I can guarantee you are going to get a wide, wide range of answers here.  There are several opposing points of view, and blissfully, at this group, we can agree to disagree politely!

 

1.  Those interested in improving their lines, retaining the best of the best and using them for breeding can make fast improvement in their stock, and therefore in the breed in general.  I once had a spectacular line of gold English angoras.  They were NOT reds, they were gold.  That means fawn agoutis with the wide band, really clear incredibly bright yellow gold, no rufous modifiers but great extension of the yellow band and superb deep rich color. 

 

The woman who bred these did indeed breed a lot, and only kept the very best in her breeding program.  Her stock was incredible, spectacular coats, incredible colors.  Yes, she kept her does breeding, but not excessively.  Because she did breed them, she could breed them again the next year.

 

I, on the other hand, owning a wonderful selection of the best chins and golds I have ever seen, from her, but was not interested in breeding more bunnies.  I had bred them once a year for my own herd for a number of years, and kept the line going.  But, after time passed,  I didn't think it was right to flood the market with buns that might not be cared for properly.  Didn't want to 'market' bunnies.  And so I didn't breed for several years after that.  I was being a good, responsible animal caregiver.

 

You guessed it, when I realized my buns were unique (the other breeder having passed on), and a special bloodline, I decided I ought to do something to replace my does, and breed.  Well, of course they wouldn't, as is quite common in older does.  And so, the line was lost.  What a waste!

 

On another note, I had all my red English in my rabbit barn, together on the lower level.  The raccoons came in and decimated the entire program in one night.

 

Now, IF I had followed my mentor's example, and kept the best of the best breeding, there would have been other people that had my stock, and I could have started again.  And IF I had been breeding, I wouldn't have lost the other lines in the first place.

 

The question is--what is your goal?  Are you trying to save and reproduce beneficial bloodlines, to improve the breed?  If so, this requires breeding by definition.

 

2.  If you want a few pets around the house, then no, you may not want to breed at all.  I'd suggest a nice buck, they are generally quite friendly, and you'll be giving an extra buck that may not be breeding quality a nice home.

 

3.  Why do people crossbreed?  Good question!  Sometimes it is because where they live stock is very hard to come by, and they use what they  are able to find.  Sometimes, it is because a doe refuses to breed to the buck of the correct breed, and we know from experience that if you let a doe go unbred long enough, she might never breed.  Some say that if you use a buck of a different breed, it helps to get her bred the first time.

 

I would say I NEVER would crossbreed, as I want to improve the bloodlines of a pure breed.  But this year, for the first time, I actually  DID crossbreed my buns.  Why?  My satin doe would not breed to my satin buck.  She totally had him cowering in the corner, despite my efforts to curb her zeal.  He wouldn't breed her, tried everything I knew.  I knew if I didn't breed her this year, she well might not breed next year.  And as a fulltime caregiver for my mother, I can't just go trooping across the state or to another state to obtain a new buck, and there are no local breeders.  So--I bred her to the English buck.  She has marvellous color, and her bloodline is well worth saving.  So, next year, hopefully with another satin buck in hand, we can go back to purebreed breedings.

 

There are spinners that only care about fiber, not breed.  They are choosing buns with the spinning traits they want.  For them, a red angora (which is what I expect from a red x red mating with mostly red in the pedigree on both sides) with superior fiber, great color, nice personality, and ease of care would be a fine thing. 

 

Many people crossbreed just for that reason--to get the bun THEY want, not what the breed specifies.  So they choose the color, fiber type, molting type, size, body type, they are interested in, and then do what it takes to get it.

 

Personally, I prefer working WITHIN a breed to accomplish that, but that is a personal preference.  Also, hybrid stock frequently has hybrid vigor, meaning strong healthy stock.  Which is why many farmers use hybrids, the best of both worlds.  Trouble with hybrids is that they don't breed true, so you may have trouble duplicating that outstanding stock.

 

4.  The trouble here is a major philosophy difference, which isn't easily bridged.  One side is the typical 'farm' attitude, trying to raise the best stock you can, improving the breed.  The goal is to continually work to improve the breed.  Which means culling stock that doesn't make the grade.  The raiser is in charge.  Cull stock may be eaten or sold as pets.  Good stock gets sold as breeders.  Exceptional stock becomes the new breeding stock.  The program needs to be time and money efficient, to allow the program to continue. 

 

Trouble is, the other side of the chasm is the all-breeding-is-bad, neuter everything philosophy.  In this position, the animal is in charge, and the people are just caregivers.  No sacrifice is too great to make the animal comfortable.  Obviously, eating the animal is not an option!  Animals should not be exploited for their meat, fiber or pelts.  Breeders are referrred to as rabbit mills, using the animals to line their own pockets.

 

People are vehement on both sides.  Both have very strong opinions, reasons, and facts to back up their opinion.  People in this group belong to both sides.  I respect other people's opinions, as long as we can agree to disagree, peaceably!

 

I have lived on both sides of this issue, I can see both sides quite clearly.  I understand the problem.  And I understand why there will be so much debate on this. 

 

Judy

--- On Thu, 7/16/09, ladykaylasmith <ladykaylasmith@...> wrote: