Inbreeding Rabbits

Inbreeding is a mating system in which animals more closely related than the average, are mated. Usually the term is reserved for close inbreeding, that is to say brother to sister, or parent to offspring. Inbreeding leads to a greater degree of genetic al purity in the line in which it is carried out,and the animals of that line or family will tend to become more uniform in genetic al constitution.

If (as is almost certain) undesirable genes were present in the stock when inbreeding was commenced, then the characters produced by these genes will quickly appear. There is there-fore a tendency for inbred stock to degenerate. This degeneracy may be overcome after a number of generations,when a strain genetically pure for certain characters would have been established. The number of inbred lines which die out is however large, and because inbreeding leads very quickly to the appearance of undesirable 'characters in the stock, culling must be very severe.

Close, consistent inbreeding may be a valuable breeding system in the hands of the experienced breeder, but in general for commercial purposes its disadvantages to the average breeder outweigh its advantages. True inbreeding is system rarely found in rabbit keeping, although many breeders practising other breeding systems believe that the yare using it.