Clearing up some Misconceptions

I'd like to take a moment to clear up a few rabbit genetic misconceptions.

First, breeding chocolate into reds or torts will NOT clean up the color on those animals! It will NOT remove smut issues. It may hide it better, but that is only because chocolate against red tends to be harder to see. The problem will STILL be present! So to all those breeders out there constantly telling new red/tort breeders to cross in some chocolate to clean up the color, STOP IT! You are not helping them in any way! You are merely perpetuating a problem that already has enough issues clouding it and making it more difficult for those people to succeed. If you want good cleanly colored reds and torts, cross to clean colored reds and torts! Want more rufus factor? Cross to a brighter colored animal! Even if it's not a lot brighter, it will get you moving into the right direction. Want to be able to see your progress in the line? Then keep to a genetically black based variety!

Second, it does NOT help anyone in the fancy to keep rabbits that produce white spots or white nails and just "cross those to brokens to 'fix' the problem." The problem is keeping them in the first place. Cull those babies OUT!! Because it is inevitable that sooner or later, someone is going to use those animals, get promising youngsters after crossing and then have their hearts broken because the animal has a DQ white spot or nail! And please STOP telling youth to pluck out white spots before showing, it is ILLEGAL to do so, and telling the youth to do it taints our future generation breeders and perpetuates the issue. Not to mention they could get in serious trouble for it. Adults are supposed to set examples for our youth, so DO IT.

Finally, once and for all, linebreeding IS inbreeding. I get so sick of people telling me they linebreed, but they would NEVER inbreed, because inbreeding is just terrible! Sometimes I want to laugh, other times I want to shake the person, most of the time I just shake my head. It's very difficult educating people when they've been given so much misinformation while they were newbies. The definition of inbreeding is the selective mating wherein both individuals are related in some way, no matter how minor. Crossing a pair of cousins that are separated by 6 generations is still inbreeding, though very minor. Crossing a parent to an offspring is the main definition for linebreeding, however breeding full-siblings or half siblings is no better or worse. Learn and understand what inbreeding can do for your herd. Understand the potential consequences and be ready to handle those if they come up. Otherwise, take the time to recognize when this quite powerful and useful breeding tool can and should be used in creating a herd that consistently produces top quality animals in all traits. It has been done and can be done by anyone that cares to learn.

That is all... for now. ;)