Culling

[tundratreasures]

What is your criteria
is it good color/density
or balancing that with body.


I'm at the point of thinning a litter and kinda lost as what I think is good, and what the judges will think is good.

[rachel]

How old are they? I was told pick at 6 weeks, or after 4 months and I kept that first litter just to test the theory and it's spot on. Severe uglies in between.

I'm aiming for type first, then color, but of course, ideally, a well-colored typy rabbit. What are the pedigrees of the litters you're looking at right now?

[tundratreasures]

CT112 f2xSC's 62, my grand champ from state
CT 112 F2x SC doe

they are about to hit the uglies

[tundratreasures]

Ok, so they are hitting the fuglys
I am disappointed by the color, almost all of them have beautify color, most have light bellys, but what kinda pisses me off, is that this great color just doesn't carry down. I don't know if this is just this stage or this cross. I have a few with an early top line, and a couple that tend to a more mandolin shape.

Can you post a pic with a good explanation, cause I'm still learning.
Or would me taking pose and color pics of each rabbit be more helpful?

[rachel]

When in doubt, Jack, keep them longer.

I think pictures would be very helpful. Maybe some more experienced breeders will chime in, too. With those bloodlines, you SHOULD have decent color. Leslie's stock is known for the richness of the color, and I am actually pretty impressed with the doe out of CT112 as far as color goes, even though it's not quite as rich. It might just be the age! You said they're about to hit the uglies, but didn't say how old?

[tundratreasures]

11 or 12 weeks I think.
yeah they hit the fugly, but I think it has more to do with the fur and head esp. the ears, and I hate it cause it's a pain to choose which is ok, and which isn't, at about 4 mo I have an easier time, but it is still difficult, esp with the fur color.

[rachel]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
3 Months



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4 months

Everything falls apart at that age. The topline! The head! The ears! Ack!

Don't fret. These two are 4 and 5 months old now and I can barely tell the difference between them, they look pretty good. (The color is very good on both, much better than the photos.) It's really astonishing how much they come together in such a short period of time.

[tundratreasures]

Yeah, I have them right when they are all fluffy in the fur dull in color and the only thing to judge on is the body and bone. So I do need to sit down and rate them, then keep an eye to see who develops.

they are at the stage before your first photo, gangly, narrow and long in ear

[tundratreasures]

BTW is your pose off in the second one, or is his top line early? I have a smooth rise with no break at the neck, but get hit for chopped hind end.

[rachel]

They were both fighting the pose, so it's not a very accurate representation of topline.

Need to work with them more, just been so darn cold!

[tundratreasures]

alaskaslist.com/1/posts/13_Pets/73_Rabbits/127535_Pedigreed_Thrianta_Rabbits.html
here the closest I have for posting pics