When owning Angoras one has to always ask him/herself the question, should I breed my rabbit? Well, this is an independent decision that cannot be taken lightly. There are many factors one must consider before committing to breeding their rabbits. However, I will touch base on the surface for now.
First of all, one has to know the reason for breeding. If one just wants to breed rabbits indiscriminately then this person will end up with lots of rabbits that might not be well taken care of or unable to find prospective buyers for them.
One of the most important reasons one should breed their rabbits is to improve the breed. Yes, I said it, to improve them, not just because they are cute. There has to be a specific goal when breeding rabbits. A true conscientious breeder of rabbits will establish goals for their rabbitry and ways to accomplish them in a safe, effective manner that will take the health and care of the rabbits foremost.
Once you determine your goals and reasons for them, then you can begin choosing the breeding pair. It is important to look at your stock carefully and to also use other people’s opinions of your rabbits to insure you are making a wise decision. At Road to Angora Rabbitry, we show our rabbits and get independent comments from judges. This gives us a very good idea of which rabbits are better to work with to improve the breed. We do not breed rabbits that we feel will take longer to improve certain qualities. For example, if we have a rabbit that has very thin wool and one that has very dense wool, we will not necessarily breed them as the result would be offspring with both dense and thin wool and it might take several generations to achieve the optimum density on the wool. Instead, we seek a buck and doe that both have the density desired as well as the body to create a more superb rabbit. The goal is to have the offspring be better than the parents, if possible. Therefore, selective breeding is imperative.
The easiest way to look at what qualities one needs to work on is by looking at the Standard of Perfection Book. This will give you a guide to what is required for the breed and you can then begin to look at your herd and find what is best for you. Keep in mind that just because two great rabbits are bred, it does not mean the offspring will be even better. It only means your chances are multiplied. Therefore, having good quality stock is essential to move forward to improve the breed. Otherwise, you will take longer to achieve your goals.
One thing to consider is that the Angoras are NOT a very popular breed here in Texas, yet. Yes, many people love to see an awesome English Angora in their full coat. They are breathtaking. However, not many people realize that it takes lots of time and dedication to work that coat to the standard. For this reason alone, one should not breed indiscriminately to sell angoras in Texas. If one is not careful to find special homes that are suitable and ready to care for them, then you will end up having Angoras in shelters all matted and filthy.
Written by P. Ricardo Gonzalez, RTA Rabbitry
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