or rabbitry who owns the rabbit.
Pedigree of: This is the rabbit of which the pedigree belongs to. This box contains the name of the rabbit, date of birth, tattoo number, original breeder name and owner’s name, ARBA registration number and ARBA grand champion numbers. Below, the rabbit information is broken down into parts.
Rabbit’s Name: Rabbits have two names – the first name would be the rabbitry where he/she was born while the second is his/her call name. Sometimes this is a name while there are times where it is just the ear number. Example: Stardust’s Valient. You may call the rabbit by any nickname that you like, but the name on the pedigree must be used for all your official rabbit paperwork. Such as pedigrees of offspring and ARBA registration application.
Ear number: This number is tattooed in the rabbit’s left ear and identifies the rabbit.
Sex: This field can be left blank you are not able to confirm the gender of the rabbit as the rabbit is too young. You should fill in this field when you are able to confirm the gender of the rabbit.
Type: This is color of Flemish Giant, i.e., Black, Fawn, Blue, White et cetera.
Weight: This is the weight of the rabbit at six months of age. This is needed in order to register rabbits with ARBA.
Original breeder: This is the rabbitry where the rabbit was born and the name of the original breeder should always be listed. You should never replace the name with your own name and your rabbitry name should not be put in if the rabbit was not born in your rabbitry. Rightful credit should be given to the person who bred the rabbit and the rabbitry it was born in. If you are unsure, you can approach the original breeder.
Owner: This is the person who owns the rabbit at this point of time.
Registration number: This number is given to rabbits that are six months old and have no disqualifying faults. You can obtain more information on this from ARBA.
Family tree: The bottom chart shows the rabbit’s ancestors. The father (sire) is list on top and the mother (dam) is listed below. The same rabbit information should be listed for each rabbit, name, tattoo, weight, et cetera.
