How to Fill Out a Rabbit Pedigree

This is in reply to Sarah's my rabbit's having babies thread. I didn't want to hijack her thread and the topic of how do you do a pedigree came up so here it is

So what I am going to do is show various screen shots of my pedigree template and then with those template blocks filled out. Sorry it might look kind of choppy but I didn't want to post huge word document full sized pages on the forum.

So first off you need to keep (in the US anyway, you'll have to check with your British Council to know for sure how many generations on a pedigree in the UK). You want the offspring, the parents, the grand parents, and the great grand parents on your pedigree. The pedigree should overall look like this (sorry you can't read it but the next section of snips will fill in the blanks).

Obviously at the top of your pedigree in respectful, yet attractive and eye catching font and design you want to put your rabbitry's name. Mine is called BKG Rabbits (for myself and my 2 son's that do this, B-Breyden, K-Kel, G-Garrett). be sure to include all pertinant info such as web site and email address redily available at the top (specifics like address and such can be put in the certification box in the left corner of your pedigree).

Overall pedigree layout:



on the left side of the pedigree is the offspring box (the one that stands alone) this is where you put the baby's name, ear number, color, gender, etc. I also include a spot for grand champion # and registration #. directly under that is a section that you as the owner/breeder fill out when you sell the rabbit. It attests that the pedigree is correct to the best of your knowledge and also has a spot to initial and date for the date of the sale and transfer of ownership. That looks like this:

Here you see it blank:


and with it filled out with the baby's information:


I assign ear numbers depending on who the parents of that rabbit was. So if the mom was Psycho and the dad was Lou the baby's ear number would be PL1 (always use the does letter first then the bucks). For Sammy Jr, you can see the mother was Squirrel, and the father ws Sammy, so the ear number is SS6 because he is the 6th rabbit I've pedigree'd out of multipul breedings between Squirrel and Sammy. I keep breeding diary pages that track breeding pair, date of breeding, date of delivery, gender and color of each baby, and assigned ear number, or "died" (and the suspected reason why) so none are repated. Obviously rabbits that died aren't assigned ear numbers, also any animals that are sold with out a pedigree as a "pet" doesn't need an ear #. You still keep track of all rabbits that die/leave your rabbitry live in this diary. Those sold as pets in the ear number slot have "pet".

Next section on the top right of your pedigree is going to be your "Sire's Info". This is the dad of the litter. You will fill out his info as assigned on his pedigree and then use the sire's pedigree to go 3 generations back so that you can fill out the grand siredam (GSire/GDam) and great-grand sire/Dam (GGSire/GGDam) sections on your baby's pedigree.

The sections will look like this when blank:



and after it has been filled out (you can see THIS daddy has a PRETTY good pedigree with all those wins and Legs in his lineage):



I make it a little easier to distinguish the bucks from the does in the pedigree by using gender appropriate colors, dark blue or boys and bright pink for girls sometimes some breeders are only interested in seeing the does, or the bucks in the lineage and this makes it easier for them to quickly go thru several pedigrees in a short amount of time.

The Dam's info., the mother of the litter, of the pedigree is just like the bucks but opposite genders. You will fill out her info as assigned on her pedigree and then use the Dam's pedigree to go 3 generations back so that you can fill out the grand sire/Dam (GSire/GDam) and great-grand sire/Dam (GGSire/GGDam) sections on your baby's pedigree.


The blank doe's 3 generation side looks like this:



and filled out (this doe didn't have as extensive a win list as the buck's side of the pedigree BUT the one win that is there was a BIG win, Best of Breed at a National level win and can count more than all the little wins collectively on the Buck's side):



You can see certain entries on the pedigree include something called a grand champion number (G.C#) or Registration # (Reg #) this is filled out when you have a rabbit that meets the requirements for grand champion certification (the certificate will include a certificate #. That is your GC#) after you have your grand championship certification you can register your rabbit with ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association). I'm sure the UK has something very similar for their process of "granding" out rabbits. Your Registrasion number is tatoo'd into the RIGHT ear of your rabbit. Their ID # (The one on their pedigree) is always tatoo'd on the left ear.

Some pedigree blocks include "Wins" these are titles, dates, and sometimes the event/show those were won. Abbreviations such as BOV (Best of Variety) and BOB (Best of Breed) are assigned depending on how you placed in the show. Each of these wins can qualify you for a "Leg" (Which you will also see in the pedigree generations). It takes 3 legs to win your grand champion certificate BUT only 2 legs can be obtained as a junior rabbit (one leg has to be from a "senior" show). In order to get a Leg for a win, in netherlands, in the US there has to be at least 5 rabbits between 3 or more different breeders to qualify for a leg (meaning you can't load the table with your rabbits and get a leg but you still get credit for the win (as in points).

With Netherland dwarfs their weight has to be recorded on their pedigree. Since there is a weight limit established by the breeding standard.

When starting a pedigree on your own with no history aside of owning the original breeding pair of rabbits, they are titled under your rabbitry's name (if they didn't come with pedigrees but are pure bred or sold as/suspected pure bred rabbits). You have your first generation, Sire, Dam, and offspring. If you breed offspring, you now have new offspring, sire, Dam, Grandsire, and grand dam, 1 more generation and your pedigree is complete. You breed THAT offspring to another rabbit and now you have all 4 generations needed to satisfy (in the the US) ARBA pedigree standard expectations.

A completed pedigree should resemble this after it is properly filled out (excuse the 2 piece screenshot):





So that's pretty much how you read and fill out a Rabbit Pedigree. Questions???

Thankyou sooo much

I really apprepriate that you took your time to make this for me.

I will have to make some templetes for myself and save them for the future.

I will also print this page out when our printer is working properly.

So, when i start breeding all my lionheads? after about 3 generations.. they will be my own pedigree of lionheads and I can sell them as pedigree?

I'm going to read through the british rabbit council website and see what i have to do.. whether i need to get registered.

I'm going to chat to my mom about it because it's a big thing as she pays for all the rabbit sawdust and food until I get a job. And we have limited hutches at the moment.. but if i decide to go ahead with it all.. i will make plans for money and stuff.. i have never wanted to work in a general shop but i will apply if it comes to it

I will get a good notebook or some files and make a file for each of my rabbits. It is 'RAW' week soon in the UK and that means free health check ups for rabbits.. soo I can get them weighed.

=] i really hope i can do all of this.

I'd be happy to send you my template. I made it in word so it would be easy to change the rabbitry name and info as well as the certificate info in the bottom left corner.

please do.

Please PM me your email address as it tries to open outlook every time I click the email link and that's not what I use. I'll send it to you as an attachment so you can download it into a word program.