Culling can vary on the breeder. However the term culling refers to 'removing unwanted animals from your herd'. Whether that be to kill or pet out, depends completely on the breeder. Even selling show/brood animals to other breeders is culling. I believe culling should be to kill them, so when I say culling, that is what I mean. There are enough animals that are in shelters and rescues (which I work with a few different dog rescues and SPCA's) that I don't want to be contributing to that. I also don't want to contribute to the over population of pet rabbits. There are enough backyard breeders out there to do that. I also don't want to sell PET rabbits to people because that's how you get the backyard breeders who then over populate the rabbit world and also take the sales of actual breeders. You also can't guarantee that the animals will be properly taken care of or anything. One way to know, is to ask a lot of questions. If they don't want to answer them all or seem fed up with the questions, I pass on them. By selling to pet homes, yes there are some that will take great care of them and that's great; however you risk selling to the ones who think 'hey I've got a male and female, let's breed some mix bunnies' and most of the time, they do it because they want the money, or they think 'hey they are cute and tiny as babies'. That is also how you get the ones who think they can sell them at three weeks old. It is NEVER OK to sell a rabbit at three weeks old. They are JUST starting to eat pellets at that age, but ARE still nursing! 6 weeks I think is still early and prefer 7, but 6-8 weeks you can wean them. I personally leave them in until about 10-12 weeks old.
Rabbits are not an animal you should buy as babies because they are 'cute and small' because news flash; they grow up. I do not sell for Easter, Valentines Day, Christmas or anything like that. I do have the occasional rabbit for sale to pet homes but depending on age, will only keep them for a certain amount of time before they 'leave'. Don't think that I always thought this. No, when I started out I sold pets because I didn't want to cull. I send mine to a butcher who buys them and then sells the meat, or I take them to the zoo where they are humanely put down and fed to the animals. I believe that if you cull, the animals should then be used, not just thrown away. If I have a rabbit for sale that says Show/Breeding, then that means it is a rabbit that I would use in my own breeding program and show herd. I try to label them correctly. Just because an animal is 'showable' (meaning no DQ's), does NOT mean it is SHOW QUALITY. This is one of my biggest pet peeves in this hobby. Just because it doesn't have anything to DQ it from show, doesn't mean you should show it, especially when it clearly will be faulted on a lot of things, i.e: long shoulders, peak soon, hollow, pinched, weak in depth, course fur, soft density, etc. I can go on for hours! These are all things you do NOT want and if shown, will be faulted and do poorly. I hate going on another breeders website and seeing all these animals they have listed as 'show quality' when clearly; they should NOT be shown. I am no way implying that I am perfect or know everything, however I know the standard and know what the animals are suppose to look like. I hate seeing this because then they are ripping some innocent person off who doesn't know better... Especially when they overprice their animals!!! Goodness, I can't stand it!! OK, rant over on that. Back to culling! I have no problem with people killing. It is more humane to the animal then selling them to someone who isn't going to take proper care for them just to end up in a shelter or going from home to home. I don't like selling to pet homes because 1. I've noticed a lot of people are crazy and won't really give me the light of day. They just want the rabbit and to be gone. 2. They don't want to pay my prices. Well then, you know what? Go to a pet store to get some unhealthy, no idea where it came from, mixed breed rabbit for double. (Do NOT get me started on pet stores!!!) 3. If I sell a rabbit to a pet home, it usually means it is not a good show rabbit or even brood animal. So I don't want the person to then later on sell it and it go to some 4H'er who doesn't know or realize it isn't going to do well. And 5. I don't like to see them a few weeks or months later posted for sale again, especially when they are then doubled in price or the price was higher than what they paid. I will be honest with people when selling a rabbit. I pose them correctly in photo's and will take multiple photo's from all sorts of angles. I am straight up with what is good and bad, what I like and what I don't or what I'd fault them on. I hate hate hate!!!! when someone isn't honest with another breeder, youth member or new breeder about things. It is just unnecessary and rude. ESPECIALLY when it is a youth breeder, new breeder or 4H'er! I also can't stand when someone posts a rabbit as '4H quality' what the heck does that mean?!?!?! Sorry, but it frustrates me since I am in 4H. If it isn't good enough to show with ARBA, then it shouldn't be good enough for 4H. We should be helping and promoting 4H, especially the rabbit project and should be helpful in making sure they get good quality show animals! They deserve to show quality just as much as ARBA show'ers do. I may put that it is 4H quality, but I also put show (as in ARBA show) quality as well.. When I say 4H 'quality', I mean that it is a friendly and easy to handle rabbit and should do well with people looking at it and showmanship. If I wouldn't show it myself, I won't sell it to be shown, especially not to some unknowing 4H'er. Rant over on that! ;) With culling, I think people need to be better educated on it.. It cost less to get rabbits to 'sale age' than a calf. You also get a better profit out of them too. You pay hundreds of dollars on a little calf just to then spend another hundred dollars on them just to get a low profit. PLUS! Rabbits can have 6+ (depending on breed and size) in a litter, unlike a cow who have one, maybe two (twins). Rabbits are pregnant shorter than cows, and you can sell them sooner than a calf. If they are raised humanely and properly, and then culled humanely; there is nothing wrong with it. They were created for this purpose, it is part of the food chain. It is life. Now, I won't go around talking with someone about it if they don't want to. I also don't push culling on anyone. It is up to you as the breeder, however, please do the research on it before you make up your mind. I do believe to be a successful breeder you need to cull. If you are a breeder who just sells everything off to pet homes, you will get so full that you will eventually have more pets that are for sale, than actually helpful to you, show/brood animals. You waste a lot of food and money waiting for someone to come around to buy your pet and waste a cage on them, that could have gone to another animal that would have been useful and helpful. I don't like selling them as live feeders as I do not think that is nice or humane for them. There are different ways of culling, some more gruesome than others. I do not like those ways, and probably will never be able to do those ways. I don't like blood! I could never process them myself either... Rabbits have a purpose, and their original purpose was meat. I don't like just culling and then throwing out.. I'd rather take them to the zoo (they are killed and then fed to the animals, not fed live) or send them to someone who will process and eat, or feed to animals, etc. It's a waste otherwise... If it can't help improve my herd than I cull it. I look at the whole package when culling. If the animal has a clear DQ or major fault it goes. Type and fur are super important. I will, however, occasionally substitute smaller things for the "greater good". I really look for everything when picking who stays and goes. If it doesn't have a balanced body, and has any poor traits - shoulder issues, bad sloping, very narrow loin, pinched hindquarters - then it goes. If it has fur that is of a lesser quality than I already have, then it goes; unless its type is stunning. I will keep some if they are exceptionally strong in one area - very tight shoulders, or a very wide loin/hindquarter, or very dense fur. I will also tolerate a very moderately hollow loin, and a slightly early peak on the topline. Absolutely no shoulder dips, ever! If the animal can't help take my herd forward than it leaves. However, it does depend on the breed a bit for me. If you do not agree with culling, that is fine; it is your choice. Please do feel free to contact me with your opinions and views on it, or if you'd like to find out more. I'd love to hear others opinions on it. Please, be respectful though and not rude. These are just my opinions and views on the subject.
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