Line breeding is the process of breeding closely related animals, usually father to daughter or mother to son, in an effort to improve individual traits.Inbreeding is the same as line breeding but the animals are much more closely related, typically brother and sister.Nearly all animals have been inbred or line bred at some point, and rabbits are no exception.In fact every breed of domesticated rabbit (or cow, dog, cat, and even fish) have been bred by humans into what they are now.Hundreds or sometimes thousands of years of breeding lines have created the cows, pigs, sheep, and other farm animals that we now have. Rabbits are no different.
Line Breeding vs Inbreeding
Line breeding is the act of breeding a father to a daughter, or a mother to son. It also could includes grandparents or sometimes great-grandparents.This lets you “line up” some of the good genes so to speak. Line breeding can enhance good attributes but you will also see some bad attributes amplified.
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the act of breeding brother to sister. Breeding such closely related animals can greatly enhance traits, good and bad.Inbreeding is a great way to “set” the characteristics of the sire and dam but it can also create “bad rabbits” that must be culled because of temperament, health, or deformities, more so than with line breeding.When you inbreed you should cull heavily and only keep what you are really pleased with.Don’t worry, you’re not going to create a two headed franken-rabbit because you inbred your rabbits, but you should be aware that recessive genes good and bad will be enhanced much more than with line breeding.
Why Inbreed/Line Breed
If you want to narrow the range of genes in your rabbits, thereby enhancing the good and bad traits, and can sort and cull out the poor results constantly and continuing on to the next generation then you can enhance your breeding stock to your individual liking.Even more so, if you have a good eye and good judgment, you will create superior rabbit stock.When you’re thinking about how to get the best herd with the least amount of animals, there’s no doubt you have to consider how closely related you want your rabbits to be over the long haul.When you start out with good stock and have a good herd and practice selective breeding, in-breeding and line-breeding will build strength and not weakness.Unless there are “bad” recessive genes in your starting buck and doe that line up in their offspring, you can (in theory) line breed rabbits for generations without encountering any decline.Line breeding enhances characteristics both desirable and undesirable, so if there is an inherited weakness then yes, it will become worse. If there is a strength the offspring will improve with every generation.That’s an oversimplification, but it gives you the basic idea.
How To Start Your Own Rabbit Line Breeding Process
All great lines start with two good rabbits.They breed and you keep their best offspring, culling the rest from breeding.After they mature, breed these offspring back to the parents and repeat again for the second-generation offspring back to the parents and grandparents, always selecting the strongest pairs and keeping only the best kits.Continue breeding like this until you are ready to outcross. You should understand and know exactly why and for what reason and exactly what traits you are trying to add from this new line into your line.As time goes on, the herd branches out. The rabbits get more and more distantly related as the foundation stock gets pushed farther and farther back on the pedigree.At this point you could continue on to find more “ideal” genes by outcrossing and selective line breeding, or go back to the oldest viable stock you have and strengthen their traits into a new generation.What often happens is that one day an exceptional, almost magical, buck will be born that is your “ideal specimen”. This buck will have “ideal” genes with every good trait enhanced with none of the bad baggage. He is literally living proof of your hard work.Use this buck to breed your best does and begin the entire process over again.
Outcrossing
Once you have a line established, you can evaluate the faults that you produce on a fairly regular basis. When you see a weakness or a chance to improve something you may bring in another line that has a strength in that area.This is called outcrossing. In this way you will create a unique line that exists nowhere else on earth. If you choose wisely you will have superior rabbits.
Contact Jaguza Support