Like to Like Breeding Rabbits

Like-to-like, or assertive mating, means the mating of animals which are similar in appearance, but not necessarily,(or even usually), as opposed to inbreeding, similar in genetic constitution.

Assertive mating does not ' fix ' characteristics in a stud as does any form of inbreeding. On the contrary it tends to keep the said genetically variable.

The similarity of the progeny to their parents is increased and with good culling the uniformity in appearance of the animals in a stud can be increased. But this uniformity can only be maintained by severe selection and can only be ' fixed 'by some form of inbreeding.

Corrective mating, that is the mating of unlike to unlike animals, is also much used by the rabbit breeder. It is system in which animals with certain excellent characteristic sand certain weaknesses are mated to animals with the reverse characteristics. Thus the failings of the one are compensated by the good points of the other. Any particular type can beheld uniform by this system, but again that type cannot be fixed ' unless some form of inbreeding or line breeding is resorted to.

Both these systems keep the stock genetically variable, and therefore tend to produce one or two excellent animals. These however do not necessarily breed true. For the production of one or two ' flyers ' from a stud in which the average quality,apart from the occasional really good ones, is not of great importance, the system works satisfactorily.